Stephen Hawking A Life in Science - Softcover

Gribbin, John; White, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0309084105 ISBN 13: 9780309084109

Publisher: Joseph Henry Press, 2002

Synopsis

Originally published in 1992 to great acclaim, this updated edition traces the course of Hawking’s life and science, successfully marrying biography and physics to tell the story of a remarkable man.

Stephen Hawking is no ordinary scientist. With a career that began over thirty years ago at Cambridge University, he has managed to do more than perhaps any other scientist to broaden our basic understanding of the universe. His theoretical work on black holes and his progress in advancing our knowledge of the origin and nature of the cosmos have been groundbreakingâ€"if not downright revolutionary.

Stephen Hawking has also spent much of his adult life confined to a wheelchair, a victim of ALS, a degenerative motor neuron disease. Clearly his physical limitations have done nothing to confine him intellectually. He simply never allowed his illness to hinder his scientific development. In fact, many would argue that his liberation from the routine chores of life has allowed him to focus his efforts more keenly on his science.

Hawking certainly would have been remarkable for his cutting edge work in theoretical physics alone. However, he has also managed to popularize science in a way unparalleled by other scientists of his stature. He became a household name, achieving almost cult-like fame, with the release of his best-selling book, A Brief History of Time. Although steeped in the potentially overwhelming complexities of cosmology, he succeeded in selling millions of copies to audiences eager to learn even some of what he has to offer.

Science writers White and Gribbin have skillfully painted a portrait of an indefatigable genius and a scientific mind that seemingly knows no bounds. Knitting together clear explanations of Hawking’s science with a detailed personal history that is both balanced as well as sensitive, we come to knowâ€"and appreciateâ€"both.

As Stephen Hawking’s new book, The Universe in a Nutshell, hits the best-seller lists, it is the ideal time for readers to learn more about this remarkable man and his vast body of accomplishments.

Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• 1. The Day Galileo Died
• 2. Classical Cosmology
• 3. Going Up
• 4. Doctors and Doctorates
• 5. From Black Holes to the Big Bang
• 6. Marriage and Fellowship
• 7. Singular Solutions
• 8. The Breakthrough Years
• 9. When Black Holes Explode
• 10. The Foothills of Fame
• 11. Back to the Beginning
• 12. Science Celebrity
• 13. When the Universe Has Babies
• 14. A Brief History of Time
• 15. The End of Physics?
• 16. Hollywood, Fame, and Fortune
• 17. A Brief History of Time Travel
• 18. Stephen Hawking: Superstar
• Notes
• About the Authors
• Index

About this title

About the Author:

Michael White and John Gribbin

Review:

"A gripping account of a physicist whose speculations could prove as revolutionary as those of Albert Einstein..." -- New Statesman & Society

"A successful merger of biography and physics..." -- Time Magazine

"Fascinating..." -- Spectator

"Immensely moving... totally gripping to read." -- Daily Telegraph

"Intriguing... There are larger questions here than the life even of this singular man..." -- -- The Times

About this edition

• Publisher: Joseph Henry Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0309084105
• ISBN 13: 9780309084109
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 300