Stephen Hawking
A Memoir of Friendship and Physics
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
CHOSEN AS A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE GUARDIAN, DAILY TELEGRAPH, NEW STATESMAN AND BBC SCIENCE FOCUS
'An intimate, unique, and inspiring perspective on the life and work of one of the greatest minds of our time. Filled with insight, humour, and never-before-told stories, it's a view of Stephen Hawking that few have seen and all will appreciate' James Clear, author of Atomic Habits
An icon of the last fifty years, Stephen Hawking seems to encapsulate genius: not since Albert Einstein has a scientific figure held such a position in popular consciousness. In this enthralling memoir, writer and physicist Leonard Mlodinow tells the story of his friend and their collaboration, offering an intimate account of this giant of science.
The two met in 2003, when Stephen asked Leonard if he would consider writing a book with him, the follow up to the bestselling A Brief History of Time. As they spent years working on a second book, The Grand Design, they forged a deep connection and Leonard gained a much better understanding of Stephen's daily life and struggles -- as well as his compassion and good humour. Together they obsessed over the perfect sentence, debated the physics, and occasionally punted on Cambridge's waterways with champagne and strawberries. In time, Leonard was able to finish Stephen's jokes, chide his sporadic mischief, and learn how the hardships of his illness helped forge that unique perspective on the universe.
By weaving together their shared story with a clear-sighted portrayal of Hawking's scientific achievements, Mlodinow creates a beautiful portrait of Stephen Hawking as a brilliant, impish and generous man whose life was not only exceptional but also genuinely inspiring.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mixing remembrance and popular science into a pleasing memoir, physicist Mlodinow (Elastic) writes about his collaboration and friendship with Stephen Hawking, beginning in 2003 and continuing until Hawking's death in 2018, during which time they co-wrote A Briefer History of Time and The Grand Design. While relating trips to Cambridge to meet with Hawking, Mlodinow tells of Hawking's battle with ALS and his two marriages and 40-year career, and outlines Hawking's contributions to physics, particularly cosmology and general relativity. Candidly reflecting on Hawking's paralysis, he muses that his collaborator's experience with contradictions in his own life, as a man "both powerful and powerless," fed into one of his greatest gifts as a scientist, a knack for "reconciling contradictory theories and ideas." Mlodinow also recalls their arguments (Hawking would use the volume control on his computer voice to express his frustration) and their philosophical discussions over wine (despite Hawking being able to communicate only six words per minute with the help of a computer and a sensor in his eyeglasses to detect face muscle movements). This memorable book allows readers to see the human side of a figure who might otherwise seem intimidatingly remote.