FewscientistsareasrecognizableasStephenHawking.DespitehavingAmyotrophicLateralSclerosis（LouGehrigsdisease）--anafflictionthatmanyexpertsexpectedtohavekilledhimdecadesagoHawkingremainsavitalandinfluentialvoiceinthescientificcommunity.Oneoftheleadingcosmologistsstudyingthecelestialphenomenonknownasblackholes,Hawkinghasalsoledthewayinpopularizingsciencewithhisbest-sellingworkABrierHistoryofTime.ThisbiographyofHawking,writtenbyaphysicist,providesanaccessibleintroductiontothelifeandworkofaninspirationalfigure.　　StephenHawking."ABiographyprovidesanoverviewofthelifeandworkofthisbrilliantscientistthatcanbereadandappreciatedbystudentsandlaypeoplealike.Theauthorexaminesmanyaspectsofhisfascinatingcareer：　　·Hawkingschildhoodandearlyeducation,andtheshockingdiagnosisofhisdisease：　　·Hisearlyscientificworkonblackholesthatcementedhisreputationasascientist;　　·HowHawkingmanagedtoremainaproductivescientistandscholardespitehavingadebilitatingillness.