Rating: 
Summary: A Clear Primer Of Quantum Mechanics and Beyond For Laymen
Review: This book is an excellent introduction to what is going on in the world of contemporary physics and mathematics for people without a scientific background. I know a lot of people who have actually bought Hawkings' massively popular and influential "A Brief History of Time" and "The Universe in a Nutshell" and not read or understood these sometimes esoteric books. They should have picked up this book instead. Most of the big ideas that Hawkings deals with in other books are in this slim volume as well. He treads through the intricacies of quantum mechanics and Einstein's general relativity with much aplomb and wit. The proposition of finding a Theory of Everything - its possibility - is presented with clear and logical explanation. His autobiographical account of living with his condition is also handled with humor and lightness. All in all, this book is the most appropriate introduction to a fascinating physicist and the questions in physics he tries to answer. Before reading Hawkings' other books, read this one.
Rating: 
Summary: 14 easy pieces
Review: This is a compilation of 14 loosely knit essays. From 7. to 13., mainly conversational-style exposition of Hawking's musings on older and newer physics (general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, his introduction of imaginary time, baby universes, determinism, "the final theory" addiction); the rest is, more or less, of personal and autobiographical nature. Although a reader will not find anything mind-bending in this book (and some topics, like superstrings or quantum gravity are, if not obsolete, then at least greatly changed)- this is a relaxed glance on a few basic concepts of modern cosmology.
Rating:
Summary: One of those rare books I read over and over
Review: To reveal my bias first: I loved physics in high school and college, and most of my peers did not.
This is a collection of updated essays and speeches concerning the cosmology (the origin and evolution of the universe) and related topics, such as determinism (whether every last little thing is predetermined to happen). Hawking explains everything from a scientific point of view and also explains the science he refers to, including quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity. A few major points are brought up repeatedly in almost every chapter and I was thankful for this repetition because it made my understanding possible. These speeches and essays had originally been written for audiences of various levels of understanding, such as for university audiences (many of whom were grad students). Regardless of "where you're at," you will find some chapters easier to digest than others. (Chapter 7, for example, is relatively rigorous and gets into particle physics, but I appreciated its rigor after the rest of the book had become familiar.) I had to re-read a few paragraphs in this book more than once and then pause and think before they clicked, but they did click. I found this especially true of the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics and the sum over histories, which I had never heard of before. Hawking makes excellent use of analogy.
I found Hawking's explanations of Einstein's theory of relativity easier to understand than an entire book for laymen on that subject called "Relativity Visualized."
Hawking, correctly in my opinion, spends an early chapter discussing his life including his physical condition, which he had only mentioned in "A Brief History of Time" which I never finished, by the way. I found this book to be an easier read than that one. There is profound discussion of the role of scientists in society, and of science and the public.
To my amazement:
1) I finally became comfortable with the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics;
2) This book corroborated, rather than conflicted with, my philosophical beliefs; and
3) I learned that scientists are very human when it comes to stubbornly adhering to what they *want* to believe, at least for a while, after it's been disproved. Hawking cites many examples of this in his historical coverage of our understanding of physics, notably how relativity was considered too "far out" for years by most of the science community, Einstein himself not believing one of its implications.
Some of the most amazing revelations are not theory but accepted facts that I just was not caught up with. I treasure this book.
Rating:
Summary: A book out of best
Review: Well here is a book for all those intrested in science specially cosmology. Professor Hawking presents the complex picture of our universe in the best possible way for a layman. Starting from the days when people just hoped for the existance of Black holes Professor Hawking presents a totally new and original idea of the formation of baby universes including his sweet memories with life.
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