THIRTEEN EXTRAORDINARY ESSAYS SHED NEW LIGHT ON THE MYSTERIES OF THE UNIVERSE...AND ON ONE OF THE MOST BRILLIANT THINKERS OF OUR TIME. In his phenomenal bestseller A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking literally transformed the way we think about physics, the universe, reality itself. Now, in these thirteen essays and one remarkable extended interview, the man widely regarded as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein returns to reveal an amazing array of possibilities for our understanding of the universe. Building on his earlier work, Hawking discusses imaginary time, how black holes can give birth to baby universes, and schientists' efforts to find a complete unified theory that would predict everything in the universe. He also reflects on the value of life and his perceptions of death; looks at how science theory converges with-and diverges from-science fiction; and in several fascinating and candid autobiographical pieces describes the way in wich ALS-Lou Gehrig's diseaase-has affected but not constrained his personal and intellectual life. With his characteristic mastery of language, his sense of humor and commitment to plain speaking, Stephen Hawking invites us in this book to know him better-and to share his passion for the voyage of intellect and imagination that has opened new ways to understanding the very nature of the cosmos. 'Succinct, illuminating,and-considering the inherently baffing nature of contemporary cosmology-remarkably easy to read.' -The Wall Street Journal 'A second chance at enlightenment...[Hawking] deftly unravels... complex matters in simple, lay language...Very readable.' -San Francisco Chronicle