My Brief History

I was looking forward to reading and reviewing an advance review copy of Stephen Hawking's autobiography My Brief History so that I could learn a bit more about how he manages his disability, but it turns out that he really doesn't dwell on his ALS in the book. Much like his family life, there are just brief mentions of some of the high points and the rest is left unmentioned. Instead, the major focus of his autobiography is the evolution of his ideas about time and space rather than on his personal life. So at first I found that disappointing, until it began to dawn on me that living in his world of ideas is how he copes with his illness. I began to really enjoy reading about his inner world and truly appreciate the richness he found there.

I've read two of Hawking's "popular" science books, and I have to put popular in quotes because even when he's trying to write for a general audience instead of fellow scientists his work often exceeds my limited understanding. The chapters devoted to his work are a little bit easier for me to follow, but his writing still makes my brain itch. Don't get me wrong, that's what I love about reading him. I go back and reread the chapters until things start to sink in a little bit, and I find that challenge quite rewarding. So even though My Brief History was not the book I expected to read, it's a book that I am very glad I did read.