The Incredibly Complex Life Of Stephen Hawking

A Brief History of Time

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The editor at Bantam, Peter Guzzardi encouraged Hawking to explain his complex ideas in the simplest way possible so that the general public would have a chance of understanding it. This required numerous drafts and revisions but was finally published in April 1988. The book was a smashing success and became a best-seller in the United States and the UK.

It was translated into numerous different languages and is estimated to have sold over nine million copies. The success of the book also led to Hawking achieving celebrity status. He began traveling a lot to promote his work as well as to accept numerous awards. Some colleagues believed that Hawking’s disability was the reason he was achieving so much attention, but his awards said otherwise.

Learn how a bout with pneumonia almost cost Hawking his life.