The author, physicist Leonard Mlodinow, first met Stephen Hawking in 2003 and became a friend until Stephen’s death in 2018. Stephen was born into an academically able family. Both his parents were students at Oxford, the town where he was born. Stephen did his undergraduate degree at Oxford before moving to Cambridge University in 1962 to do a PhD in cosmology. It was in that first year at Cambridge, at the age of 21, that he was diagnosed with a rare early-onset slow-progressing form of motor neuron disease (MND) also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). For most death comes within two to five years of diagnosis and only one in twenty survive twenty years or more. Incredibly Stephen survived fifty five years. Undoubtedly helped by his ability to earn sufficient money to find the large team of people he needed to simply stay alive, especially in the last thirty years of his life. Stephen fell very ill in 1985 and his only hope of survival was a tracheostomy. He did survive but from that point was unable to speak and needed 24/7 care which the British National Health Service was unable to fund. Initially Stephen survived thanks to a grant from the Macarthur Foundation but within years he had written A Brief History of Time which sold over 25 million copies and meant he could fund his own care.

Leonard Mlodinow had turned down approaches to write a biography of Stephen but liked the idea of writing a memoir about him and physics. The resulting book focuses on the period 2005-2010 when Leonard and Stephen worked together as co-authors of The Grand Design, a popular-science book. As well as seeing Stephen at his annual visits to Caltech in Pasadena, Leonard now spent weeks at a time with Stephen in his office in Cambridge, UK as well as frequently dining with him at home or in Gonville and Caius College.

This memoir alternates personal sections of Stephen’s day to day life with explanations of major topics in physics as they were theorised, researched and debated over the five decades of Stephen’s career. These include quantum physics, general relativity, unified field theory and black holes. All these, and others, are introduced in a way to give the non physicist a chance of understanding the concepts. These concepts are so vast though that I suspect they will go over the heads of most readers unless they are physicists or already have a passion and knowledge of these subjects. I was keener to read the personal sections about Stephen and learn more about his relationships with family, colleagues and friends so skimmed some of the physics sections but I do feel inspired to go back and reread these at some point.

Some of the sections about Stephen’s life got a bit too personal for my liking when writing about some aspects of the personal care that he received from his team of carers. Stephen came across as being extremely sociable and driven with little sense of ‘woe is me’ apart from occasional periods in his life when health setbacks took away a bit more of his independence until he was eventually only able to communicate via a computer at a word of so a minute. It’s hard to imagine just how challenging every second of Stephen’s life must have been and yet quite awesome to think how his large team of carers, family, colleagues and friends did their bit to keep him alive and in good mental health. For someone with his health condition he did indeed live the most extraordinary life with travel world wide and a very good circle of supportive friends.

I found this book very readable, interesting and quite inspirational. With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Press UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I am not a scientist, and theoretical physics is certainly not an area I would have chosen to write a book about; however, for Stephen Hawking, this was his life's work.

Leonard Mlodinow worked with Stephen Hawking on a book called 'The Grand Design' and the two became close friends. The Stephen Hawking that emerges from his account is a man with a prodigious memory, able to focus on the smallest detail - sometimes to the point of frustration for those around him - but who, when asked what was his greatest achievement, didn't reply with "Hawking radiation" or one of his other discoveries, but simply said, "My children".

Diagnosed at a young age with ALS (motor neurone disease), Stephen Hawking wasn't expected to live many more years; however, he proved one of those exceptions - the 1 in 20 or so that survive decades beyond the normal expectancy for someone living with this condition. Consequently, Stephen decided to focus on achieving as much as he could and succeeded.

Whilst a lot of the discussion of the physics went over my head, I was fascinated by how Stephen came across as a person. He was married twice (a third marriage was proposed but never took place) and provoked deep affection in those who chose to share his life, whether carers, students, or fellow scientists.

Stephen faced battles every day just to stay alive and depended on an army of carers. He also relied on interaction with others, even though it took several minutes to frame a verbal response to questions. He loved food, had an impish sense of fun, and wasn't afraid to be wrong.

A particular favourite reminiscence of mine is when Stephen wanted to go punting, and Leonard was convinced this was not a good idea; however, Stephen got his way.

This is an affectionate and very readable account of friendship but also of a working relationship. You don't have to share Stephen Hawking's conclusions about the universe, but you can respect the man who by sheer determination and self-will managed to bring science to many who might otherwise have ignored it.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by Penguin Press UK (Allen Lane), in return for an honest appraisal.

Thank you, Penguin UK and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read and review this brilliant biography of a brilliant man.

The sub-title of this book is an apt summary of the contents of this soulful and intellectual memoir – “A Memoir of Friendship and Physics”.

The author of this biography, Leonard Mlodinow, is the man who has co-authored “The Grand Design” and “A Briefer History of Time”, both of which were follow-up’s to Hawking’s perenially famous “A Brief History of Time”. This biography covers the story of the drafting of “The Grand Design” and branches out into various aspects of Stephen’s life: his days as an undergraduate student at both Oxford and Cambridge, his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), his life and work in theoretical physics after that, the interwoven stories of his family and his carers (who, more often than not, ended up being his family) and his eventual death.

The biography starts and ends at Hawking’s funeral in 2018, which seems like a metaphor for how death, and the uncertainty of it, tended to linger around Stephen during his exceptionally long time with us (55 years post diagnosis, for a disease that lends you an average life expectancy of just 2-5 years). However, Stephen being Stephen, the time between his diagnosis and his death is packed to the hilt with new theories, meticulous brain-work and a constant devotion for theoretical physics. And a bottle of good wine.

The author also strives to introduce us to the human behind the physics: the scarily smart and incredibly impish man who loved his pithy humour as much he loved physics. It also allows us, the common reader, an opportunity to meet Hawking at his workplace and at his dining table and at the many intimate moments which unfortunately end up becoming public ones due to disability. This book is also a primer and a jumping board to get on to reading more of Hawking’s work, if you, like me, don’t belong to this field of Physics but still retain your curiosity about the workings of this universe we exist in. Stephen’s work on the Hawking radiation, his theories about the nature of existence of black holes, the use of Richard Feynman’s work and other such physicists are described in this biography with great detail.

One of the aspects of the book that is a permanent backdrop is Stephen’s adaptation to communication over the years, thanks to the progression of his disease and the consequent degeneration. Initially, he used to end up speaking in a garbled fashion, and family and close associates who could decipher his words accompanied him to lectures and seminars where he spoke in order to translate to the audience. However, post the bout of pneumonia that lead to a tracheostomy (creating a hole in the neck in order to insert a tube to let air directly enter the lungs), he lost his ability to speak. Which then lead to the famous communication through his eyebrows and grimaces (yes and no respectively). The use of his twitching cheek to communicate at a speed of six words per minute, which changed in a net positive and then later to a net negative way due to the development in technologies and the progression of his disease is memorialised in the movie “The Theory of Everything” starring Eddie Redmayne.

Apart from the physics aspect of the book (which I’ve only partly understood, and I don’t feel authoritative enough to cover in this review), another important aspect of Stephen’s life that is written about in this book is his family. More specifically, his lovers. To be diagnosed with ALS at the age of 21, the prime of your youth, is harsh. Stephen did indeed end up going through the five stages of grief. However, the silver lining to this reality was his girlfriend and to-be wife, Jane Wilde. He eventually married her and they stayed together for almost 20 years. Post the divorce, Stephen married one of his nurses, Elaine Mason. This relationship survived for 10 years amid allegations of Stephen being physically abused by Elaine, which were adamantly refuted by Stephen himself. This book also covers the story of his third love, Diana, which is a heartbreaking one too. The book doesn’t exhaustively cover the feelings and emotions of these three women, but it does help the reader ponder over the challenges of dating and loving a physically challenged person, and the emotional toll it takes to hug someone who cannot hug you back.

And lastly, another major aspect of the book is Mlodinow’s own experience of co-authoring a book with a man who is a genius beyond compare but whose discourse is limited to the extent of technology and the help he receives. Be it learning 20 questions to filter out what Stephen wanted to say, or finishing his sentences for him, I found that this narration by Mlodinow was the most intimate one: a theoretical physicist in discussion with someone who can make his ideas more accessible to the world and thus in turn ensure that these ideas remain immortal. And also lead to creation of books that will help to pay the medical bills and numerous carers and medical facilities required.

Among other things mentioned in the book, there are instances showcasing of Stephen’s displeasure to a lack of accessibility for disabled people in public infrastructure and his gratitude for the carers and nurses who attended to his every need and stuck to a much needed and calm-inducing schedule. It has been acknowledged by doctors that one of the reasons for Stephen’s longevity is his fame, which ultimately ended up gaining him lots of book advances and royalties to be able to afford the care that he needed. In my opinion, however, this relationship he shared with his team of carers was a symbiotic one. This one quote in the book really speaks volumes about the medical profession:

"What you do for a newborn baby you did for Stephen. All of us. When I came off a shift and he was still alive, I felt I’d done a good shift. Because he was alive. Because I’d kept him alive." ~ Viv, one of Stephen’s carers

I’ll end this review with one final line: This book will challenge you intellectually and emotionally. Intellectually, in an obvious sense. Emotionally, in a way that will ask you to be empathetic, and not just sympathetic, about the life of this brilliant, brilliant man.

I confess that I had very little understanding of the physics in this book. I admire the strength Stephen Hawking had. His determination to keep going is inspiring. I think that this biography shows that.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was a wonderful memoir of an inspirational man, written by his friend and co-author. Leonard says of Stephen, 'it was human bonds, love, and not just his physics, that nourished him'. A maverick, a man who loved to live life to the full, he was initially devastated to receive the diagnosis that he had ALS at only 21. Life expectancy after diagnosis is generally 2-5 years, but Stephen Hawking lived for 50. Receiving the diagnosis 'steered him toward a richer life' and whilst his body was shutting down, his mind became more focused and led to him being recognised as one of the great minds of the 21st century.

Stephen Hawking was a complex man. Married twice, divorced twice and father to three children, there were times when his physics took precedence over everything. He was surrounded by love, but it was not always easy to love someone who by necessity, demanded everything, and could give perhaps less than was needed to sustain a healthy relationship. It's certainly true to say that both his spouses felt they lost their own identity in being the partner of someone who became so famous and adored around the world.

In all honesty, for me, the science in this memoir was difficult for me to get my head around. It's not that it wasn't written in an accessible way, it's just that my strength does not lie in thinking scientifically.

I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Stephen's life, and was in awe of how he dealt with his disease in such a positive way. As Leonard wrote in the closing chapter, 'We can get used to anything and we can accomplish, if not anything, then at least much more than we give ourselves credit for. To grow close to Stephen was to understand this and to realize that we need not wait for a debilitating disease to inspire us to make the most of our time on earth'.

This is a really hard book to rate - and review. On the one hand, it's an eye-opener into Stephen Hawking's life and work. On the other hand... it just felt a bit wrong, with parts almost like a tabloid exposé. It was interesting and well-written, but didn't chime well with me.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

As a Stephen Hawking fan, not only for his excellent work but for his life, this book shows a bit more about his life and his excellent brain at work. Loved this book.

I really don't know how to feel about this book! In some ways I want to give the book five stars and in other ways I want to give it a one star! I don't read a lot of memoirs but I do enjoy science books, especially ones that tell the story of scientists overcoming adversity to solve important questions about the world (e.g. Fermat's Last Theorem by Simon Singh).

Stephen Hawking is someone I admire and find fascinating. Leonard Mlodinow is a friend and co-author of two books with Hawking and decided to write Hawking's biography with interviews with some of his nearest and dearest.

This is a fairly quick read and I loved hearing about Hawking's upbringing. It gave a great insight into how he dealt with his deteriorating health due to ALS, and how this condition motivated him to continue trying to answer questions about the world and why we're here. The reason I mentioned wanting to give it a one star was that sometimes it felt like we were being given information that was too intimate, such as how he was fed by carers and how he relieved himself.

Overall though it was great to find out more about the magnificent man, including how funny and adventurous he was. I'd love a similar book that focused more on his scientific achievements than his daily struggles and relationship issues.

<b>Physics, friendship and the looming invevitabilities</b>

Stephen Hawking made science cool. As an esteemed physicist, he popularised and explored a number of theories, many of which became known to the public, quite perversely, through the disability of this incredible scientist. What we often hear about Stephen Hawking is how sharp his mind was and how much strength he drew from his work. But we don't hear enough about Stephen Hawking - the person. Not THE scientist. Not THE man in the grip of a condition that should have killed him much earlier in life. But THE person. A man who loved rowing, a man who loved steak and good wine, a man who was a great friend and phenomenal conversationalist...

Leonard Mlodinow's career is indeed a prolific one. As one of the most influential theoretical physicists of our times, as well a phenomenal writer, he was chosen to become Stephen Hawking's long-time collaborator. And "Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics" brings all these elements together. Mlodinow talks a lot about his work with Stephen Hawking, in which he delves into two areas: physics (including quantum physics, a theory of black holes, cosmology, a theory of everything, and more) and his friendship with the man who redefined modern physics. These two elements make this memoir truly unique. Mlodinow provides a riveting science lesson, delivered through the prism of his life with Stephen Hawking.

The latter aspect of the narrative, which on the surface is the entire premise of the book, allows us to understand why Stephen Hawking was so dedicated and passionate about physics and all its elements. His love for science conveyed by Mlodinow in the memoir is infectious and captivating. But on the other hand, we see a picture of a man, who knows he has not enough time and wants to explore, discover and understand as much as possible before putting his books away.

Stephen Hawking presented in this memoir is a man of passion and resolve. We learn more and more about a man who values life as a whole. Warts and all. We learn about a man who deals with his progressive disability through patience and understanding of the human condition. But also we experience the immense loneliness of a person who is locked inside his own head with no physical outlet to his emotions.

Finally, we learn about Leonard Mlodinow and how he navigated the friendship with one of the most incredible minds of our times. And this is where things get really interesting. Mlodinow doesn't embellish or whitewash the flaws of Stephen Hawking's character, but neither he ponders on them. His casual narrative style allows us to discover Hawking first and foremost as a human being.

Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics is a truly riveting read and I would recommend it to everyone. It's a poignant story of forming a friendship with a severely disabled person, that also touches upon and explores the challenges that come with it. But this, in many respects, is overshadowed by the second aspect of the bond forged between two men; the love and passion for science.

I would wholeheartedly recommend. Many thanks to Penguin Press UK and NegGalley for my copy of the memoir. It really is a deep, emotional and touching read.

Wow. A wonderful insight into the working between the author and Stephen Hawkins. The struggles not only physically but the mental challenges he set himself. It is like eavesdropping on a conversation between two good friends as they talk at a table next to you. At times very personal and intimate at others funny and irreverent. It shows another facet to the character of a brilliant physicist. Anyone who watched or read the theory of everything will love this insight into the person not just the world renowned scientist.

This was a very interesting read.

There was a fair amount of physics that meant nothing to me - did not understand it at all, but the actual story of Stephen was very interesting.

A very though provoking book, not only on Stephen Hawking, but the field in which he became famous. Focusing a lot his friendship and research into the laws of physics. It is a very touching story about his theories and his tenacious attitude in everything he believed in and thought true. Some of the physics jargon was a bit hard to comprehend but overall a lovely biography of an otherwise misunderstood person

A memoir from Leonard Mlodinow about working with Professor Stephen Hawking for decades. Friends, family, loves and carers help Mlodinow to delve into what it was like to be close to Hawking’s. From meeting the influential physicist, working on 2 books (A Briefer History Of Time and The Grand Design), becoming friends all the way to Hawking’s death.

Although some of the physics went over my head and had me feeling like I couldn’t finish the book, Leonard Mlodinow tries to explain it in a simpler way for people outside their world to understand. I’m glad I did persevere and finish it. Hearing from behind the ALS and struggles that came with it truly showed how strong/stubborn Hawking was. It’s a nice tribute to an extraordinary man.

Thank you to Penguin Press UK for this advance copy.

Leonard met Stephen when he was asked to consider writing a book together in 2003. Over the coming years working together on The Grand Design, Leonard grew to know Stephen Hawking as a personal friend not just a physicist.
This memoir is beautifully thoughtful in the way Stephen is portrayed and you get to understand some science too. Well worth reading.

Really well written and not too technical to make it readable. The life of Stephen Hawking is a tremendous example of human spirit and his achievements were truly remarkable. Very readable and particularly recommended to anyone interested in where we all come from and the deeper meaning to science and life

I have always wondered how Stephen Hawking had coped with his condition. This book answers this question somehow: he had an immense ego and his desire to live matched that ego; without them, he would not have lasted this long.

But I'm not sure if this portrayal of him as the man behind the genius makes him more esteemed; on the contrary. For all the money in the world I would not have liked to spend even a minute nursing him. I've had my share of caring and I must say, no matter how much you love them, it gets to you. To do it for a stranger, I believe is even worse. If that makes me callous, so be it; it's just that when you have an idea what's it like, you'll never want such an experience ever again.

Anyway, Mlodinow' story is an honest account of his time spent with Hawking. He shares a lot of his thoughts, frustrations and some good moments too. However, I could have lived without some details such as when SH needed to relieve himself or how he drooled. These are normal for a man in his condition, but by no means should they be brought out.

There is also the story of how the two worked together on The Grand Design and he admits it was a tough experience. It's hard enough to work with a man with so many disabilities, but it's even harder when he is also stuborn and have no respect toward deadlines or agreements.

He had some good parts, of course: he cared for all those around him and a statement of his really moved me. When being asked "which, of his many discoveries, accomplishments, creations, had been his favorite", his answer was: "My children."

The book itself is a mix between these glimpses in Hawking's life, a bit of gossip too, his trajectory on how he became famous, how A Brief History of Time made it possible to have such a big staff of carers around the clock and of course, the author's personal opinions and how, despite all the barriers in communication, the two became good friends.

As for my experience with it, I think it would have been better not to read it, because it left me with a bitter taste: on one hand I felt so sorry for him (although, accordingly to the author, he never did) and on the other, no one should profit from their condition to make others misserable, especially when those are your wives, carers and friends.

All this does not diminishes his achievments as a scientists, but it lowers the respect a bit.

I'm afraid I found this book rather boring. It is also clearly written for the American market, which makes it a rather off-putting read as everything relating to life in the UK is explained in great detail. Not a book I would recommend.

Stephen Hawking is a true legend of our times. Not only did he have a brilliant mind but also the type of personality to embrace his illness and continue with his academic work. I watched the poignant film ‘The Theory of Everything’ in 2014. It starred the talented actor Eddie Redmayne, who later on won an Oscar for his portrayal of Stephen in a film based on "Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen," a memoir written by Hawking's ex-wife, Jane.
When I saw the physicist Leonard Mlodinow’s new memoir subtitled ‘A Memoir of Friendship and Physics’ I felt the itch to read his true-life story of their friendship which started when they met in 2003 and endured with their work together to create ‘The Grand Design’, published in 2010 and further down the line this memoir, both collaborating together at the invitation of Stephen, their friendship grew but so did his understanding of Stephen’s personal life and struggles, borne with such resolution, bravery, acceptance and humour.
Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8th 1942 and shared his birthday with the death day of astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei who died 300 years earlier. He was diagnosed with motor-neuron disease, when he was studying at Oxford University and aged only 21. The doctors initially diagnosed that he would not live beyond the age of 25 years. He was not ready to go then so his life eventually ended when he was 76 years of age, having tirelessly worked on many different disciplines. Using technology he found a way to communicate and became the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University. He continued working on explaining the origins of the universe and black holes and developing the theory of Hawking radiation.
I was drawn to this memoir because I hoped to find out more about the personal life he lead and the intimacies of his friendships, indeed to learn about him in more detail. I think the book achieved this and I liked the story of taking the adventurous Stephen punting on the Cam. I could imagine the buzz that it gave him with his open mind and zest for life. He even wanted to have the thrill of experiencing weightlessness, and why not? This is the nature of the memoir that drew me to feel more understanding of Stephen, for which I was very grateful.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Penguin for my copy of this memoir, sent to me in return for an honest review. I enjoyed reading it and definitely felt as though I knew the man for himself, together with his academic brilliance and his humanity. The memoir was therefore a good read and met my expectations.