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Stephen Hawking, the most important theoretical physicist since Einstein, recaps for the lay reader the theories--such as supersymmetry, M-theory, superstring theory, and black holes--that scientists have been puzzling over since the publication of his bestseller A Brief History of Time.

A revision and expanded edition of Stephen Hawking's classic A Brief History of Time, reflecting new observations and extraordinary advances which reveal the truth of Hawking's earlier predictions. Includes a new introduction, a new chapter about wormholes and time travel, and updates of all of the original chapters.

Our universe seems strangely ''biophilic,'' or hospitable to life. Is this happenstance, providence, or coincidence? According to cosmologist Martin Rees, the answer depends on the answer to another question, the one posed by Einstein's famous remark: ''What interests me most is whether God could have made the world differently.'' This highly engaging book explores the fascinating consequences of the answer being ''yes.''

A compelling insight into the way that astronomers work, explaining how they make the discoveries that make headlines, as well as the stories behind those headlines. From the first steps which measured the distances to the nearest stars, to the latest discovery that the Universe is expanding at an ever faster rate, John Gribbin puts deep space into perspective with the aid of specially commissioned illustrations and revealing photographs from the latest generation of astronomical telescopes.

This book conveys the thrill of observing strange and surprising features of the Universe, and the satisfaction gained by understanding them through modern science. Using simple analogies and a wealth of illustrations, Professor Narlikar skilfully steers us through a cosmic journey of discovery, starting from the Earth and Solar System and stepping out to the farthest reaches of the Universe.