Stephen Hawking

by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Stephen Hawking is one of the most famous scientists in the world as well as a medical miracle. Just after he enrolled in a doctorate program in physics at Oxford University, he learned he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. Doctors gave him just a few years to live. But Hawking never let his disease keep him down. His brilliant, groundbreaking work on black holes and the Big Bang theory amazed other scientists. He also captured the imagination of the general public with his book, A Brief History of Time, which became a worldwide bestseller. Getting around in a motorized wheelchair and speaking through a computer-directed artificial voice, Hawking has used his success and amazing accomplishments to increase awareness of handicapped people and their needs. And more than forty years after he was told he didn't have long to live, he continues his explorations of the universe and how it began.

112 pages, Library Binding

First published September 6, 2006

About the author

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson wrote her first children's story in college. She enjoyed the process so much that she's never stopped writing. A former teacher and freelance newspaper writer, she has written twenty-eight books and numerous magazine stories. She especially enjoys writing about science and the human interest stories behind major discoveries.

Stephanie and her husband, Richard, live in Virginia but also call California home. They are the parents of two grown children.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

After recently reading a book about a disabled girl I dove into this biography about Stephen Hawking. It probably sounds strange but, I was disappointed to learn that Stephen Hawking is a normal guy who is imperfect just like the rest of us. He's supposed to be super smart. Yet, he divorced his wife after falling in love with his nurse.

I was also interested to learn that he could walk up until he was a young adult. He was given only two years to live when diagnosed with Lew Gehrig's disease.

He could also speak on his own until he got pneumonia. This is often deadly for people who have Lew Gehrig's disease. Instead he received an emergency tracheotomy. It saved his life, but prevented him from speaking on his own.

[Ruben E. Lydda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a biography about Stephen Hawking, and about his life. I rated it 3 stars because, well, biography is very boring. Now I know why Stephen Hawking looks so weird in his wheelchair.