Hawking is famous as much for having Lou Gehrig's disease, his bestseller A Brief History of Time, and media appearances, as for his scientific ideas. Physicist/astronomer Larsen (Central Connecticut State U.) emphasizes the Cambridge U. scientist's honored/debated theories on black holes and other cosmological phenomena. This is a reprint of the 2005 Greenwood Press biography. It includes a timeline, update on his professional and personal life, appendices explaining scientific theories, a glossary, and a photo of Hawking in a cameo appearance on a Star Trek show episode. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)