Readers worldwide have come to know the work of Stephen Hawking through his phenomenal million-copy hardcover best-seller A "Brief History Of Time". Bantam is proud to present the paperback edition of Dr. Hawking's first new book since that event, a collection of fascinating and illuminating essays, and a remarkable interview broadcast by the BBC on Christmas Day, 1992. These fourteen pieces reveal Hawking variously as the scientist, the man, the concerned world citizen, and-always-the rigorous and imaginative thinker. Hawking's wit, directness of style, and absence of pomp characterize all of them, whether he is remembering his first experience at nursery school; calling for adequate education in science that will enable the public to play its part in making informed decisions on matters such as nuclear disarmament; exploring the origins or the future of the universe; or reflecting on the history of "A Brief History Of Time. Black Holes And Baby Universes" is an important work from one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. "[Hawking] sprinkles his explanations with a wry sense of humor and a keen awareness that the sciences today delve not only into the far reaches of the cosmos, but into the Inner philosophical world as well".- "New York Times Book Review"