Covering subjects ranging from the personal to the wholly scientific, this is a collection of Stephen Hawking's essays and other pieces, revealing him as scientist, man, concerned world citizen and imaginative thinker. He recalls his first experience of nursery school, punctures the arrogance of those who think science can best be understood only by other scientists, explores the origins and the future of the universe, and reflects on the phenomenon of his bestselling book, "A Brief History of Time". Some of the pieces reflect familiar material in fresh ways, while others are entirely new - including the lengthy transcript of Hawking's conversation on "Desert Island Discs".