Hawking gets award

Professor Stephen Hawking has been awarded the Aventis science book prize for his beginner's guide to the cosmos, The Universe In a Nutshell. Hawking, who also picks up a cheque for £10,000, said he was "pleased" to have won the prize. He added that it was also unexpected, commenting to the BBC that "my previous book didn't win any prizes, despite selling millions". Hawking's first book, A Brief History of Time, was published in 1988. Despite criticisms that it was difficult to read, it became a bestseller. The Universe In a Nutshell is an attempt to make the subject yet more accessible. With colour illustrations and a "tree-like" structure to help readers keep track of the thread, the book presents a guide to quantum physics, and includes chapters on black holes, quantum theory and time travel.

Source: The Times of India
Dated 30th June, 2002