The Nature of Space and Time

The complexity of space and time easily transcribed, though a more laymens terms kind of explaination would have been more interesting.

I found this to be a fascinating overview of some of the major issues in cosmology from both Hawking and Penroses point of view. What is amazing is the actual level of agreement between the two. Perhaps only the real physicists appreciate the nuances of their differences of opinion. I would recommend this book for anyone who's gone to the trouble of picking up a basic understanding of relativity ( special and/or general ). The math is not terrbily daunting in most places and you get a real overview for the big picture of the state of relativity and quantum gravity.

To really appreciate this book requires an understanding of physics. Not the superficial stuff where you still believe that Newton was right, but Quantum Mechanics, Topology, and General Relativity.