Stephen Hawking's phenomenal multimillion-copy bestseller A Brief History of Time introduced
the ideas of this brilliant theoretical physicist to readers all over the world. Now in a
major publishing event Hawking returns with a lavishly illustrated sequel that unravels the
mysteries of the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the years since the release of his
acclaimed first book. The Universe in a Nutshell • Quantum mechanics • M-theory • General
relativity • 11-dimensional supergravity • 10-dimensional membranes • Superstrings • P-branes •
Black holes One of the most influential thinkers of our time Stephen Hawking is an
intellectual icon known not only for the adventurousness of his ideas but for the clarity and
wit with which he expresses them. In this new book Hawking takes us to the cutting edge of
theoretical physics where truth is often stranger than fiction to explain in laymen's terms
the principles that control our universe. Like many in the community of theoretical physicists
Professor Hawking is seeking to uncover the grail of science — the elusive Theory of Everything
that lies at the heart of the cosmos. In his accessible and often playful style he guides us
on his search to uncover the secrets of the universe — from supergravity to supersymmetry from
quantum theory to M-theory from holography to duality. He takes us to the wild frontiers of
science where superstring theory and p-branes may hold the final clue to the puzzle. And he
lets us behind the scenes of one of his most exciting intellectual adventures as he seeks to
combine Einstein's General Theory of Relativity and Richard Feynman's idea of multiple
histories into one complete unified theory that will describe everything that happens in the
universe.” With characteristic exuberance Professor Hawking invites us to be fellow travelers
on this extraordinary voyage through space-time. Copious four-color illustrations help clarify
this journey into a surreal wonderland where particles sheets and strings move in eleven
dimensions where black holes evaporate and disappear taking their secret with them and where
the original cosmic seed from which our own universe sprang was a tiny nut. The Universe in a
Nutshell is essential reading for all of us who want to understand the universe in which we
live. Like its companion volume A Brief History of Time it conveys the excitement felt within
the scientific community as the secrets of the cosmos reveal themselves.