Graham Farmelo’s new biography of Stephen Hawking delivers a full account of the physicist’s scientific achievements alongside a candid examination of his personal shortcomings. The book, written by a long‑time science writer, is described as a comprehensive and accessible portrait that does not shrink from uncomfortable aspects of Hawking’s character.
Background and earlier reactions
The biography arrives amid a slow reassessment of Hawking’s public image. The reviewer notes that when they published a critical review of Hawking’s final, posthumous collection of essays in 2018, the magazine New Scientist suppressed parts of the piece on the grounds that it was “too early” to offer anything other than praise for the scientist, who died aged 76 that March. The reviewer also recalls that in 2021 a manuscript by Charles Seife exposing instances of bullying and self‑aggrandisement, Hawking Hawking, reportedly struggled to find a British publisher.
Portrait of talent and fault
Farmelo’s biography acknowledges Hawking’s intellectual gifts and the extraordinary determination that allowed him to pursue a career in theoretical physics while living with a debilitating condition. At the same time, the book details patterns of behaviour that the reviewer says include overweening ambition, aggressive self‑promotion, a repeated reluctance to credit the work of others, sexism and controlling conduct. Those traits, the reviewer argues, were often overlooked by colleagues and the wider public.
Approach and implications
The reviewer praises Farmelo’s approach for being thorough and readable, saying the biography neither diminishes Hawking’s scientific contribution nor glosses over the personal failings he documents. Rather, Farmelo frames both elements as parts of a complex life that the scientific community and the public are only beginning to reconcile.
Legacy and reckoning
The reviewer suggests that coming to terms with Hawking’s legacy will take time. They write that it will likely be years before his scientific stature and the troubling aspects of his behaviour are fully processed together, as institutions and readers reassess how exceptional achievement has sometimes shielded prominent figures from scrutiny.
The biography, as portrayed in the review, invites wider reflection on how scientific accomplishment, public celebrity and personal conduct intersect, and on whether the deference once afforded to disabled or celebrated individuals has obscured misconduct.