Stephen Hawking's Black Holes and Baby Universes and other Essays is a compilation of approximately a dozen essays and presentations made by Hawking from 1976 to 1992. Though some of the essays deal with scientific issues (e.g. physics, cosmology, black holes) most of the book is autobiographical in nature discussing the author?s upbringing and struggle with ALCS.Written in the aftermath of the popular A Brief history of the Universe, the current work is a rather blatant effort to exploit Hawking's popularity with minimum effort. Although a short book (approx. 175 hardcover) there is much repetition amongst the essays. Readers with even a passing knowledge of Hawking will find no new information in this book.Overall, a disappointing book that has little to offer. Only for the most dedicated Hawking aficionado.