--- title: How to Read Stephen Hawking's Thesis for Free description: Stephen Hawking, the genius scientist diagnosed with ALS, died at age 76. Here are books and movies that teach about his life and career. authors: - name: Brad Tuttle role: Senior Editor url: https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/ bio: Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals. education: Columbia University School of Journalism, MS at_money_since: 2014 articles: 366 covers: - Lifestyle - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes - Technology social: - https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle - https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225 former_staff: true published: '2018-03-14T17:30:34.000Z' modified: '2024-05-08T04:55:45.000Z' section: Lifestyle tags: - Amazon - Books - movies - Science - Science - shop money - Stephen Hawking word_count: 711 canonical: https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Cosmologist Stephen Hawking](https://img.money.com/2018/03/stephenhawkingbooksmovies-em-476665123.jpg) *Stephen Hawking on October 10, 1979 in Princeton, New Jersey.* Stephen Hawking, renowned genius and arguably the world's most famous scientist since Albert Einstein, died Wednesday at the age of 76. Hawking was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease—at the age of 21. The expected life span averages just two to five years after diagnosis, according to the [ALS Association](http://www.alsa.org/about-als/facts-you-should-know.html), but the impact of the disease varies widely. Hawking was able to live more than half a century after his diagnosis, achieving unparalleled success along the way, including groundbreaking [research on black holes and relativity](https://time.com/5198933/why-stephen-hawking-never-won-nobel/). Bound to his wheelchair for years and left [unable to speak](https://www.wired.com/2015/01/intel-gave-stephen-hawking-voice/) without the help of a computer since 1985, Hawking was also a remarkably inspiring figure. Among his memorable [quotes of wisdom](https://time.com/5198842/stephen-hawking-quotes-universe-life/) was his advice to others with disabilities: "Don’t be disabled in spirit, as well as physically.” Hawking was the extremely rare scientist whose success in the field translated to pop culture celebrity. He made appearances on the sitcoms "The Simpsons" and ["The Big Bang Theory,"](http://ew.com/movies/2018/03/14/stephen-hawking-dead-eddie-redmayne-big-bang-theory-reactions/) and his life's story was told in multiple movies and books. Here are a few of the books, movies, and TV shows to check out if you want to learn more about Stephen Hawking. [***Stephen Hawking's Thesis: Properties of Expanding Universes***](https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/251038) Stephen Hawking's PhD. thesis, written in 1965 when he was just 24 and working on his doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge, is now available for anyone to download, totally free of charge. "I hope to inspire people around the world to look up at the stars and not down at their feet; to wonder about our place in the universe and to try and make sense of the cosmos," [Hawking said in a statement](http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/step-inside-the-mind-of-the-young-stephen-hawking-as-his-phd-thesis-goes-online-for-first-time) when the thesis was first made widely available for free, in October 2017. "Anyone, anywhere in the world should have free, unhindered access to not just my research, but to the research of every great and enquiring mind across the spectrum of human understanding." Interest in the thesis was so high when it first became downloadable that the University of Cambridge's website reportedly crashed, and interest in the thesis is spiking again now that Hawking has passed away. [***A Brief History of Time***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553380168/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0553380168&linkId=796124092f31c2993e8e41f3d59f397c) First published in 1988, Stephen Hawking's *A Brief History of Time* became a #1 New York Times best-seller, with more than 10 million copies sold. [TIME](http://entertainment.time.com/2011/08/30/all-time-100-best-nonfiction-books/slide/a-brief-history-of-time-by-stephen-hawking/) named it among the top 100 non-fiction books ever published. The book leaped to the #2 spot on [Amazon's best-sellers list](https://www.amazon.com/best-sellers-books-Amazon/zgbs/books) on Wednesday, as news circulated that Hawking passed away. The [illustrated version of *A Brief History of Time*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553103741/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0553103741&linkId=62d73581034462c946b71782c40f2f55) cracked into the top 20 as well. ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/a-brief-history-of-time.jpg) [***The Theory of Everything***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QFSIIFK/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00QFSIIFK&linkId=5284b7daffb3040d0531c974c339280c) Eddie Redmayne [won the Oscar for Best Actor](http://people.com/movies/eddie-redmayne-remembers-stephen-hawking/) in 2016 for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in this biopic. You can buy the DVD for $8.49, or [rent it at Prime Video](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SNEGFNG/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00SNEGFNG&linkId=2994d0cacd4276cfb1ba62e02368affc) for $3.99. ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/theory-of-everything.jpg) [***Genius by Stephen Hawking***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F73PVBW/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01F73PVBW&linkId=fdb12297cc12ab51318f57a4600de62c) The acclaimed [PBS series](http://www.pbs.org/genius-by-stephen-hawking/home/) from 2016 features Hawking and a team of volunteers who investigate topics like how to measure the solar system, the likelihood that alien life exists, and if time travel is possible. The six-episode series is available on DVD for $17.82, or it's free on [Prime Video](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01FW6ZZII?ie=UTF8) for Amazon Prime members. ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/genius-by-stephen-hawking.jpg) [***My Brief History***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345535286/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=0345535286&linkId=c3d13a135388f490949df60002726cd2) At just under 150 pages, Hawking's 2013 memoir is indeed brief, but it covers his entire life, from childhood in post-World War II London into the 21st century. (For kids who want to learn the basics of Hawking's life and career, check out the biography [*All About Stephen Hawking*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1681570947/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1681570947&linkId=c498da209512461b6ff5ba60511cca0b), aimed at readers ages 8 to 12.) ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/my-brief-history.jpg) [***Hawking***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BCV3HL0/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00BCV3HL0&linkId=01c3cfe130bacfead4963f6fdcc9cd34) Another PBS production, this 90-minute 2014 documentary tells Hawking's life story in his own words, tracking his journey from boyhood in England to overcoming severe illness and achieving superstardom as a physicist. The DVD costs $14.36 at Amazon, and it is available via [Prime Video](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4Q9Y4U/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B00I4Q9Y4U&linkId=e6314513c5e5bafbecda9aacafc652c8) for a $4.99 rental or free for Prime members. ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/hawking.jpg) [***George's Secret Key to the Universe***](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416985840/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1416985840&linkId=862eab72f519da24ec54e6ed877d0c66) Stephen Hawking paired up with his daughter Lucy—and beloved children's character Curious George—to write a series of books that teach basics about science to kids. Other editions include [*George and the Blue Moon*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481466305/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1481466305&linkId=d524c2e895213d83e375ec482dec2198) and [*George and the Big Bang*](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442440066/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=money018f-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=1442440066&linkId=fdef0ba2e7b59e921f830458739136a3). ![](https://img.money.com/2018/03/georges-secret-key-to-universe.jpg) *We’ve included affiliate links into this article. [Click here](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/) to learn what those are.* ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Lifestyle", "item": "https://money.com/lifestyle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Movies", "item": "https://money.com/movies/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How to Read Stephen Hawking's Thesis for Free" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://money.com/#website", "url": "https://money.com", "name": "Money", "publisher": { "@id": "https://money.com/#organization" } }, { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/#webpage", "url": "https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/", "name": "How to Read Stephen Hawking's Thesis for Free", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://money.com/#website" }, "datePublished": "2018-03-14T17:30:34.000Z", "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/" }, "inLanguage": "en-US", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://money.com/stephen-hawking-thesis-free-books-movies-life/#breadcrumb" }, "dateModified": "2024-05-08T04:55:45.000Z" }, { "@type": "Article", "headline": "How to Read Stephen Hawking's Thesis for Free", "articleSection": "Lifestyle", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/stephenhawkingbooksmovies-em-476665123.jpg", "width": 4932, "height": 3300, "caption": "Cosmologist Stephen Hawking" }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/a-brief-history-of-time.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 420 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/theory-of-everything.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 350 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/genius-by-stephen-hawking.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 280 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/my-brief-history.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 403 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/hawking.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 280 }, { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://img.money.com/2018/03/georges-secret-key-to-universe.jpg", "width": 280, "height": 395 } ], "author": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brad Tuttle", "url": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/", "@id": "https://money.com/author/brad-tuttle/#author", "description": "Brad Tuttle is a former senior editor at Money with over 10 years’ experience covering a vast number of personal finance topics, including careers, cars, travel, budgeting, investing, insurance, credit cards, consumer psychology, real estate, banking, and shopping and deals.\r\n\r\n", "image": "https://img.money.com/2014/01/Brad-Tuttle.png?w=226&h=247&crop=1", "alumniOf": "Columbia University School of Journalism, MS", "sameAs": [ "https://twitter.com/bradrtuttle", "https://linkedin.com/in/brad-tuttle-834b225" ] } ], "publisher": "https://money.com/#organization", "datePublished": "2018-03-14T17:30:34.000Z", "description": "Stephen Hawking, the genius scientist diagnosed with ALS, died at age 76. 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