Stephen Hawking

His science book A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, explains complicated theories of physics in layman's terms. The book is popular among science aficionados and professional scientists, and remained on the British Sunday Times bestsellers list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. A Brief History of Time is one the bestselling science works ever; over 25 million copies have been sold worldwideStephen Hawking, the world's most famous theoretical physicist and cosmologist, also known in some circles as "the King of Universe", is famed for his contributions to the fields of cosmology and quantum gravity, especially in the context of black holes.

Hawking is not only revered for his scientific genius but also his inspirational determination. He suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and can only move three fingers; however he has an optimistic attitude. His courage influences many people.

Hawking co-proved singularity theorems with Roger Penrose and was co-awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics in 1988. He is one of the most famous scientists in history and is considered the most outstanding theoretical physicist in the world.

Hawking made 6.6 million yuan (0.99 million US dollars) in royalties in the Chinese mainland over the past ten years through 2010.