I have A Brief History and Black Holes and baby Universes and other Essays. I have promised myself to try and read at least one during the Easter holiday. Everyone raves about Hawking, I don't know why it is I have trouble reading his work.

Stephen Hawking is a lot like Tolkien in the same respects. It took me MONTHS to read through the Silmarillion. Some people just find the 'voice' too, oh what's the word I'm looking for? Dry? Stilted? I'm at a loss, really.

A Brief History of Time is definitely worth your efforts, though.