On The Fly

In this episode, Who Was Stephen Hawking? . . . We introduced you to the Penguin Random House Books  Who Was?  - Series. With over 250 titles, it tells the incredible stories of trailblazers, legends, innovators, and creators. This week meet Professor Stephen Hawking. A famous physicist and author. His friends nicknamed him "Einstein" as a teenager because he was brilliant. Physics has always fascinated me. As a young college student, it was my subject of choice. After moving to California in 1985, I had a rare opportunity to meet Professor Hawking. During his many visits to the California Institute of Technology (Cal. Tech), Santa Monica City College booked his appearance (Sept. 1991). Like millions, I devoured his best-selling book A Brief History of Time (1988), about the universe's origins, black holes, and other scientific concepts written in everyday language. We hope you enjoy my audio rendition from the children's book Who Was Stephen Hawking? by Jim Gigliotti...

In this episode, the Who Was? - Series . . . With over 250 titles, Penguin Random House Books Who Was?  - Series tells the incredible stories of trailblazers, legends, innovators, and creators. Are you a bibliophile, an individual who loves and frequently reads books (a bookworm)? What is it that compels you to pick up a book? Is it the cover, is it the title, how about an interest in a specialized subject, or just - perhaps it's a whim? One of my ultimate goals with these podcasts is to reach a young audience. I've found that reading children's books is a gratifying and educational experience. Yes, even grown-ups can understand difficult concepts. To my surprise, both children and adults seem to appreciate the experience. With education such a hot topic in the news right now, we need to be reminded that whether it's going to school, visiting a museum, or online learning, the goal of education (both young and old) is to nurture an interest in learning. William Butler Ye...