well ,where do I start ? this is STEPHAN HAWKING'S best book since A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME ,although this book is not like the previous one (this is a collection of mathematical works by all the famous mathematicians) it appeals only to people who love maths,for it is far more difficult to understand than a brief history of time as it has lots of mathematical equations which are really complex but it contains a few few pages describing the lives of each mathematician.STEPHAN manages to make the book somewhat interesting(again only maths lovers will enjoy it),all the equations mentioned in the book are generally the most important ones written by that particular mathematician,starting with Euler's up till today's mathematicians. It is definitely a masterpiece which has been beautifully assembled,so if you are into maths please give it a read ,if you are not just skip it.
It is strictly a non-fictional book.