GY, my problem is that there are too many candidates for the crown in my personal pantheon.

Ah. That's reassuring.

I got A Brief History of Time out of the library once and no, I didn't finish it. I've read the other 2. Both Dawkins and Bryson are extremely good writers even though I can understand why people might find them irritating.

Tiny Bulcher wrote:

QUOTE:
I thought the Dawkins was feeble shite.

Read The Selfish Gene. If you ain't already like.

I've read Climbing Mount Improbable, which made my brain hurt, and The Ancestors' Tale, which I enjoyed a lot. He should stick to biology.

I have to admit I thought The God Delusion was a bit crap by Dawkins' standards. So take Wyatt's advice and read The Selfish Gene. Or The Blind Watchmaker.

QUOTE:
Yeah, the Hawking book is certainly the most demanding of the three, and moreover Hawking is the least fluent writer.

I was surprised to find that Hawkings had the least pages of the three being almost half the amount of Dawkins and Brawkin....sorry Bryson's

As it happens, only two people I was presenting to had not only bought all three and read them from cover to cover but had re-read them

Many people were enthused to say that they were going to buy "Short History..." which, as I was discussing that, I was pleased about

Fewest, boy, fewest.

Yes and yes to the non-Dawkins ones in the original post.
I've avoided the Dawkins because it seems that it's not about biology, which I enjoy Dawkins' writing on, but religion, where he tends to bug the crap out of me. Am I mistaken and should I give it a go?

Not if he bugs the crap out of you on religion, no.

You are not mistaken.

Wyatt Earp wrote:

QUOTE:
Fewest, boy, fewest.

And indeed Hawking, boy, Hawking. It's the teachers I blame.

I am hoping I don't have to teach Hawking to 8 year olds when I am a teacher.

Having said that, I found out that there is to be a children's version of "Short History of Almost Everything" released this year, which I think is brilliant

Have I ever mentioned that my atheist brother gave me, his God-bothering brother, "The God Delusion" as a Christmas present? It is also my birthday

QUOTE:
Have I ever mentioned that my atheist brother gave me, his God-bothering brother, "The God Delusion" as a Christmas present?

Presumably this is the atheist equivalent of those haranguingletters/emails/whatever from evangelicals which end "I'm praying for your salvation" or similar.

Yes,I suppose it is.I do get a steady stream of Dawkinobilia from him. Not much,unfortunately, of Daniel Dennett who is my favourite celebrity atheist.

This is the brother upon me asking how he tells the Nativity Story in his house answered that it was not real and a fairy tale like the other stories. Assuming he does the same about Father Christmas, it must be festive fun around his house

Hawking and his daughter have actually written this guide to cosmology for kids, that is really quite good.

Ursus minor enjoyed it a great deal.