The writing was good, and the details of Penrose’s private life were mildly interesting. Penrose’s contributions to physics are mentioned but not really explained at all, and Penrose’s views on consciousness are also mentioned, but not explored very deeply. If you want to expand your understanding of Penrose’s ideas on science, this book won’t help. If you want to hear about Penrose’s messed up family and love-life, well, this book kind of explores that. After finishing the book, I was a little sorry I read it. It felt a little like exploring a famous person’s trash can.
Penrose’s books are really pretty understandable (but do have quite a few equations, thus are not very popular). I would recommend reading the Penrose Wikipedia page for a more interesting read.
Some reviewers feel the author relied way too much on the 80 year old Penrose’s failing memories and viewpoints and did not capture the Penrose in his prime. I suspect there is some truth to this.
The narration was excellent.