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Brian Greene

The Elegant Universe

String theory is thought by many to be the best possibility for a unified theory of physics. In The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory Brian Greene gives a non-technical overview of this theory. The book starts with an introduction to various parts of modern physics, such as quantum theory, special and general relativity as well as particle physics. Greene then explains the quest for unification, and why the unification of gravity and quantum theory has presented such problems. He goes on to introduce string theory as a proposed solution to these problems, and shows how it incorporates supersymmetry (and so is sometimes known as superstring theory) as well as explaining where all the extra dimensions come in.

In the later part of the book Greene discusses the cosmological implications of string theory, looking at their behaviour in the early universe as well as how they come into the theory of black holes. There's also a look at M-theory, which brings together different versions of string theory. The book concludes with a look at the future of string theory (although it was written before most of the current controversy about the subject started).

Some of the concepts involved in string theory can be hard to grasp, but Greene is a skilled writer and for those of you wanting an introduction to the theory, I would say that this book is probably your best choice.

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Paperback 464 pages
ISBN: 0375708111
Salesrank: 3270
Weight:0.75 lbs

Published: 2000 Vintage

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Paperback 464 pages
ISBN: 009928992X
Salesrank: 2087
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Published: 2005 Vintage

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Paperback 464 pages
ISBN: 0375708111
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Product Description
"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy. Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Product Description

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.

Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Useful but Quite Limited ***
This book has drawn a great deal of praise, but I think that praise tends to mainly come from two audiences: (a) knowledgable physicists who are already sold on string theory and don't really need to read the book, and (b) lay readers who are excited about getting a lengthy introduction to string theory, and feel they've considerably advanced their understanding in the process. In actuality, string theory is very complex and the mathematics involved are way beyond the capacity of lay readers, and probably even a large percentage of physicists (look at a real string theory book or paper to see what I mean). True to the popular physics genre, Greene pretty much totally sidesteps the mathematics, instead relying on simplified explanations and analogies which leave out many important details. As a result, in my opinion, the book fails to give lay readers a meaningful understanding of string theory, even at an introductory level -- you will get the illusion of understanding, but not real understanding. I think that some math, additional technical details, and a lot more graphics would have really helped. Considering these serious limitations, the main value of the book is that it gives readers a general feel for the types of problems string theorists are trying to solve, the general (and wild) character of the potential solutions they're coming up with, and how they're going about all of this. Summing up, even though the book may fail to provide an adequate introduction to string theory, a general feeling for the subject is still useful and interesting, so the book still warrants three stars.

Useful but Quite Limited ***

This book has drawn a great deal of praise, but I think that praise tends to mainly come from two audiences: (a) knowledgable physicists who are already sold on string theory and don't really need to read the book, and (b) lay readers who are excited about getting a lengthy introduction to string theory, and feel they've considerably advanced their understanding in the process.

In actuality, string theory is very complex and the mathematics involved are way beyond the capacity of lay readers, and probably even a large percentage of physicists (look at a real string theory book or paper to see what I mean). True to the popular physics genre, Greene pretty much totally sidesteps the mathematics, instead relying on simplified explanations and analogies which leave out many important details. As a result, in my opinion, the book fails to give lay readers a meaningful understanding of string theory, even at an introductory level -- you will get the illusion of understanding, but not real understanding. I think that some math, additional technical details, and a lot more graphics would have really helped.

Considering these serious limitations, the main value of the book is that it gives readers a general feel for the types of problems string theorists are trying to solve, the general (and wild) character of the potential solutions they're coming up with, and how they're going about all of this.

Summing up, even though the book may fail to provide an adequate introduction to string theory, a general feeling for the subject is still useful and interesting, so the book still warrants three stars.

Average writing style and terrible analogies ***
The book has the merit of being one of the first books to explore and to try to explain superstring theory to the layman. In this regard it is a fair try. Otherwise, 1/3 of the book is wasted trying to explain what special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics are all about, and here the author is only mediocre in his enterprise. Anyone who has already read popular level books on these subjects, like the classics by Gamow or Feynman or Joseph Silk or Weinberg, will feel uncomfortable. The analogies the author uses are also terrible, almost nonsense, like when he compares the input of parameters in the Standard Model with the input of the value of an initial investment in the stock market. Geeez... Finaly, I do not like Greene's writing style: the reading simply does not flow. Compared to, e.g., Alan Guth on the equally aethereal subject of inflationary universe, Greene's writing style sucks. Wellllll, at least Guth is talking about something that bears a possible connection with reality...

Average writing style and terrible analogies ***

The book has the merit of being one of the first books to explore and to try to explain superstring theory to the layman. In this regard it is a fair try. Otherwise, 1/3 of the book is wasted trying to explain what special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics are all about, and here the author is only mediocre in his enterprise. Anyone who has already read popular level books on these subjects, like the classics by Gamow or Feynman or Joseph Silk or Weinberg, will feel uncomfortable. The analogies the author uses are also terrible, almost nonsense, like when he compares the input of parameters in the Standard Model with the input of the value of an initial investment in the stock market. Geeez... Finaly, I do not like Greene's writing style: the reading simply does not flow. Compared to, e.g., Alan Guth on the equally aethereal subject of inflationary universe, Greene's writing style sucks. Wellllll, at least Guth is talking about something that bears a possible connection with reality...

Great Introduction to String Theory *****
This is a very good book for learning about superstring theory. I was motivated to read this book after seeing the associated NOVA documentary (a documentary which I actually thought was extremely repetitive and somewhat cheesy, though the presented ideas and interviews with various physicists were quite interesting). Greene is obviously a very talented science writer and manages to present a highly technical subject in a way that is intelligible to the non-physicist. In addition to string theory, this book provides some very clear introductions to special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics. While the theories presented in this book are exciting from the standpoint of their potential to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, it would be nice if the superstring theorists could eventually find an empirical backing for the results stemming from their "elegant" equations. It is not that the elegant-math argument is without merit but it would be more convincing if the theory could make some predictions that were actually falsifiable. Arguments stating that the extra dimensions are extremely tiny since we would have otherwise noticed them or that superpartners are extremely massive since we would have otherwise noticed them, etc., are not entirely convincing for me in the absence of empirical evidence. (As an aside, string theory is, apparently, not without its critics in the physics community judging from some of the new books being published such as Woit's Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law and Smolin's The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next.) Greene does concede the need for falsifiable predictions and he seems forthright in pointing out issues that string theorists still need to address. Perhaps Greene is right in stating that this lack of falsifiable predictions is simply a consequence of the theoretical physicists outpacing the experimental physicists; perhaps superstring theory will eventually obtain the empirical evidence necessary to appease the skeptics. Whatever the ultimate fate of string theory/M-theory, I found this book to be both enjoyable and informative and I would definitely recommend it for those who are interested in superstring theory.

Great Introduction to String Theory *****

This is a very good book for learning about superstring theory. I was motivated to read this book after seeing the associated NOVA documentary (a documentary which I actually thought was extremely repetitive and somewhat cheesy, though the presented ideas and interviews with various physicists were quite interesting). Greene is obviously a very talented science writer and manages to present a highly technical subject in a way that is intelligible to the non-physicist. In addition to string theory, this book provides some very clear introductions to special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics.

While the theories presented in this book are exciting from the standpoint of their potential to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity, it would be nice if the superstring theorists could eventually find an empirical backing for the results stemming from their "elegant" equations. It is not that the elegant-math argument is without merit but it would be more convincing if the theory could make some predictions that were actually falsifiable. Arguments stating that the extra dimensions are extremely tiny since we would have otherwise noticed them or that superpartners are extremely massive since we would have otherwise noticed them, etc., are not entirely convincing for me in the absence of empirical evidence. (As an aside, string theory is, apparently, not without its critics in the physics community judging from some of the new books being published such as Woit's Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law and Smolin's The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next.)

Greene does concede the need for falsifiable predictions and he seems forthright in pointing out issues that string theorists still need to address. Perhaps Greene is right in stating that this lack of falsifiable predictions is simply a consequence of the theoretical physicists outpacing the experimental physicists; perhaps superstring theory will eventually obtain the empirical evidence necessary to appease the skeptics. Whatever the ultimate fate of string theory/M-theory, I found this book to be both enjoyable and informative and I would definitely recommend it for those who are interested in superstring theory.

Einstein Plus Two *
I started reading this book this week and had a hard time accepting Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. It almost sounds as if he accepts as truth the optical and mechanical illusions of motion, either by a shortening of matter along its axis of motion or a delay in clock time by a pull of gravity on its mechanics. It almost seems that space and time, under the theory of general relativity, can be mathematically manipulated to save his theory that light travels at a constant velocity. Of course, light does not travel at a constant velocity. This was proven in experiments documented in Petr Beckmann's book "Einstein Plus Two" which held that in order for light to travel in waves, it must have a medium upon which to oscillate. That medium can either speed up or slow down the velocity of light depending upon its local gravitation field. For example, light traveling from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles travels faster than light traveling from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. This demonstrates that what actually happens in the experiment observed may be different than the optical illusion being observed. Einstein simply didn't have the necessary tools to overcome the limits of observation relative to his day.

Einstein Plus Two *

I started reading this book this week and had a hard time accepting Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. It almost sounds as if he accepts as truth the optical and mechanical illusions of motion, either by a shortening of matter along its axis of motion or a delay in clock time by a pull of gravity on its mechanics. It almost seems that space and time, under the theory of general relativity, can be mathematically manipulated to save his theory that light travels at a constant velocity. Of course, light does not travel at a constant velocity. This was proven in experiments documented in Petr Beckmann's book "Einstein Plus Two" which held that in order for light to travel in waves, it must have a medium upon which to oscillate. That medium can either speed up or slow down the velocity of light depending upon its local gravitation field. For example, light traveling from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles travels faster than light traveling from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. This demonstrates that what actually happens in the experiment observed may be different than the optical illusion being observed. Einstein simply didn't have the necessary tools to overcome the limits of observation relative to his day.

Full handy explanation of relativity, quantum mech., & Superstring theory *****
I had seen this book before in a bookstore years ago, but I did not buy it. Big mistake. Greene explains the workings of the universe in down to earth terms (no small feat). Expand your brain a Large notch, if you are not scientifically inclined, as to the modern ideas circulating over the all important Superstring theory - without being a mathematician or physicist!

Full handy explanation of relativity, quantum mech., & Superstring theory *****

I had seen this book before in a bookstore years ago, but I did not buy it. Big mistake. Greene explains the workings of the universe in down to earth terms (no small feat). Expand your brain a Large notch, if you are not scientifically inclined, as to the modern ideas circulating over the all important Superstring theory - without being a mathematician or physicist!

Too much personal history. Disappointed promise. ***
I took this book with me on holiday with great hopes. It started well with the tables of complete and regular features of fondamental particles exercising my imagination and being very satisfying to show how a few particles could engender all the complexity of the elementary particles, then the atoms, etc.... Many of the other reviews here show the other good and strong points, as well as some of the weaknesses of this book. I will not go through them again. I did find the " internal personal history " of the author and his colleagues over long and of some, but not much relevance to the subject. At the end of the book, I was left unsatisfied by the promise of the beginning with the neat tables of fundamental particles, I felt we knew nothing of how each, and which, different frequency of the vibrating strings engendered a specific fondamental particle.

Too much personal history. Disappointed promise. ***

I took this book with me on holiday with great hopes. It started well with the tables of complete and regular features of fondamental particles exercising my imagination and being very satisfying to show how a few particles could engender all the complexity of the elementary particles, then the atoms, etc.... Many of the other reviews here show the other good and strong points, as well as some of the weaknesses of this book. I will not go through them again.
I did find the " internal personal history " of the author and his colleagues over long and of some, but not much relevance to the subject. At the end of the book, I was left unsatisfied by the promise of the beginning with the neat tables of fundamental particles, I felt we knew nothing of how each, and which, different frequency of the vibrating strings engendered a specific fondamental particle.

An Introduction to SuperstringTheory/M Theory *****
This book offers an enjoyable ride through a lovely landscape of Superstring theory/M theory. The author is an active researcher and a popular writer in this field who is also known for his presentation on PBS's NOVA about quantum cosmology. Since the postulation of special theory of relativity, Einstein and subsequent physicists have struggled to explain the four natural forces of the most basic components of matter; the electromagnetic force; the strong and weak nuclear forces; and the gravitational force by one unified field theory (a.k.a., theory of everything: Superstring/M Theory). This theory must unify the forces of the cosmos, and forces of microcosm thereby explaining the creation of heaven and earth. The author covers significant amount of material in simple clearly written non-technical and non-mathematical form. The book is described in four parts; first two parts introduces theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and the unholy marriage of the two that results in the complexity of understanding the forces of the cosmos and subatomic forces. The latter two parts describes Superstring theory that evolves into more focused M theory to explain all physical forces of nature. This theory suffers from lack of experimental evidence, but rests solely on mathematical calculations. Hence it was subjected to heavy criticism during early years of the theory by leading physicists. However it has emerged as a winner as the theory grew out of academic obscurity to leading contender in quantum cosmology. The book has interesting tales about the leaders of the field such as Ed Witten who is strongly favored as the true successor of Albert Einstein. The author's enthusiasm and excitement about his involvement in this field is evident abundantly, when he discovers that fabric of space tears and repairs itself. This book is lot more informative and enjoyable than Michio Kaku's Hyperspace (see my review of this book). At the end of the book, notes to each chapter, Glossary of scientific terms, and suggested books for further reading offers stepping stones to more enthusiastic readers for furthering their knowledge. The author has done an excellent job of writing this book, and I encourage you to buy it: But he could have considered writing a chapter on mathematical methodology and some basic approaches to calculations that probably would have made this book one of the top few in this field.

An Introduction to SuperstringTheory/M Theory *****

This book offers an enjoyable ride through a lovely landscape of Superstring theory/M theory. The author is an active researcher and a popular writer in this field who is also known for his presentation on PBS's NOVA about quantum cosmology. Since the postulation of special theory of relativity, Einstein and subsequent physicists have struggled to explain the four natural forces of the most basic components of matter; the electromagnetic force; the strong and weak nuclear forces; and the gravitational force by one unified field theory (a.k.a., theory of everything: Superstring/M Theory). This theory must unify the forces of the cosmos, and forces of microcosm thereby explaining the creation of heaven and earth. The author covers significant amount of material in simple clearly written non-technical and non-mathematical form. The book is described in four parts; first two parts introduces theory of relativity and quantum mechanics and the unholy marriage of the two that results in the complexity of understanding the forces of the cosmos and subatomic forces. The latter two parts describes Superstring theory that evolves into more focused M theory to explain all physical forces of nature. This theory suffers from lack of experimental evidence, but rests solely on mathematical calculations. Hence it was subjected to heavy criticism during early years of the theory by leading physicists. However it has emerged as a winner as the theory grew out of academic obscurity to leading contender in quantum cosmology. The book has interesting tales about the leaders of the field such as Ed Witten who is strongly favored as the true successor of Albert Einstein. The author's enthusiasm and excitement about his involvement in this field is evident abundantly, when he discovers that fabric of space tears and repairs itself. This book is lot more informative and enjoyable than Michio Kaku's Hyperspace (see my review of this book). At the end of the book, notes to each chapter, Glossary of scientific terms, and suggested books for further reading offers stepping stones to more enthusiastic readers for furthering their knowledge. The author has done an excellent job of writing this book, and I encourage you to buy it: But he could have considered writing a chapter on mathematical methodology and some basic approaches to calculations that probably would have made this book one of the top few in this field.

Full of wonder *****
I read my brother's copy of this after he'd had his head stuck in it for about a month. I knew that anything which could keep him quiet for so long had to be good, and it is. Like Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" there are no equations to slow things down or put off the mathematically challenged (well, there are some in the helpful and insightful notes, but not in the main text). It begins with an overview of classical physics, explaining everything you need to keep up with the author once he delves into quantum and, beyond that, into string theory. I did find myself having to read and reread parts of this - particularly from about half-way onwards - because it covers so much ground and it wasn't all sinking in, but it's well worth persevering with and Greene does a great job at explaining some of theoretical physics' concepts in a non-technical and enlightening way. If you feel jaded about the world and have lost that sense of wonder, read this and be amazed all over again.

Full of wonder *****

I read my brother's copy of this after he'd had his head stuck in it for about a month. I knew that anything which could keep him quiet for so long had to be good, and it is. Like Hawking's "A Brief History of Time" there are no equations to slow things down or put off the mathematically challenged (well, there are some in the helpful and insightful notes, but not in the main text). It begins with an overview of classical physics, explaining everything you need to keep up with the author once he delves into quantum and, beyond that, into string theory.

I did find myself having to read and reread parts of this - particularly from about half-way onwards - because it covers so much ground and it wasn't all sinking in, but it's well worth persevering with and Greene does a great job at explaining some of theoretical physics' concepts in a non-technical and enlightening way.

If you feel jaded about the world and have lost that sense of wonder, read this and be amazed all over again.

How does a single electron pass through two slits at the same time? It must move discontinuously... *****
Greene gave a very popular introduction of the mysterious quantum world. His H-Bar is an ingenious pun. However, his explanation of Feynman's path integral was wrong. Maybe he inherited from Hawking. The paths in Feynman's approach are purely quantum states, not classical continuous paths at all, as Greene depicted in his book. Nor did Feynman claim that his method implied such a bizarre picture. However, a single electron does pass through two slits at the same time in the double-slit experiment. But how does it pass through two slits at the same time? Nobody knew. In fact, it seems very evident that the single electron can only pass through the two slits at the same time in a discontinuous way. Therefore, its motion may be not continuous but discontinuous. To our surprise, such discontinuous motion is imaginable and comprehensible. This intriguing idea has actually been lucidly expounded in a recent book Quantum Motion - Unveiling the Mysterious Quantum World. A more popular introduction can be found at my name. Once we realize that motion is discontinuous and random in reality, we may finally understand the mysterious quantum world, where an electron can pass through two slits at the same time.

How does a single electron pass through two slits at the same time? It must move discontinuously... *****

Greene gave a very popular introduction of the mysterious quantum world. His H-Bar is an ingenious pun. However, his explanation of Feynman's path integral was wrong. Maybe he inherited from Hawking. The paths in Feynman's approach are purely quantum states, not classical continuous paths at all, as Greene depicted in his book. Nor did Feynman claim that his method implied such a bizarre picture.

However, a single electron does pass through two slits at the same time in the double-slit experiment. But how does it pass through two slits at the same time? Nobody knew. In fact, it seems very evident that the single electron can only pass through the two slits at the same time in a discontinuous way. Therefore, its motion may be not continuous but discontinuous. To our surprise, such discontinuous motion is imaginable and comprehensible. This intriguing idea has actually been lucidly expounded in a recent book Quantum Motion - Unveiling the Mysterious Quantum World. A more popular introduction can be found at my name.

Once we realize that motion is discontinuous and random in reality, we may finally understand the mysterious quantum world, where an electron can pass through two slits at the same time.

good explanation *****
I got this book because I knew Einstein developed the theorys of relativity etc but I never knew what the theory of relativity was, what it meant and what developments were made in the field of physics since. So on that basis I was delighted to come accross a book that was written for someone like me. It explains the main areas of classical physics wonderfully by using descriptions and portraying images of well known things. The last chapter is particularly difficult and was over my head, however because of this book I have continued to buy more books on quantum theory and other related subjects.

good explanation *****

I got this book because I knew Einstein developed the theorys of relativity etc but I never knew what the theory of relativity was, what it meant and what developments were made in the field of physics since. So on that basis I was delighted to come accross a book that was written for someone like me. It explains the main areas of classical physics wonderfully by using descriptions and portraying images of well known things. The last chapter is particularly difficult and was over my head, however because of this book I have continued to buy more books on quantum theory and other related subjects.

needed more about the elegant universe **
This books is over-rated, but still better than most books on the subjects he covers. I gave it two stars to get your attention. It is actually a 3 or 4 star book. I was dissappointed because the title suggested I'd read more about the mysteries of the beginning of the universe and some of the philosophical issues pertaining to the nature of existance and ultimate reality. While the author did give me some good mindfood at the end of the book, the coverage was too brief and far too restrained. I think he was aware of his peers reading it and was being too conservative. I skimmed a lot. I kept an eye out for places where he quit trying to teach me details and made some interesting comments. I'll give him credit--there were plenty of facinating paragraphs---but they were hidden in page after page of boring stuff. Lets face it, this is arcane stuff! But the implications are interesting, at least to me. I think the book should have been about half the length. I personally don't think it is possible to understand things like relativity without working some problems. When I took physics, I had to work a few problems to think about the stuff deeply enough to "get it." I don't think many readers are looking to work that much--most of us want a stimulating read. And as the author mentions, many believe that no one really understands quantum mechanics. Also, I did not like the analogies as much as some other readers. I recommend this book to really really smart readers or to readers who know how to skim without losing interest. Some of the insights were worth looking for.

needed more about the elegant universe **

This books is over-rated, but still better than most books on the subjects he covers. I gave it two stars to get your attention. It is actually a 3 or 4 star book.

I was dissappointed because the title suggested I'd read more about the mysteries of the beginning of the universe and some of the philosophical issues pertaining to the nature of existance and ultimate reality. While the author did give me some good mindfood at the end of the book, the coverage was too brief and far too restrained. I think he was aware of his peers reading it and was being too conservative.

I skimmed a lot. I kept an eye out for places where he quit trying to teach me details and made some interesting comments. I'll give him credit--there were plenty of facinating paragraphs---but they were hidden in page after page of boring stuff. Lets face it, this is arcane stuff! But the implications are interesting, at least to me. I think the book should have been about half the length.

I personally don't think it is possible to understand things like relativity without working some problems. When I took physics, I had to work a few problems to think about the stuff deeply enough to "get it." I don't think many readers are looking to work that much--most of us want a stimulating read. And as the author mentions, many believe that no one really understands quantum mechanics. Also, I did not like the analogies as much as some other readers.

I recommend this book to really really smart readers or to readers who know how to skim without losing interest. Some of the insights were worth looking for.

Detailed but biased instroduction to string theory *****
Toe central problem of physics today revolves around this conundrum: Gravity is governed by Einstein's relativity theory, which requires that space-time is smooth. Gravity has been experimentally verified. Atomic forces are govered by quantum mechanics, which requires that space-time is bumpy, foamy, and irregular. These atomic forces have been experimentally verified. How can space time be smooth for gravity, and yet be bumpy for quantum machanics? Enter string theory. This book is a terrific introduction not only to string theory, but to relativity and quantum mechanics as well. The first half of the book reviews the history and development of these theories, since they are a fundamental component of string theory. In particular, Greene's treatment of relativity uses some outstanding analogies to explain time dilation and gravitational warping. I thought I understood the basics of relativity; this book still taught me a few things. Analogies are this author's strength. He uses them at every step to avoid the need to complex mathematical formulae. There are no formulae in this book (some will think that a minus, but I view it as a plus.) Using analogies, he's able to provide a comprehensible view of what 10-dimensional spacetime would be like, and how expanding one of the other dimensions might affect life in the Universe. These 5 pages alone are probably worth the price of the book. If you want a glimpse of one of the cutting-edge areas of particle physics research without needing to study math for 10 years, this book can give it to you.

Detailed but biased instroduction to string theory *****

Toe central problem of physics today revolves around this conundrum: Gravity is governed by Einstein's relativity theory, which requires that space-time is smooth. Gravity has been experimentally verified. Atomic forces are govered by quantum mechanics, which requires that space-time is bumpy, foamy, and irregular. These atomic forces have been experimentally verified.

How can space time be smooth for gravity, and yet be bumpy for quantum machanics? Enter string theory.

This book is a terrific introduction not only to string theory, but to relativity and quantum mechanics as well. The first half of the book reviews the history and development of these theories, since they are a fundamental component of string theory. In particular, Greene's treatment of relativity uses some outstanding analogies to explain time dilation and gravitational warping. I thought I understood the basics of relativity; this book still taught me a few things.

Analogies are this author's strength. He uses them at every step to avoid the need to complex mathematical formulae. There are no formulae in this book (some will think that a minus, but I view it as a plus.) Using analogies, he's able to provide a comprehensible view of what 10-dimensional spacetime would be like, and how expanding one of the other dimensions might affect life in the Universe. These 5 pages alone are probably worth the price of the book.

If you want a glimpse of one of the cutting-edge areas of particle physics research without needing to study math for 10 years, this book can give it to you.

Amazingly Clear *****
I was very pleased early into the reading of this book. This was for example, the clearest explanation that I have ever read on the topic of time dilation in relativity. I have read a lot of these sorts of books, but this one presented ideas so clearly it is as though I haven't been exposed to them before. Overall, I thought that it was the best book that I have read in physics period.

Amazingly Clear *****

I was very pleased early into the reading of this book. This was for example, the clearest explanation that I have ever read on the topic of time dilation in relativity. I have read a lot of these sorts of books, but this one presented ideas so clearly it is as though I haven't been exposed to them before.

Overall, I thought that it was the best book that I have read in physics period.

Nick's Review ***
There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything. Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate. Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge

Nick's Review ***

There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory, believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring theory, a theory of everything.
Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that fell by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.

Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science, and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or the sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally the first step on the road to knowledge

The science of wonder *****
I have to credit Brian Greene. He did what I thought was the impossible: he got me interested in science. I've been a liberal arts-type since I can remember. The exact rules and laws of science always left me kind of cold, and so I found myself drawn to literature, poetry and music as the more complete descriptors of human experience. But last Fall, I couldn't sleep one night and ended up staying up until dawn watching THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE. It was amazing and captivating. It got me excited in a way "science" hadn't since I was a kid, fascinated with the imaginative possibilities of space travel. I was hooked and had to get the book. The tv program proved to be a great distillation of the book, but if you saw the program and your interest was piqued by the magical dance of superstrings and the mind-bending extra dimensional possibilities, you'll enjoy the full feast of Greene's book even more. THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE is an enormous feat. It marries the rigor of scientific enquiry with the elegant, at times poetic, presentation of literature. Greene is such an able and down-to-earth explainer of complicated mathematical concepts that he makes even the most dyed-in-the-wool math hater think about signing up for some evening classes at the local college.

The science of wonder *****

I have to credit Brian Greene. He did what I thought was the impossible: he got me interested in science. I've been a liberal arts-type since I can remember. The exact rules and laws of science always left me kind of cold, and so I found myself drawn to literature, poetry and music as the more complete descriptors of human experience.

But last Fall, I couldn't sleep one night and ended up staying up until dawn watching THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE. It was amazing and captivating. It got me excited in a way "science" hadn't since I was a kid, fascinated with the imaginative possibilities of space travel.

I was hooked and had to get the book. The tv program proved to be a great distillation of the book, but if you saw the program and your interest was piqued by the magical dance of superstrings and the mind-bending extra dimensional possibilities, you'll enjoy the full feast of Greene's book even more.

THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE is an enormous feat. It marries the rigor of scientific enquiry with the elegant, at times poetic, presentation of literature. Greene is such an able and down-to-earth explainer of complicated mathematical concepts that he makes even the most dyed-in-the-wool math hater think about signing up for some evening classes at the local college.