Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4660 in Books
• Published on: 2005-08-04
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
To write a book to explain in simple, non-mathematical terms what superstring theory is is not a simple task. In The Elegant Universe Brian Greene, a physicist who works in the area, does a very good job. Superstrings are a theory of particle physics that lays claim to being the ultimate "Theory of Everything", merging Einstein's relativity and quantum mechanics into an understanding of the physics of the very small and very large in the Universe. Hence to understand superstrings relativity, quantum mechanics have to be explained as well. In this Brian Greene does a very good job, giving one of the best explanations of relativity I have read in the process. Superstring theory is still very much in its infancy and The Elegant Universe does not claim that all the problems have been solved, in fact a point is made of pointing out all the present deficiencies of the theory.

Probably not a book for the very beginner but anyone who has read popular accounts of particle physics and relativity should gain a lot from reading this book. In places not an easy read, not for style reasons(which was generally very easy) but simply for the difficulty of some of the concepts involved. Superstring theory may or may not be the theory of everything but this book will certainly tell you what we think we know so far. Definitely recommended but don't expect to read it in a weekend. --Simon Goodwin

Review
Not since the extraordinary success of A Brief History of Time has a scientific book caused such a stir. An eloquent sweep through the history of modern physics and cosmology. - Sunday Times; A theory of physics which defies empirical confirmation, predicts there are ten dimensions and proposes that the fundamental particles of matter are infinitely tiny strings is not the obvious basis for a bestseller, but Greene makes it zip along. - Nigel Hawkes, The Times; The Elegant Universe is a delightful, lucid introduction to the greatest problem in all of physics, the quest to unify the laws of nature. Greene does a masterful job in presenting complex materials in a lively, engaging manner. Highly recommended to anyone who has aver gazed at the heavens and wondered, as Einstein did, if God had a choice in making the Universe. - Michio Kaku; If you want to tangle with string theory then this lucid unweaving of its intricacies and knottiest problems in words and pictures will take you to the frontiers of modern physics. Outstanding. - John D Barrow

David M. Lee, professor of physics, Cornell University
[A] beautifully crafted account of string theory...a delightful; read for the professional.

Customer Reviews

Deals clearly with its subject, but.....
Explaining superstring theory to the lay reader is a massive task. Not only does Greene achieve this task with amazing clarity and vision he takes the reader through an introduction to quantum theory and general relativity (as well as some of their extensions) on the way.

This has to be one of the best written science books of recent years. I hasten not to add the word "popular" in case would-be readers imagine that this is a book for beginners, which it is not. If you have a scientific background you will find this book both accessible and exciting.

On the downside Greene explains superstring theory as if it has to be the Grail of the quest for a Grand Unified Theory. He could have done a lot more to explain that superstrings are not necessarily the only route to such a theory and that there are other interesting and elegant theories, too. But then Greene himself is a major player in superstring theory and one who has made significant contributions to the field. Superstrings are a theoretical concept which far from being proven, add a great deal of complexity without producing too much in the way of experimental evidence to support the model. But - and this is a big but - they do offer at least one unifying theory. Whether or not it is the only (or perhaps most elegant) approach capable of achieving that goal time alone will tell.

Definitely recommended for readers with some background.

Better than Hawking's Book
I read Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time - Illustrated Edition" last year, and enjoyed it up to a point, that point being quantum mechanics, at which juncture I lost plot entirely. Some months later I regrouped and struggled on to the end. (Of course, the stuff about black holes was fascinating, as you'd expect from a Hawking book).

And so this year I chose "The Elegant Universe" as the next instalment of my quest to keep 'tuned-in' with physics and cosmology.

Different class, mate.

The first third of the book explains the current pillars of modern physics - Einsteins Special & General Relativity, Newton's Gravity, Quantum Physics, and the incompatibilities between them - and I have to say I learned more from those hundred pages than from Stephen Hawking's entire book. Brian Greene has what Hawking lacks - the ability to TEACH, not just tell.

I write speculative fiction as a hobby, and when I read a book such as this I tend to fold down the corners of pages which contain some interesting idea or other that I fancy turning into a story; I must have folded down every second page, such is Greene's verve for bringing home the wonder (and sometimes the absurdity) of nature's laws as we currently understand them.

The middle chunk of the book explains how String Theory could unite the inconsistencies of such laws, and Greene does a sterling job of explaining (to a semi-layman such as myself) the whats, hows, whens, wheres and whys.

And then we really got down to business; the last chunk delves into quantum geometry, the finer points of 'Calibi-Yau shapes' and other abstract concepts, and at this point I began to lose my grip on reality. Nevertheless, Greene has structured the book such that the reader can skip chapters that bore/confuse/both without losing the thread of the book entirely. And as such I made it to the end after all.

I'm no scientist or mathematician, just a bloke who's fascinated by physics and cosmology from an everyday standpoint and who has a thirst for knowledge. If you're the same, this book will quench it admirably.

mostly lucid, but gets beyond me in places
This professor is one of the leading lights of physics and his command of lucid narrative is a boon. His description of theory of special and general relativity was the best ever encountered.
I followed the main explanation about quantum mechanics that was also excellently delivered, but as science gets towards the edges of known knowledge and covers string theory, it gets hard to keep all the facts in your head at the same time. You may need to read it more than once to follow it all. If you can follow all this your doing better than me.