The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for… (original 1999; edition 2000)

New review just posted on my blog for The Elegant Universe:
http://booksplusmore.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/the-elegant-universe-brian-greene/ ( )

The thing about reading books about a subject you know very little about is that you have absolutely no idea if the theory they are a fan of really makes any sort of sense and what other physicists think about the claims made. Well, even if he were talking nonsense he at least has a very pleasant and convincing way of doing so. So far this book is intriguing and not a door stop, which is more than my high school physics books ever accomplished.

Definitely one of the better physics overviews. Plenty of metaphor and thought experiments but nothing too weird.

More in it than "A Brief History of Time", more accessible than "The Particle at the End of the Universe" (OK not exactly the same subject matter) and more physicsy than "The selfish Gene" :-). ( )

Relativity and quantum mechanics both help us understand the universe, but in some cases the equations involved don't play nice and come up with nonsensical answers. Superstring theory (or string theory for short) is a "theory of everything" that attempts to better explain the universe. The gist of the theory is that instead of particles (electrons, quarks, etc.), the smallest units are, in fact, vibrating one-dimensional strings. In The Elegant Universe, Greene expands on the basics to explain in fairly non-mathematical language what the possible ramifications would be.

I never took physics in school, though I'm fascinated by the subject and have read a handful of popular science books on the topic. That being said, I probably would not have managed to finish this book if it hadn't been for a tutored read with help from fellow LTer Jim (drneutron). In the first few chapters, Greene details what has gone on in physics before, from our changing understanding of gravity, to special and general relativity. In chapter 5, he switches gears and lays out the basics of string theory. Chapter 7 on gets more and more speculative as Greene explores how 10 dimensions could exist, supersymmetry, black holes, and more. He is a definite proponent of the theory, and is not always clear about what is a core part of string theory or what is a fun mathematical possibility within the theory. Still, it was entertaining to read and a mind-stretching experience. I will be very interested in seeing what the next decade brings to the search for a theory of everything. ( )

The begining of the book explained the standard model. Though following along was difficult I was rewarded by a glimmer of enlightenment and a sense of what these theories and forces meant. The middle of the book was about the theory itself and I was completely lost w no way of envisioning what he was talking about. The ending summed up the possibilities of a multiverse which was a paradigm and scale shift for me. A difficult but interesting read. The next time I watch the Nova Special I think I will understand a little more. And I do mean little. ( )