Rating: 
Summary: Excellent but overenthusiastic
Review: I've waited a year since first reading this book before reviewing it, to let my thoughts settle in and discuss it with a couple of knowledgeable friends. I am much less enthusiastic about it than most reviewers.First, although it describes the theory of superstrings and the evolution of the theory quite clearly, the author is such an enthusiast that he leaves the impression that superstring theory solves more problems in physics than it does. I agree with the view of Gerard t'Hooft (1999 Nobel Prize winner): "Imagine that I give you a chair while explaining that the legs are still missing, and that the seat, back and armrest will perhaps be delivered soon; whatever I did give you, can I still call it a chair?" Superstring theory is clearly onto something; in particular, it enables us to avoid some unjustifiable renormalizations that embarrass us in the "standard theory". But so far, it has essentially no testable consequences that would clearly distinguish between it and the standard model. This lack of testable consequences doesn't discourage the author or other workers in superstring theory, and perhaps it shouldn't. But it's a symptom of the fact that most of the workers in superstring theory are better mathematicians than they are physicists. For example, Edward Witten, the guru of superstring theory, has won the Fields medal in mathematics, which is more exclusive than the Nobel prize in Physics, but so far as I can recall at the moment, nobody has won the Physics Nobel Prize for work on string theory or superstring theory. Greene's book is an admirable explanation of why superstring theory was devised, and how it has progressed and is progessing. As such, it's well worth reading. But I have the extremely uncomfortable feeling that superstring theory will sooner or later have to be drastically modified, when someone with novel physical intuition or physical observational skill comes up with observational or experimental results that lead to a new idea, perhaps a very simple new idea, like the Heisenberg uncertainty principle or Special and General Relativity. (Heisenberg and Einstein were primarily physicists, not mathematicians.) In particular, I will not feel comfortable with *any* approach to unified field theory until the Higgs particle has been unambiguously detected, and its mass measured fairly well. I think that will clarify the situation a great deal. So, yes, if you are interested in modern physics at all, read this book. But as you read it, keep in mind that in trying to create a "Theory of Everything", physics is in a situation very similar to that of physics in the year 1900; all the clues were there to lead to quantum mechanics and Special and General Relativity, but the right physicists hadn't yet had the right brilliant insights into physics.
Rating: 
Summary: The best book on Quantum Physics that I have ever read!
Review: Not since I have read "Permaculture a Designers manual" chapters on "concepts and themes in design", "methods of design" and "pattern understanding" have I found a book that ties together different laws of physics so well. The author ties together the different laws of physics in a way that anyone could understand. The only criticism I could make of this book, and it is a very minor one at that, is that it does not show how the patterns behind these theories can be applied to everyday life, "Permaculture, a designers manual" is better for this since the theories behind living systems are easier to apply to the real world than the theories behind inanimate, material, systems.
Rating:
Summary: Great book on contemporary physics
Review: A quick description about me, I have a GED and never liked school because books like these werent part of the curriculum. Text books are bland to say the least. This book reads like, for lack of a better way, a novel. It takes you to the furthest depths of what physicists believe is true about the universe. For anyone who has the slightest interest in physics and the composition of our universe (time/space/light/etc) will be glad they read this book. Brian Greene tells 'it' like it may be. A lot of this stuff is over my head but hanging in there from chapter to chapter proves that at one point or another it gells together enough to keep going. This is the kind of book that the schools should be buying for the children. Not, 'When the universe first started...blah blah blah....'
Rating: 
Summary: Better than Hawking's Book
Review: 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 stuggled 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.
Rating:
Summary: Very good-must buy
Review: I am 15 years old, and even I could understand the theory presented in this wonderfully written book. I was so enthralled with this book, I found myself reading, and re-reading this book whenever I had free time. For anyone slightly interested in physics and/or math, buy this book, you won't regreat it.
Rating:
Summary: The coolest book i've ever read
Review: i just started reading the coolest book. it is called THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE by BRIAN GREENE it is about the SUPERSTIRING THEORY. it is really cool. as i recall, israel hosted last summer a world wide conference on superconductors... i don't suppose you attended. (my mom says that her power point presentation went over well and she was able to use israel as another example in which ethnicity was marginalized in order to allow another basis for government and relatedness.) anyway, this book is really cool and this theory, although i've read some stuff about it, is explained pretty well. it's pretty easy to understand, not too many big words...so you should get it. it's absolutely crazy though! this thinking: that everything is made up of ATOMS and those are broken down into electrons and the nuclius whih is broken down into protons and nutrons...and then there are nutrinos (tao, muon, and electron) muons and taos...all of those are made of quarks (up, down, charmed, strange, bottom and top) and then those quarks are made up of STRINGS (like a rubber band being shaken really fast) and the nature of the quark is determined by the frequency and resonance of the vibrations and ocsillations of the STRING... BUT, if that is true...then that may someday be manipulated...meaning ALCHEMY...i can just see the value of gold plummeting, free market capitalism is a fable, and FORT KNOX turns to a waste dump, and there is nothing to back our US dollars...United States turns into a third world country overnight. -k rabbi_kc@yahoo.com
Rating:
Summary: Loved it start to finish
Review: I love this kind of book. The stuff going on in physics and cosmology is mind-boggling and I enjoy having my mind boggled. My math skills are not good and so I depend on people to Mr. Greene to explain these things in language I can understand. I don't really have much to add to what others have said, but I wanted to recommend a website to like-minded individuals. I stumbled on the website of M L Michaelis a few days ago while searching on the term "jiffy" (the time quantum). My mind has been boggling ever since. The author explains his radical theory of quantum gravity pretty clearly, despite that fact that English appears to be his second language. I don't know enough to pass judgment on his speculations, but I know enough to recognize a major intellect when I encounter one. At this time, Michaelis's interpretation of how the universe began and will end makes more sense to me than any other I've found so far.
Rating:
Summary: Unifying the key physics theories in a nice package
Review: Greene does a fantastic job of presenting the reader a nice package where the key theories of physics are all nicely summarized and tied together. The bow is string theory which dropped out of favor for a while, just a short time ago, but has now regained new steam. Einstein never tied together the forces of nature such as the strong force,gravity, etc. The new string theory provides a theoretical framework of tying together quantum and relativity physics and succeeding where Einstein failed. More important it solidifies the argument of a multi-dimensional universe.The reader will also learn the Calabi-Yu shape. Greene writes very elegantly and concisely. MIT degrees are not necessary to understand this book. I have read more heavy duty authors such as Penrose and Feynman ( the other Einstein )and have wrestled with "math pretzel" formulas. This is not a problem in this book as Greene paves the road in simple to read sign posts. Don't get me wrong,this is a thinking person's book and spatial intelligence helps, but it won't break the bank. On a personal level, I like to judge particle physics authors on tangent ideas. My favorite is time travel as one must make a strong case using quantum theory and bringing in many other ideas. Feynman's billiard ball thesis is classic. All the quantum/relativity authors naturally discuss time dilation, but tend to skirt the time travel issue. Hawking uses cosmic censorship...end of discussion. Really! My only gripe with Green is that he should have presented a whole chapter on this issue, especially with the multi-dimension/ multiverse argument of string. In my opinion, it would have brought out even more insight into string theory, just as playing some of Bachs pieces brings out the master pianist. Yes, he raises the issue of time dimensions but leaves you hanging. This is frustrating because the book is so good that you feel you have been cheated by this avoidance. Still, I am not complaining as I got my money's worth and then some. I can't wait for the next book.
Rating:
Summary: A Science that is neither naive or ironic
Review: Some years ago science writer John Horgan turned his postmodern laser-beam on modern science. In "The End of Science", Horgan proclaimed the heroic age was long over, what was left was not worth discovering, or could not be discovered at all. Now science is mainly discouse, a power-structure for scientific elites resting on their Kuhnian paradigms. Top of Horgan's hit-list was string throry and Ed Witten in particular (as well as Karl Popper). String theory was 'naive ironic science' according to Horgan, a game for superbrains. There was no single theory everyone could agree on, Horgan argued, and besides the energy required to demonstrate experimental evidence for string theory was unattainable. I hope Horgan reads Brian Greene's book - it is by no means a response to Horgan, but Greene's enthusiasm shows me that the sceintific spirit is not dead, and that string theory has made real progress since Horgan's book, all led by none other than Ed Witten. A 'second revolution' has occurred demonstrating duality among the different theories, plus other connections. String Theory has made its first prediction that agrees with a classical/ quantum mechanical prediction (Hawking's discovery that Black Holes emit radiation). True, much remains to be done, but his excellent book does not try to fool anyone. However, it demonstrates that string theory and its offshoots are the best candidates yet for a 'Theory of Everything'. Read it, and feel part of the adventure.
Rating:
Summary: The Elegant Explanation
Review: I have read quite a few books (for the layman) on quantum physics, cosmology, and string theory. This is by far the best. The author writes clear explanations, no math, and an orderly progression from subject to subject. It was enlightening and fun !! If you are interested in this subject....read this book. Brian Greene is excellent.
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