Rating: 
Summary: Illumination
Review: At moments enthraling, often dizzying in scope. Brian Greene illuminates and excites with his portrayal of mans search to define the universe. His brilliant and erudite book puts into context how far we have come in search of scientific truths at times we see through the eyes of geniuses and glimpse a world far more wonderous than most could ever imagine.Best of all the search goes on and one is made to feel apart of such a great endevour.
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Summary: Let's do the Time Warp again.
Review: After reading through the first 3 chapters of this book I wanted to share my new found knowledge with someone. I excitedly went home and started explaining to my wife the concept of the spatial dimensions and how they correlete with the dimension of time, and how gravity is actually an object's mass causing the fabric of space to warp...she threw me out of the house. This book may not get you a date, but you will give you a wealth of fascinating knowledge about the matter that our universe is made of. Brian Greene does an outstanding job of simplifying the complex through visual imagery and analogies. The only pre-requisite is a desire to learn the subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book
Review: An incredible book and a fascinating read. Brian Greene manages to take very complex and mathematical physics and explain it in a way that anyone can access. The book goes through most of 20th century physics, starting with relativity, then onto quantum mechanics before going full bore into string theory. The book even touches on string theory in cosmology. I have gone through university physics courses and though that I had a good handle on relativity and quantum mechanics. I never though that I would be able to understand a theory with 10 or 11 dimensions without some very intense math upgrades. This book has not only helped me understand string theory, it has also shown me a few new ways to look at components of relativity and quantum mechanics. Brian Greene does admit that string theory has a long way to go before reaching the status of say relativity, and that another theory may come along to completely replace it, but he does paint a rosy picture for its future. Even if it turns out to be wrong in someway though, I will be able to read articles on string theory and not be baffled.
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Summary: On to the next level in physics and the nature of reality!
Review: A truly groundbreaking and innovative read. Quite possibly the best introduction and companion to string theory on the market. Packed with intricate information from start to finish.....from several "non-mathematical" introductions to basic physics ideas to deeper explanations of mind-boggling new discoveries. Brian Greene serves as an excellent guide to the world of string theory and modern physics, repeatedly explaining various ideas in different formats and contexts, increasing the chances of opening up a new and full understanding. A truly up-to-date "must have" for all physics fans new and experienced alike!
Rating: 
Summary: A tortois carries the earth on it's back
Review: I've read the book twice and I've seen the series based on his book. Even so, trying to keep an open mind I find that aside from what has been established as scientifically accurate, (i.e. Relativity, particle physics) this book tries to portray itself as adding to that knowledge with fanciful ideas and stories that are on par with the ancient story that a giant turtle is carrying the earth on it's back. Superstring theory is totally unproven and at this point seemingly unprovable. It adds nothing to what is already known, but it seems capable of embrassing and accepting anything new that is discovered in particle physics. It's a flexible math concept that can adapt to any conditions given, but it offers no beacon of enlightenment or advancement. Many people enjoy entertaining stories, but I prefer turtles over strings.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book very informative
Review: This was a great book
Very explanatory and easy to read. I would easily read again (especially to understand a few parts a little more.
Rating:
Summary: Very Well Written
Review: The first half of the book summarizes pretty much everything fascinating about physics to laymen. The second half is devoted to string theory specifically. It accomplished more than expected. Pros:
-Excellently well-written for such a complex subject. With no formal training in physics I understood everything fine; though I had to reread sections to fully grasp some of them.
-Devoting the first half of the book to things other than string theory was effective as it introduces readers to the theories which string theory is attempting to bind. Cons:
-Be ready for fairy-tailish subject matter in regard to string theory itself(even more so than relativity and quantum mechanics), though, unable to understand mathematical proofs behind the theories you should expect nothing more. The only con is minor and expected; buy the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Interesting - Occasionally a Struggle
Review: Superstring Theory is the hot topic in Physics these days and this book is written by a physicist heavily involved in research on the topic. The book starts with a quick introduction to special relativity, general relativity, and then quantum mechanics. It is a lot of information to digest in three quick chapters so at least some familiarity with the topics will be useful. Think of this more as a refresher than a tutorial. The author then explains why current theories have a huge hole and how string theory might be able to close that hole. The author does a very good job of explaining string theory to the point where a layman can actually make some sense of it all. He uses examples, metaphors, and analogies that simplify the concepts so that although we may not have the deep understanding that a physicist would have we can at least get a glimpse of what ten dimensional space is like and why it is important to string theory. Although the author is a proponent of the theory this does not prevent him from allowing the critics of the theory to have their say. I will admit that the book does bog down in places and not all his explanations are crystal clear. I did feel lost in places and never got a real feel for ten dimensional space although I did at least get an idea of why it is important. The Nova series based on the book covers the same territory but the book goes into more detail so if the Nova series intrigued you then this book is well worth reading.
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Summary: Great for physicists and non-physicists alike!
Review: I just finished this book today, and I'm proud to have finished it. It normally takes me awhile to get through non-fiction or science books. However, this book is well written, and helps keep you interested in the revelations that are contained on the next page. Even with the first sentence does this book intrigue you and compel you to read more: "Calling it a cover-up would be far too dramatic." Science-related books are incredibly hard to write. On the one hand, you can appeal to the general public and perhaps ignore the scientific community's longing for a more detailed approach, or you can write a thoroughly complex book that no one without sufficient training could understand. It's a hard balance to find, but I feel that Brian Greene succeeded. While his approach seems reasonable for the general public, I also felt that it was at a reasonable level for physicists in other fields. It is an excellent introduction to the intricacies of string theory. Greene uses analogies that are easy to understand, although he sometimes uses the same analogy a few too many times. Even so, it probably helps to increase understanding, and Greene adds a sense of excitement for the future of string theory. The tone of the book is that we're on the brink of reaching a deeper level of understanding the universe. I highly recommend the book for anyone who has heard about string theory and wondered what it was all about. It's one of those theories that most people have heard about but don't understand, but with Greene's work, hopefully more will be able to get past the basics. Oh, P.S! This book was also made into a NOVA TV program by PBS:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/ (Note, you can watch it on-line if you want!)
While it provides an overview of string theory, the book is much better IMO, and goes into much greater detail.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh ideas and not an overly difficult read
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I was, at first, sceptical about purchasing it because I feared it would be overly technical, but I found it to be quite clear for a beginner. The book gets into many hypothetical and theoretical ideas. It is not your standard text book of well-established topics. Instead, the book covers many of the areas just now being discovered and studied. I would say that the book is a cross between A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME and STILL PITYING THE FOOL. Both very good books as was this one. Highly recommended.
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