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Summary: No-hype, Honest, Compelling, FANTASTIC
Review: This book opens up a whole world --- a view on our universe --- which till now has only been accessible to those with advanced degrees in maths or physics. Every idea is presented with analogies and stories that let the ordinary reader grasp the key concepts. Its not the easiest science book out there, but without a doubt its the most rewarding. Every ounce of effort on the part of the reader is repaid 10-fold in terms of the depth of understanding this book conveys. The professor is also extremely honest, laying bare both the succeses and the open issues scientists still face in their "quest for the ultimate theory". The book makes clear that superstring theory is a work still in progress --- but what a beautiful structure has so far been built. This book is a testament to human tenacity, ingenuity, and creativity in the attempt to answer some of the deepest questions ever asked. In all honesty, no other work of non-fiction has ever inspired me as much as this book. BRAVO!
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Summary: Great writing style with excellent examples
Review: Using Occam's razor Brian builds just the right foundation on which to discuss string theory. He doesn't get lost in digression but uses analogies and illustrations from the stock market or FBI explosive experts to explain and translate the truly weird concepts he is trying to convey.This book is not an easy read from the point of view of it's content and I will be reading it a second and third time (at least). However, Brian's smooth writing style draws you along and after hammering your brain with impossible concepts, he will offer an analogy, which both clarifies the point and rests you. A beginner can read this book because of the explanations given for the basic quantum physics and relativity concepts that string theory is based on. However, having a layman's background in these areas is helpful.
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Summary: Keep an open mind for this wonderful theory
Review: This is a masterfull description of both Einstein's Relativity and Quantum Mechanincs, as well as the most thorough discourse on string theory I have seen yet. It is sad to see an, apprently, intelligent reviewer dismissing an idea simply because technology has not reached the point of testing this theory. When it does, I'm sure we'll see a confirmation of ST, but if not, the search will go on. This theory is indeed a beautiful one, despite what one reviewer has said. Read this book, and welcome the future.
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Summary: A book whose time has come!!
Review: This tome made me sit up and beg for more. Mr. Greene tells a wonderful story of strings and surfaces and blobs. I'm no Einstein (please feel free to disagree), but I understood most of what I read. The book in rife with analogy and metaphor, making things understandable. This would make a great present for any science enthusiast.
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Summary: Great Book!
Review: This book will twist your mind. Strings, extra dimensions, supersymmetry -- oh my God! Another book recommended: THE BIBLE ACCORDING TO EINSTEIN
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Summary: Unfortunately String Theory is nonsense
Review: This is a reasonably readable popular exposition of string theory. The problem is that string theory is almost certainly wrong. Or worse yet, it is "not even wrong", it is such an ill-defined idea that there is no way to prove it wrong. There is not one iota of experimental evidence for string theory. To the extent that string theory is a well-defined theory and calculations can be done, the results of the calculations do not agree at all with experiment. String theorists will claim that the problem is that they just haven't found the final formulation of string theory, that when they do, then it will agree with experiment. They've been saying this for fifteen years now, and the end result of thousands of papers and tens of thousands of person-years of work is that string theory looks even less likely to explain what it is supposed to than when people started working on it. String theorists are known to claim that despite the above string theory must be correct because it is such a "beautiful" theory. This is nonsense. String theory is an extremely complicated and convoluted subject, vastly inferior on any scale of "beauty" or "elegance" with respect to other known physical theories which do have experimental evidence backing them up. To some extent "beauty" and "elegance" are in the eye of the beholder, but one beholder with a doctorate in theoretical physics and many years of work in this field can assure you that there is none of either to be found in string theory. Read the book if you want a popular exposition of some of the ideas of modern physics and to see what string theorists believe, but don't yourself believe for a minute the claims about string theory in this book.
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Summary: Outstanding update!
Review: I'm a nonscientist, but I have tried to keep informed over the years with the fascinating subject of quantum physics. I hadn't read any of the books that incorporated string theory, except to mention it briefly. This satisfying update recapped the developments extremely well, and went beyond the books popular in the 80's. It wasn't light reading for me by any means, but well worth the effort. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who wants to be informed.
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Summary: My pick for a summer read - it's a book to mull over.
Review: I'm a high-school senior who is interested but not very knowledgeable in physics. But I found Elegant Universe less than intimidating. It's a book for the future but not at all unintelligible. Greene's writing is clear and thought-provoking (especially his similes, many of which I laughed at). It's exciting to read about a theory that has so much potential and actually become excited about it, even if you are not a superstring theorist or researcher. Dr. Greene brings the high-level mathematics down to the common (but educated!) reader. I found that it was easiest to read it slow and let the ground-beaking ideas sink in. If you are reading this, Dr. Greene, I hope I can meet you someday. You have accomplished what I am still dreaming about!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely easy and interesting reading
Review: Finally! Physics for the nonscientist! An extremely easy to read, interesting book detailing the latest developments in superstring theory.
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Summary: The best explanation of relativity I've read
Review: Greene's book can be divided into three sections: the first describes Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, the second describes the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and the third (and longest) attempts to explain string theory. If you are looking for a good, crisp and meaningful explanation of Einsteinian physics, this is your book. An excellent job making the abstract tangible to the layman. This section alone is worth the price of admission. I've read much better books on QED (Feynman's QED is my favorite), and I never could get the point of string theory.
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