Rating: 
Summary: Looking inside a scientist's mind
Review: I said "Good Benito" is boring, but it was unfair. It has some good moments. In the first chapters, a young physicist works with a living legend in physics. The contrast between intelligence and real genius is shown in a very attractive way. If the book had ended there, it would have been a wonderful short story. Most of the rest does not seem to be at the same high level, some chapters are quite irrelevant. Alan Lightman is fairly successful in his attempt to show the unique pleasure that physics can bring, but that is a pleasure he cannot share with us (at least not in this book). In "Good Benito", you can find an approach to the life of a good (not very extraordinary) scientist, all about feelings and his environment. All in all, as Novalis said, every life can be a good novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Physics for poets
Review: Lightman becomes most lyrical when he's writing about physics and math. These are two subjects I know nearly nothing about, but I felt as if I had an intuitive understanding of them as I read this book. I'm not sure whether the science carried the plot or the plot carried the science, but this was an enjoyable read with provocative highlights.
Rating: 
Summary: Looking inside a scientist's mind
Review: The author tells us about the life of a theoretical physicist. If you think it might be boring... you are right.
Rating:
Summary: Good mix of left and right brain
Review: There are few people who combine scientific knowledge
with the ability to write material for the layman. This is a case where a professor of physics
also has the ability to write
a well written novel. For those who combine the knowledge and/or
interest in these two divergent areas (are bi-brained, that is
are neither right nor left brained but use both)
this is a well written book .
Rating:
Summary: This falls short
Review: This book is a novel about Bennett Lang, a scholar of theoretical physics, and is told in short vignettes about his life, in terms of his relationships. These are in the form of relationships with teachers, lovers, friends and colleagues.
While the book purports to be a novel, as opposed to how skillfully and beautifully Einstein's Dreams was told in short, distinct and separated vignettes, it doesn't have the main aspect that we expect in a novel, which is that we expect to be able to connect the dots in the story to form a line of plot. While I think this book has something to offer in terms of some of its ideas on academia, ambition and relationships, they are not presented cohesively enough to make themselves known in a real and felt way for the reader.
Around 10 pages from the end of this book, I asked my husband, "Will we find out what this is ABOUT soon?" I think it would be more effective if it were more definitely divided a la "Einstein's Dreams" or more overtly connected, in the form of a more traditional novel. I would recommend skipping this one, and picking up "Einstein's Dreams" if you haven't already. That is a beautiful book!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to write home about
Review: This is a somewhat engaging book with some nice stretches, but all-in-all a bit slight. Lightman's exposition on mathematics and physics and the lure of discovery in those areas was quite well done, but Bennett never really came alive for me and when the end came I was glad the book was over. I wasn't wanting more.I think Einstein's Dreams is a better book.
Rating: 
Summary: A collection of pointless unrelated short stories
Review: This is not a novel but a collection of pointless, unrelated short stories. Good Will Hunting it ain't. To find out about physicists read Feyman's autobiographies or Radiance.
Rating:
Summary: A collection of pointless unrelated short stories
Review: This is not a novel but a collection of pointless, unrelated short stories. Good Will Hunting it ain't. To find out about physicists read Feyman's autobiographies or Radiance.
Rating: 
Summary: A Rational Man Confronts the Irrationalities of life
Review: Throughout this book, the reader is drawn into Bennet's beautiful, sometimes comedic, but ultimately fruitless quest to reconcile his scientific, absolutist philosophy with the quirks and challenges of life. His decision to leave his wife, based upon a pseudo-mathematical reasoning, is a perfect example of this. The decision makes him sick with grief, yet he follows his reasoning and leaves. How can a scientific man face the all-to-emotional experience of life? Lightman shows the reader, through Bennet's strained relationships, that it is nearly impossible to do so, and the ambiguous ending leaves the reader to wonder if Bennet will allow him to bring his mind and heart into alignment. I thought that "Einstein's Dreams" was one of the best books I had ever read, but this work leaves me breathless every time I pick it up. By the way, does anyone know of where I can get my hands on the book mentioned in Good Benito, "Tactile Mountains," by Lucien?
Rating:
Summary: Are theoretical physicists that attractive to women?
Review: While Lightman's depiction of the creative process
in theoretical physics is one of the best I've seen
in a work of fiction, too much about the protagonist
comes across like a male fantasy of grandeur. Promoted
to full professor at thirty-two AND a beautiful woman
can't stay away from him? Give me a break. I'm reminded of
an infamous personal ad (apocryphal or not) placed by a woman in
an East Coast magazine, that ended with "physicists or
other nerds need not apply." ...
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