- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Jonathan Cape Ltd; First Edition edition (25 Feb 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0224052993
- ISBN-13: 978-0224052993
- Product Dimensions: 23.2 x 15.8 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
102,727 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #25 in Books > Science & Nature > Physics > Particle & High-Energy Physics
The Elegant Universe
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Amazon.co.uk Review
To write a book to explain in simple, non-mathematical terms what superstring theory is in not a simple task. In The Elegant Universe Brian Greene, a physicist who works in the area, does a very good job. Superstrings are a theory of particle physics that lays claim to being the ultimate "Theory of Everything", merging Einstein's relativity and quantum mechanics into an understanding of the physics of the very small and very large in the Universe. Hence to understand superstrings, relativity and quantum mechanics have to be explained as well. In this Brian Greene does a very good job, giving one of the best explainations of relativity I have read in the process. Superstring theory is still very much in its infancy and The Elegant Universe does not claim that all the problems have been solved; in fact a point is made of pointing out all the present deficiencies of the theory.
Probably not a book for the very beginner, but anyone who has read popular accounts of particle physics and relativity should gain a lot from reading this book. In places not an easy read, not for the style (which was generally very easy) but simply for the difficulty of some of the concepts involved. Superstring theory may or may not be the theory of everything but this book will certainly tell you what we think we know so far. Definitely recommended, but don't expect to read it in a weekend. --Simon Goodwin
Review
Brian Greene's exhilarating book is yet another in the series of totally accessible volumes written by physicists for the non-specialist reader. The blend of acute scientific insight and well-written prose is highly seductive, as Greene deals with the layers of mystery surrounding 'string theory', in which the universe consists of 11 dimensions, and the fabric of space tears and repairs itself. All matter (from the smallest quarks to the most imposing supernovas) is generated by vibrations of microscopic loops of energy. The string theory has been hailed as a Theory of Everything, with its potential to unify all the forces of nature. Greene's use of simile is particularly apposite, with everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose used to explain the strange and beautiful realities revealed by modern physics. Many will find Greene's lengthy but readable book the most popular addition yet to the library of popular science. (Kirkus UK)
Superstring theory may provide the long-sought unification of physics for which Einstein sought in vain. Here is a look at the current state of the quest. Greene (a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia and Cornell) begins by pointing out the central problem of modern physics. Quantum mechanics and general relativity both work perfectly, and they cannot both be right. Relativity works for large, massive objects; quantum theory for tiny ones. Normally, the two realms can be kept separate. Yet increasingly, physics deals with phenomena such as black holes, where the conflicts are impossible to avoid. Out of the search for a more complete explanation came string theory. Its foundations were laid down some 30 years ago by Gabriele Venizano, who found that a two-century-old formula by Leonard Euler described subatomic particles more elegantly than existing theory. The relationships would make sense if elementary particles were not pointlike, but elongated and vibrating, like tiny musical strings - in one sense, a modern version of the ancient metaphor of the music of the spheres. It took a while for physicists to embrace string theory; for one thing, it seemed to predict things nobody had ever seen. And despite its formidable explanatory power, its mathematical expressions were often even more formidable - Greene describes some of the equations as nearly impossible to understand, let alone solve. Still, it has the right look about it, and two waves of enthusiasm (one in the mid-1980s, the other ten years later) have convinced many physicists of the theory's probable validity. Greene deftly summarizes these findings, in areas from subatomic-particle theory to cosmology, with occasional forays into deeper waters such as the ten-dimensional structure of the universe, with several dimensions folded undetectably back into themselves. A final chapter forecasts that string theory will become the standard physical model in the next century. Entertaining and well-written - possibly the clearest popular treatment to date of this complex subject. (Kirkus Reviews)
Superstring theory may provide the long-sought unification of physics for which Einstein sought in vain. Here is a look at the current state of the quest. Greene (a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia and Cornell) begins by pointing out the central problem of modern physics. Quantum mechanics and general relativity both work perfectly, and they cannot both be right. Relativity works for large, massive objects; quantum theory for tiny ones. Normally, the two realms can be kept separate. Yet increasingly, physics deals with phenomena such as black holes, where the conflicts are impossible to avoid. Out of the search for a more complete explanation came string theory. Its foundations were laid down some 30 years ago by Gabriele Venizano, who found that a two-century-old formula by Leonard Euler described subatomic particles more elegantly than existing theory. The relationships would make sense if elementary particles were not pointlike, but elongated and vibrating, like tiny musical strings - in one sense, a modern version of the ancient metaphor of the music of the spheres. It took a while for physicists to embrace string theory; for one thing, it seemed to predict things nobody had ever seen. And despite its formidable explanatory power, its mathematical expressions were often even more formidable - Greene describes some of the equations as nearly impossible to understand, let alone solve. Still, it has the right look about it, and two waves of enthusiasm (one in the mid-1980s, the other ten years later) have convinced many physicists of the theory's probable validity. Greene deftly summarizes these findings, in areas from subatomic-particle theory to cosmology, with occasional forays into deeper waters such as the ten-dimensional structure of the universe, with several dimensions folded undetectably back into themselves. A final chapter forecasts that string theory will become the standard physical model in the next century. Entertaining and well-written - possibly the clearest popular treatment to date of this complex subject. (Kirkus Reviews)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Deals clearly with its subject, but.....,
By
This review is from: The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Paperback)
Explaining superstring theory to the lay reader is a massive task. Not only does Greene achieve this task with amazing clarity and vision he takes the reader through an introduction to quantum theory and general relativity (as well as some of their extensions) on the way. This has to be one of the best written science books of recent years. I hasten not to add the word "popular" in case would-be readers imagine that this is a book for beginners, which it is not. If you have a scientific background you will find this book both accessible and exciting. On the downside Greene explains superstring theory as if it has to be the Grail of the quest for a Grand Unified Theory. He could have done a lot more to explain that superstrings are not necessarily the only route to such a theory and that there are other interesting and elegant theories, too. But then Greene himself is a major player in superstring theory and one who has made significant contributions to the field. Superstrings are a theoretical concept which far from being proven, add a great deal of complexity without producing too much in the way of experimental evidence to support the model. But - and this is a big but - they do offer at least one unifying theory. Whether or not it is the only (or perhaps most elegant) approach capable of achieving that goal time alone will tell. Definitely recommended for readers with some background.
90 of 94 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than Hawking's Book,
By
This review is from: The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Paperback)
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 struggled 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.
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
mostly lucid, but gets beyond me in places,
By
This review is from: The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Paperback)
This professor is one of the leading lights of physics and his command of lucid narrative is a boon. His description of theory of special and general relativity was the best ever encountered.I followed the main explanation about quantum mechanics that was also excellently delivered, but as science gets towards the edges of known knowledge and covers string theory, it gets hard to keep all the facts in your head at the same time. You may need to read it more than once to follow it all. If you can follow all this your doing better than me.
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