Click on the down
arrow and select books,
type in Brian Greene
and click the GO
button to go directly
to the Brian Greene book section of Amazon .com
Reviews of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
Amazon.com
There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are
currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics cannot
both be right." Each is exceedingly accurate in its field: general relativity
explains the behavior of the universe at large scales, while quantum
mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Yet the theories
collide horribly under extreme conditions such as black holes or times
close to the big bang. Brian Greene, a specialist in quantum field theory,
believes that the two pillars of physics can be reconciled in superstring
theory, a theory of everything.
Superstring theory has been called "a part of 21st-century physics that
fell
by chance into the 20th century." In other words, it isn't all worked out
yet. Despite the uncertainties--"string theorists work to find approximate
solutions to approximate equations"--Greene gives a tour of string theory
solid enough to satisfy the scientifically literate.
Though Ed Witten of the Institute for Advanced Study is in many ways
the human hero of The Elegant Universe, it is not a
human-side-of-physics story. Greene's focus throughout is the science,
and he gives the nonspecialist at least an illusion of understanding--or
the
sense of knowing what it is that you don't know. And that is traditionally
the first step on the road to knowledge. --Mary Ellen Curtin
The New York Times Book Review, George Johnson
Like Simon Singh in Fermat's Enigma, [Greene] has a rare ability to
explain even the most evanescent ideas in a way that gives at least the
illusion of understanding, enough of a mental toehold to get on with the
climb.
Washington Post Book World, Marcia Bartusiak, 7 March 1999
Greene does an admirable job of translating a wholly mathematical
endeavor into visual terms. Throughout his work, he writes with poetic
eloquence and style.
Scientific American, Chris Quigg
...[a] thoughtful and important book.... The Elegant Universe presents
the ideas and aspirations--and some of the characters--of string theory
with clarity and charm. It is both a personal story and the tale of a great
intellectual movement.
Los Angeles Times Book Review, K.C. Cole, 7 March 1999
[A]n ambitious, patient, and frequently personal attempt to bring both
the
beauty and substance of string theory down to Earth for the general
public.
Publishers Weekly, 11 January 1999
Brian Greene...makes the terribly complex theory of strings accessible
to
all. He possesses a remarkable gift for using the everyday to illustrate
what may be going on in dimensions beyond our feeble human
perception.
From Kirkus Reviews , January 15, 1999
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 stringsin 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 formidableGreene 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-writtenpossibly the clearest popular treatment to date of this
complex subject. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All
rights reserved.
Shing-Tung Yau, Harvard University; Fields Medalist, winner of
the National Medal of Science
[A] tour-de-force of science writing. Perhaps more than any other
popular-level account, this book peels away layers of detail and reveals
the stunning essence of cutting-edge physics. With a rare blend of
scientific integrity and literary flair, the author takes us on a whirlwind
journey to the forefront of the search for the ultimate theory of the
universe.
American Scientist, March/April 1999
Do you lie awake a night wondering about superstrings, hidden
dimensions and the quest for an ultimate theory of the universe? If so,
you
should browse Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe"...[A] well-written
account--without equations--from the forefront of cosmology and
physics.
Edward Witten, Institute for Advanced Study
Everyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics--past,
present, and future--will greatly enjoy this book.
Michio Kaku, author of Hyperspace and Visions
[A] delightful, lucid introduction to the greatest problem in all of physics,
the quest to unify all the laws of nature. Greene does a masterful job
in
presenting complex materials in a lively, engaging manner. Highly
recommended to anyone who has ever gazed at the heavens and
wondered, as Einstein did, if God had a choice in making the universe.
Book Description of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings,
Hidden Dimensions, and the
Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
A fascinating and thought-provoking journey through the mysteries of
space, time, and matter. Today physicists and mathematicians throughout
the world are feverishly working on one of the most ambitious theories
ever proposed: superstring theory. String theory, as it is often called,
is
the key to the Unified Field Theory that eluded Einstein for more than
thirty years. Finally, the century-old antagonism between the large and
the
small-General Relativity and Quantum Theory-is resolved. String theory
proclaims that all of the wondrous happenings in the universe, from the
frantic dancing of subatomic quarks to the majestic swirling of heavenly
galaxies, are reflections of one grand physical principle and manifestations
of one single entity: microscopically tiny vibrating loops of energy, a
billionth of a billionth the size of an atom. In this brilliantly articulated
and
refreshingly clear book, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading
physicists, relates the scientific story and the human struggle behind
twentieth-century physics' search for a theory of everything. Through the
masterful use of metaphor and analogy, The Elegant Universe makes
some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated viscerally
accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to
understanding how the universe works.
Synopsis of The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions,
and the Quest for the
Ultimate Theory by Brian Greene
Through the masterful use of metaphor and analogy, "The Elegant
Universe" takes readers on a fascinating and thought-provoking journey
through the mysteries of space, time, and matter.
Click on the down
arrow and select books,
type in Brian Greene
and click the GO
button to go directly
to the Brian Greene book section of Amazon .com
Thanks for Visiting...