B. Greene - The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Pros: Well-written.
Cons: Confusing.

There is a problem in the world that has plagued physicists for decades, and it is this: the world should not work the way it does. According to physicist and author Brian Greene in his book THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE, “physicists study things that are ...

Pros: good examples, concepts explained as simply and clearly as I've ever come across
Cons: requires real concentration

Physicists are a crazy bunch. They just don’t live in the same world as the rest of us. In their weird 11-dimensioned universe (some of them curled up so that you can’t even experience them), effects may occur before they are caused, bowling balls may ...

Pros: Elegant, lucid, and captivating! Complex scientific theories simply explained.
Cons: Science and basic physics knowledge are helpful.

Got your attention? I thought so!

What we’re really talking about here are strings and superstrings – on the cutting edge of theoretical physics. In certain circles there is far more excitement surrounding these cosmic building blocks than the...

Pros: -Very well written, engaging and coherent -Scientific background extremely compelling
Cons: -Reader needs to exercise some concentration and exert mental labor to understand

You emerge on the other side of this book intellectually on par with the most cutting edge physicists of today: Well, minus all the complex mathematical equations and technical jargon of course. However, from a conceptual platform, you are able to ...

Pros: The Complex Made Much Less So, And Fun To Read!
Cons: None

If the thought of attempting to understand what's going on with quantum theory these days makes you break out in a rash, the best "Doctor" to head for is Brian Greene. Quite a few books on quantum mechanics have been published in recent years,...

Pros: thorough review of the subject, great references and analogies
Cons: very abstract at times due to subject matter

It's good idea for all of us to keep abreast of what's going on in different sectors of science and technology. No one wants to be "left out." Still, when conversation turns to string theory and the battle between Einstein's general...

Pros: Easy to read, easy to understand
Cons: I wouldn't mind having some equations in it

This is the best science book ever written. In clear, simple English, Brian Greene chronicles the search for the elusive Theory of Everything. Without a single mathematical equation, the author manages to explain modern physical concepts such as quantum...

Pros: An excellent layman's introduction to the deepest levels of existence
Cons: A difficult subject in places requiring reflection and re-reading

I am a nut for this kind of stuff. This clear, lucid explication of the current state of one aspect of theoretical physics poses some interesting questions concerning the nature of It All, of how It All Began and to a much lesser degree of Where It Is...

Pros: easy to understand
Cons: not particularly scientific or detailed, dogmatic

This book is aimed squarely at the layman with absolutely no foundations. It has a lot of interesting information in its earlier chapters on multiple dimentions and the concept of spacetime in general. It starts out easy going.

The problem...

Pros: a door opener to the oblivious yet curious thinker.
Cons: a lack of equations

The Elegant Universe opens the gates to a world recognizably ours, but infinitly more complex. This book uses common imagery and analogies to explain the most intricate of Physics theories and concepts. Greene makes the widely unknown world of...

Pros: Great Explanation on Theories of our Universe and the unexplained.
Cons: none

In an uncommon mixture of scientific insight and publishes such as graceful as the theories it describes, Bryan Green, possibly the world's first string theorist, pulls away the several grades of mystery surrounding the infamous string theory, which...

Pros: surveys physics history; keeps layperson in mind
Cons: appeal to layperson cannot compensate for math prerequisite

Like Hawking's Brief History of Space and Time, The Elegant Universe keeps the layperson in mind as it delves to the depths and complexities of contemporary physics. The problem: no matter how elegantly Greene lays out the superstring theory, it's...

Pros: Easy to read - nothing too complicated.
Cons: Some of the later chapters get drawn out.

This is an extremely readable book on superstring theory. Not only does it talk about this new and exciting field of physics, it also gives a very good overview of both Einsteinian relativity and Quantum Mechanics, both which play an extremely important...

Pros: Clear, coherent presentation
Cons: intrinsically complex subject matter

Greene does an excellent job of explaining SuperString theory in readable vernacular. His explanation of the concepts by analogy to other landmark discoveries in the twentieth century allows for even readers with limited physics backgrounds to understand...

Pros: Clarity & comprehensive explanations putting everything in context for the average person.
Cons: none really- it's a very well done book

Elegant Universe is a great book because of its clarity, simplicity in the presentation of complex ideas, and is at once entertaining as well as very informative. As a lay person with a casual interest in physics and the workings of the universe, I was...