The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian GreeneMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
To evaluate a review of this book, you must know about the background of the reviewer. I had college physics classes in the early 80s, and have read a number of “modern” pop physics books in the past couple of decades. I understand, in many aspects, the basics of physics pre-string theory. But this new stuff? I understand some of the definitions, but that’s about it. Greene’s book is very good at giving descriptions and examples and analogies for aspects of physics it is trying to explain. And for the older concepts, it does a great job. The newer concepts, string theory and beyond, are explained in the same way, with the same care. I found these concepts more difficult to understand, but I suspect that’s my problem, not the fault of the author. I found the book well organized, and the examples often memorable. However, I didn’t get the level of understanding I was hoping for concerning recent advances in physics. I would consider reading more by this author, but may be looking for a lower grade level.
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