The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Brian Greene

I am not a scientist or a mathematician. I have many books about relativity, cosmology, quantum physics, and about the great physicists of the 20th Century. Some are better than others. For me "better" means readable and understandable. Given those two criteria, this is The Best. The author, Brian Greene, is either a better writer or a better teacher, or both. The book is easy to read and even easy to understand. Greene seems to have the knack of creating just the right analogies and/or illustrations to communicate difficult abstract concepts in a way that is concrete, interesting, and understandable. I got so excited about the way relativity and special relativity were explained and illustrated by example that I even tried to explain them to my wife. What I mean is that, for the first time, I felt that I had a clear enough understanding of the subjects and the examples that I could actually explain them to someone else. Parenthetically, my wife, Dena, who has not had an interest in reading books on this topic, picked this one up, read the preface, and decided she wants to read it. Dena, who edits my reviews, insisted that I include the following quote from the preface to the 2003 edition. Here it is: "When science is widely seen as an integral part of what makes us human, our own connections to the cosmos will be significantly strengthened; truly, science is the thread that weaves us all into the fabric of reality."

If you want to come to a basic understanding about relativity and quantum physics and how the two can be reconciled in string theory this is the book for you. Not only will you learn things and gain insight and understanding into the universe as seen and described by the greatest scientists, you will probably even enjoy yourself. I did.

It is lucid, readable, technical, and non-mathematical. More importantly it is fun to read. For the first time in my life "space-time" became more than an abstract concept to me. My view and understanding of physical reality has been dramatically broadened and taken to new depths (or is it heights?—actually now I clearly see depths and heights are pretty much artificial distinctions).

String theory is very interesting. It makes the universe appear to be a vibrational orchestral composition. It fits in with what Hesse said, that the fundamental laws of creation are based on music and math. It is also simpatico with the underlying essence of many mystic and religious teachings. However, as the renowned physicist and early exponent of string theory, John Hagelin, once explained to me, once we go beyond the atom, to the level of quarks and beyond, none of these things are real, they are just theoretical constructs.

In the book Greene talks about EinsteinÕs quest to "understand the mind of God" by understanding the laws of physics. My conclusion is that any approach taken by the rational mind or the intellect must always fall short of the ultimate goal. The ultimate truth can be experienced by the mystic, or at least so he or she claims, but it certainly cannot be communicated verbally.

I recommend this book without hesitation. It is a remarkable book. Thank you Dr. Greene!

Review by Len Oppenheim.