The Elegant Universe

Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

By: Brian Greene

Narrated by: Erik Davies

Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.

Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling.

Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

©2003 Brian Greene (P)2008 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"[Greene] writes with poetic eloquence and style.... [He] does an admirable job of translating a wholly mathematical endeavor into visual terms." -The Washington Post Book World

"[An] important book.... The Elegant Universe presents the ideas and aspirations-and some of the characters-of string theory with clarity and charm." -Scientific American

"As good as it gets.... [A] thrilling ride through a lovely landscape." -Los Angeles Times

Will excite you about string theory

He mentions that he wrote this book for the retiree who didn't have time while working to understand the new advances in physics. I was that guy. He does a great job. I've listened to his other books and am amazed how he goes to great pains and creates new analogies in explaining complex physical principals. Each of his books stand on their own and he avoids repetition.

The book will excite you about string theory, but you will be dismayed by the current lack of progress in string theory since the book was originally written.

String theory

Though I'm a 79 year old non-tech, this book gave me a good over view of super string theory. It humbles me.

More Brian Greene!

This book has been another critical piece to tying all these major physics theories together and making them easily understandable.

well communicated, complex

surprisingly good in audio instead of text. definitely had to pause, replay, and take breaks. glad that I'll be able to read it again in a couple months. definitely getting the full set by Greene

Well Written, Good Narration

The Elegant Universe is very well written. The author gives good examples and analogies to better understand the complex thematic.

The narrator was an excellent choice. His voice is very smooth and calm and the narration is very well paced, so that you can easily follow and concentrate on the content.

A little criticism goes however to the production. First, as already mentioned, this book is complex and you need to concentrate on what is being said. Now, imagine being deeply in thought and suddenly there is a big explosion. The producer thought it would be a great idea to put "Big Bang" explosion sounds in between the chapters which is very annoying and disrupts the concentration. It could even make you jump since you do not know when the chapter ends unless you are reading along with the book.
Second, there are a lot of names of scientists from all over the world. I wish the pronunciation of these names would have been researched better. For example, the German physicist Karl Schwarzschild, was pronounced throughout the book as "Schwarz(s)-child", instead of "Schwarz-schild" (engl. for shield), although the correct division of the word can be found also in the book. To me this was quite irritating and lessened my concentration on the actual content.

Due to the complexity of the book some parts might need to be listened to more than once, especially if this is not your field of expertise.

A MUST READ !!

This and Greene's other book THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS are almost masterpieces. To be able to convey such complex ideas so succesfuly is a triumph. Others have tried to ride the wave created by his books but they dont compare. PBS has made big specials out of both these books which says alot. See my other review on cosmos

amazing

What made the experience of listening to The Elegant Universe the most enjoyable?

The book was well written and exciting to hear!! The narrator is amazing! I have found one of my callings in life because of this book!!! Because of audible I had the chance to"read" it! I am a medical student and work also! I haven't time for reading other than school related which is a lot!!! But during my down time I fill it with the audio books amazing!!Also price is great! Also amazing! The sound is Crystal clear! now I realize what a gift it has become in my hectic life! Lastly of course some books I must read on my own in a more intimate context! But on the whole there are about 10 percent more audio than paper or kindle! Thank you!!!!#

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Elegant Universe?

Getting it! Really understanding this former mythical language I thought only a tiny percent could. He brought it to a comfortable level then took off to a level quantum physics students would enjoy or know some of. The equations made sense! Now I can not get enough! I am going to take a class or two this summer!

What does Erik Davies bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

My personal lecturer! A kind and gentle yet knowledgeable voice! It's not just a book but a lesson! He is amazing!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

As stated before an epiphany!

Any additional comments?

Very happy I discovered and gave it a try and put my ignorance at rest! Thinking only for the lazy or blind! That flew out the window asap!

An inspiring chapter in our quest of understanding

Highly recommended! Brian Greene is able to explain the incredibly complex technical issues as well as the underlying ideas of string theory in a way that's easy to understand yet not pedestrian.
Great narration, as well.

Complicated things explained simply

I was surprised at how well Brian Greene conveyed some of these abstract ideas. String theory is obviously not designed to be explained to the average person. The use of analogies and imagery really helped explain parts of String Theory, and in the end I learned a lot from this book. The most complex chapter was ‘Quantum Geometry’ which is the only part I had to listen to multiple times in a row. I wouldn’t say you need much of a physics background for this book. It is more important that you are intellectually curious and are intrigued by challenging concepts such as extra (or fewer) dimensions, calabi yau manifolds, inflation theory, multiverses, folds and punctures in space time, and the relationships between variations of String Theory (all five are discussed plus M-theory). He describes the relationship between String Theory and the standard model which leads to a good explanation of Supersymmetry. Also, in the end he talks about black holes and other cosmological implications of String Theory. Brian Greene covers these ideas in the simplest possible way, and that’s what makes this book stand out from the rest. Loved it from beginning to end.

Great book but

The narrator’s voice is just so wrong for this genre. To me it sounds like he’s trying to whisper or explain something to an over-sensitive toddler.