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

Inspirational and Enlightening

Although I have read Brian's more recent books, The Fabric of the Cosmos ('04) and The Hidden Reality '(11), this one does lay a solid foundation, and gets back to the fundamentals.
i just wish there were a catalogue of each idea, event and contributors, in order to thread it all together, and identify the points where one theory or experiment supports, contradicts or builds on another.

Top work

Where does The Elegant Universe rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is by far the best book I have "read" so far.

What did you like best about this story?

It is accesible even for those who don't know what to expect.
It will take you on a journey of hundreds of years science at high level

What about Erik Davies’s performance did you like?

very good.
Must have been difficult to do this performance. Respect!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Well, there were some chapters that were too technical; where Brian just drifted of to lonely hights leaving us (simple beings) far behind.

Any additional comments?

Up to his next one....

String Theory for non-Physicist, non-mathematician

I highly recommend having a hard copy of the book in addition to the audio version. The diagrams and charts add much to making the very esoteric concepts comprehensible. The first half is an excellent restating of classic Newtonian and Quantum physics as well as a discussion of the paradox that arise when trying to understand tiny massive things like black holes. String theory is then explained in a fairly understandable manner as well as the implications for cosmology . Having a hard copy allows review of some otherwise challenging text

Way over my head.

I think I grasped about 10%. He did a good job of trying to describe the indescribable. I have a basic (very. Basic) grasp of what string theory is, and how it interacts with relativity and quantum physics. But that's about it. Not his fault, I don't think.

Fantastic

Thank you Sir, for the best #@&% BOOK I have ever read period. I will now forever be inspired.

Lots of interesting nuggets

Not being a scholar, it was difficult to tie the material together understandably. A good bit of this book came across as speculation of the highest order, a condition that made it difficult for the reader to adhere to the material. Interesting nuggets are generously scattered through the entire book. It's definitely worth ready/listening, but this is the kind of book you must pay close attention to and not treat as a novel.

Fascinating stuff!

I love the way Greene makes the subject matter accessible to a non-physicist like me.

The most illuminating book on cutting edge physics

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

Explanation of string theory and it's consequences for physics

What other book might you compare The Elegant Universe to and why?

Brief History of Time

Have you listened to any of Erik Davies’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The foreword by the Author thrilled me as it set the stage for what I was about to learn

Any additional comments?

As a non-physicist, it can be intimidating to attempt to grapple with modern theoretical physics. However, Brian Greene makes the edges of this developing pursuit understandable to those who wish to learn about it. I'm considering listening to it twice, both for pleasure and to have a second pass to more deeply understand the amazing consequences of this field.

Scientific Tour de Force

I really enjoyed listening to Dr. Greene's explanation of the current state of quantum physics and cosmology. The concepts he expounds on are so counter-intuitive that I had to listen to some sections multiple times before I could grasp the barest notion of what was being said. I will not claim to understand the concepts presented in this book at more than the most superficial level, but I loved listening to it.

Enlightening

Great narrative with sound opinions on topics like dimensions and string theory. Written to allow the listener to further research areas of interest