The Elegant Universe cover art

The Elegant Universe

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

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The Elegant Universe

By: Brian Greene
Narrated by: Erik Davies
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About this listen

"[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 Astronomy & Space Science Cosmology Physics Science

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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
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it's difficult to write this review because, although Greene does a good job of explaining abstract concepts, I can't say I understood more than 10% of it. You have to be sure you have understood concepts A to F in order to understand concept G, and after a time I must say I was listening only to catch whatever jist I could, accepting that maybe I'm just not ready for a book like this.

This being said, I'm still inclined to rate the book highly because it does not talk down to its listener, and the narrator paired well with Greene's writing to egg me on to the finish line despite my flagging comprehension. Where Greene succeeds for a listener like myself is in his ability to build up an edifice so towering in its beauty and complexity, that it becomes impossible to deny that whatever it is he is showing you, it is something worth endeavouring to understand. So, I look forward to returning to this book again one day, having been around the path of learning it encouraged me to take.

Challenging and dense, but hints at deeper rewards

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This book amazed me and helped grow my understanding of everyday reality. Great for anyone.

Must read for everyone

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This book is for everyone with a real interest in Modern fysicus. it is not easy to follow. I bought the paper book with it, for the illustrations and to ready back soms complicated parts or things I simply forgot. Well written and performed, highly reccommended.

intriguing and complex

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For me, rolling with much of the narrative was an act of faith. The book iwas worth the effort and felt like a fantastic journey through a world that, till now, had remained inaccessible to me.

A fascinating insight into string theory

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Not just your understanding of the physical world, but you mental, emotional and spiritual world with be touched and challenged with this book.

Helps you understand the world

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Very technical, quite hard to take in at times, but mind bending and perspective changing once you get it, a fantastic collection of information allowing someone like me, shocking at maths, get to grips with the depths of cosmology

Brilliant

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I think this is the fourth time I'm listening to it. Finding it very interesting.

Loved it. Very well written very well read.

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Great for people that can't grasp concepts without it being repeated five times

each chapter was hard to get through.

they go on forever repeating everything in different scenarios and the same layout of each story.

it was like One of those murdered documentaries where they build suspense in the most annoying way and reveal the new info right at the end so you have to watch the whole thing ... except this book reveals at the beginning

what a waste of time. honestly gave me anxiety listening

100% don't read if you have adhd
or maybe are above high-school level education

God- this book made me wish he was real so I didn't have to try and listen to his explanations of things

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The performance is extremely professional and the voice is not obtrusive, which is crucial since the topic is complex.
Brian Greene's development of the theory is as clear as it can be, and there is a lot to learn. The topic itself is captivating: the attempt of super strings theory to unify quantum mechanics and relativity in a single interpretation that explain the macro- and microcosmos.
I am not convinced of the arguments he uses with average culture readers like me: our super string theory MUST be true because it is so cool, nevermind we have never managed to hook it to experimental confirmation, forget about its forced interpretations and its ugly maths, the idea is elegant and we spent 40 years on this bet so it needs to work at all costs.
I got a lot of this vibe, while Carlo Rovelli's popularisation of the alternative loop quantum gravity theory always seems more humble and tentative, which I found endearing and more convincing.
Worth the listen overall.

Good reader, unconvincing argument...

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