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The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory: Take Your Understanding of Physics into a Whole New Dimension!
Everything is connected� We're living in the midst of a scientific revolution that has captured the general public's attention and imagination. The aim of this new revolution is to develop a "theory of everything" -- a set of laws of physics that will explain all that can be explained, ranging from the tiniest subatomic particle to the universe as a whole. Here, readers will learn the ideas behind the theories and their effects upon our world, our civilization, and ourselves.
334 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2008
57 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
George Musser
11Ìýbooks65ÌýfollowersGeorge Musser is a contributing editor for Scientific American and Nautilus magazines, where he focuses on space science and fundamental physics. He is the recipient of the 2011 Science Writing Award from the American Institute of Physics and the 2010 Jonathan Eberhart Planetary Sciences Journalism Award from the American Astronomical Society. Musser was one of the lead editors for the magazine's single-topic issue “A Matter of Timeâ€� (Sept. 2002), which won a National Magazine Award for editorial excellence, and he coordinated the single-topic issue “Crossroads for Planet Earthâ€� (Sept. 2005), which was a NMA finalist and won the 2005 Global Media Award from the Population Institute. He is a member of the Foundational Questions Institute and was a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT from 2014 to 2015. Follow him on Mastodon at @[email protected].
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 5, 2010
George Musser has written an excellent introduction to cutting-edge Planck-length scale speculative Physics with the publication of this book. I will conclude this post with my Amazon review. Before doing so, I wish to point out that another similarly-titled book has just been published: String Theory for Dummies, by Andrew Zimmerman Jones. Both are aimed at the Intelligent Layman, but are quite different. Musser, I feel, gives a better and more objective overview of current issues and alternatives to Strings; Jones book is more Strings-centric. I would recommend both books, but read Musser's first, which I give 5 stars to for the reasons I will soon state. Jones' book I give 4 stars to for it's obvious bias, but it makes a good followup. From Amazon:
Five stars for this introductory book on Quantum Gravity. The name of this book as has been noted is quite misleading. This is an extremely balanced tome not only on String Theory, but on other notable alternative approaches on rational speculative theories as well, concerning what takes place at the level of fundamental particles and small length scales: notably LQG = Loop Quantum Gravity and CDT = Causal Dynamical Triangulations = "Buckyspace". I suspect it was originally submitted as "Quantum Gravity" but overruled at the Editorial level as "String Theory" for Marketing reasons, which may have been a wise decision but nevertheless would confuse those seeking the broader view this book expounds.
One embarrassing consequence of leading QG research is the many "wars" going on among our world's top theoretical physicists, and Musser does a fine job explaining these differences in his chapter on "The String Theory Wars." Other books on this subject are informative yet one-sided; this book gives equal balance to all sides explaining the Pros and Cons of all parties.
He eschews, for the most part, mentioning the particular scientists involved in the theories in favor of focusing on the theories themselves. This is a refreshing approach in its own right and makes the book as tight and concise as possible. His writing style is informative, interesting, entertaining, and lucid; one walks away from this book feeling a mastery of the issues at hand, and well prepared to read more detailed works on these subjects with an open-minded attitude to other authors' bias. As a science journalist, he has done this aspect of his job splendidly.
As a researcher, he has also excelled. He has consulted the experts on all sides, notably String Theorist Keith Dienes, Loop Gravitationist co-founder Carlo Rovelli, CDT co-founder Renate Loll, and dozens of others in these fields such as Joe Polchinski and Ed Witten.
Five stars for this introductory book on Quantum Gravity. The name of this book as has been noted is quite misleading. This is an extremely balanced tome not only on String Theory, but on other notable alternative approaches on rational speculative theories as well, concerning what takes place at the level of fundamental particles and small length scales: notably LQG = Loop Quantum Gravity and CDT = Causal Dynamical Triangulations = "Buckyspace". I suspect it was originally submitted as "Quantum Gravity" but overruled at the Editorial level as "String Theory" for Marketing reasons, which may have been a wise decision but nevertheless would confuse those seeking the broader view this book expounds.
One embarrassing consequence of leading QG research is the many "wars" going on among our world's top theoretical physicists, and Musser does a fine job explaining these differences in his chapter on "The String Theory Wars." Other books on this subject are informative yet one-sided; this book gives equal balance to all sides explaining the Pros and Cons of all parties.
He eschews, for the most part, mentioning the particular scientists involved in the theories in favor of focusing on the theories themselves. This is a refreshing approach in its own right and makes the book as tight and concise as possible. His writing style is informative, interesting, entertaining, and lucid; one walks away from this book feeling a mastery of the issues at hand, and well prepared to read more detailed works on these subjects with an open-minded attitude to other authors' bias. As a science journalist, he has done this aspect of his job splendidly.
As a researcher, he has also excelled. He has consulted the experts on all sides, notably String Theorist Keith Dienes, Loop Gravitationist co-founder Carlo Rovelli, CDT co-founder Renate Loll, and dozens of others in these fields such as Joe Polchinski and Ed Witten.
February 22, 2018
I really, really enjoyed this book.
The author did a great job of incorporating humor throughout the book, and he had memorable analogies, anecdotes, and stories that I'll be able to use with my own students.
This is an excellent, non-mathematical introduction to the topic.
If you are looking for a great introduction to the topic of quantum physics and the questions swirling about the various models, I highly recommend this one to you.
The author did a great job of incorporating humor throughout the book, and he had memorable analogies, anecdotes, and stories that I'll be able to use with my own students.
This is an excellent, non-mathematical introduction to the topic.
If you are looking for a great introduction to the topic of quantum physics and the questions swirling about the various models, I highly recommend this one to you.
September 21, 2012
So, the whole book may turn out to be fiction, but kudos to the author. He makes string theory and the competing theories come alive. He has a talent for vivid imagery that makes the theories intelligible and interesting.
May 14, 2017
Difficult to follow. Not as clear as I wanted it to be. Lots of good anecdotes.
May 23, 2020
Physics seeks to explain everything about the physical universe - from the tiny subatomic world to the enormous and numerous galaxies. That is, literally, a huge area to cover and, to date, a TOE (theory of everything) has alluded the best minds in the field. Of course a cure for the common cold has baffled medical science for far longer so I guess we will have to wait for an all encompassing theory.
The current problem facing physics is that Quantum Theory does a great job of explaining things in world of the very small and Relativity does a great job of explaining things in the world of the very large. Unfortunately, they do not play well together so the search continues for a new theory that will work everywhere.
Proponents of String Theory feel that their ideas will eventually do exactly that. There are a few issues of controversy to deal with. One is that string theory speculates that everything is made up of one-dimensional strings and another is that there are a total of 10 dimensions, not the three (four including time) of which we are currently aware. To date String theorists have been unable to come up with ways to detect either the strings or the other dimensions.
In order to explain how String Theory works you need to know a lot about physics and the other theories currently in vogue. The first third of The Complete Idiot’s Guide To String Theory focuses on giving you this background information. George Musser introduces you to topics including: Einstein’s theories, Quantum theory, Black Holes, the Big Bang, Gravity, and Time Travel. Assuming that you now have some understanding of these “basics�, Musser moves you into the world of String Theory.
Putting all of the theories of Physics into a three hundred page book is akin to reducing the entire collection of the New York Public Library into a paperback yet Musser has done just that. He provides information about the philosophy, history, significant issues, and major scientists of the field along with a lovely account of physics� best new toy, the Large Hadron Collider.
If you compacted a stretch limo to make a cube three feet on a side it would still weigh several tons. You might be able to wrap your arms around it but you certainly couldn’t pick it up. Musser is an excellent writer who has distilled hundreds of years of physics into a book 1 by 8 by 9 inches but it is still a lot of material to grasp.
I improved my understanding of some concepts I was already aware of, I added some new information to my bank of knowledge, and I see more clearly how String Theory is both lauded and hated by physicists. I do not pretend to fully understand String Theory but I definitely know far more than before I read the book and, given the enormity of the task, that says quite a lot.
P.S. Please do not attempt to read this book in one sitting ;-)
The current problem facing physics is that Quantum Theory does a great job of explaining things in world of the very small and Relativity does a great job of explaining things in the world of the very large. Unfortunately, they do not play well together so the search continues for a new theory that will work everywhere.
Proponents of String Theory feel that their ideas will eventually do exactly that. There are a few issues of controversy to deal with. One is that string theory speculates that everything is made up of one-dimensional strings and another is that there are a total of 10 dimensions, not the three (four including time) of which we are currently aware. To date String theorists have been unable to come up with ways to detect either the strings or the other dimensions.
In order to explain how String Theory works you need to know a lot about physics and the other theories currently in vogue. The first third of The Complete Idiot’s Guide To String Theory focuses on giving you this background information. George Musser introduces you to topics including: Einstein’s theories, Quantum theory, Black Holes, the Big Bang, Gravity, and Time Travel. Assuming that you now have some understanding of these “basics�, Musser moves you into the world of String Theory.
Putting all of the theories of Physics into a three hundred page book is akin to reducing the entire collection of the New York Public Library into a paperback yet Musser has done just that. He provides information about the philosophy, history, significant issues, and major scientists of the field along with a lovely account of physics� best new toy, the Large Hadron Collider.
If you compacted a stretch limo to make a cube three feet on a side it would still weigh several tons. You might be able to wrap your arms around it but you certainly couldn’t pick it up. Musser is an excellent writer who has distilled hundreds of years of physics into a book 1 by 8 by 9 inches but it is still a lot of material to grasp.
I improved my understanding of some concepts I was already aware of, I added some new information to my bank of knowledge, and I see more clearly how String Theory is both lauded and hated by physicists. I do not pretend to fully understand String Theory but I definitely know far more than before I read the book and, given the enormity of the task, that says quite a lot.
P.S. Please do not attempt to read this book in one sitting ;-)
August 8, 2022
Easy to read and you can really tell that Musser is passionate about the topic, but I can't say I know more about string theory now then when I started reading this (which equals almost nothing). I guess something like "String Theory for Five Year Olds" would be more my speed.
June 12, 2025
I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand most of this but I can now feel superior to most people who don’t know any of it.
March 19, 2023
"The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory: Take Your Understanding of Physics into a Whole New Dimension!" by George Musser is an accessible and engaging introduction to one of the most fascinating and complex areas of modern physics: string theory. The book is designed to help readers understand the basic principles of string theory, which attempts to explain the fundamental nature of the universe by positing that everything is made up of tiny, vibrating strings.
One of the strengths of this book is its clear and concise explanations of complex scientific concepts. Musser does an excellent job of breaking down the key ideas of string theory into manageable pieces that are easy to understand, even for those without a background in physics. He uses everyday examples and analogies to help readers visualize abstract concepts, such as how strings vibrate and how they can form different particles, which makes the material more relatable and engaging.
Another strength of the book is Musser's use of historical context to explain the development of string theory. He begins with the early days of physics, including the work of Einstein, and shows how string theory emerged as a possible solution to the problems posed by quantum mechanics and general relativity. By tracing the history of the field, Musser helps readers understand how the theory has evolved and how it fits into the broader context of modern physics.
Musser also does a good job of addressing some of the controversies surrounding string theory. For example, he explains how some scientists criticize the theory for being untestable and unfalsifiable, while others argue that it has the potential to unify all of physics and revolutionize our understanding of the universe. By presenting both sides of the argument, Musser allows readers to form their own opinions about the theory's strengths and limitations.
One of the few drawbacks of the book is that it can be challenging to keep track of all the different concepts and terminology. Musser introduces a lot of technical terms and equations, which can be overwhelming for readers who are not familiar with physics. However, he does provide helpful summaries and glossaries throughout the book, which can be useful for review and reference.
This book is an excellent introduction to a complex and fascinating subject. It is well-written, engaging, and accessible to readers with varying levels of scientific knowledge. Musser's use of historical context, analogies, and real-world examples makes the material more relatable and interesting, while his thorough explanations and attention to detail provide a solid foundation for further study. Anyone interested in learning more about modern physics and the cutting-edge theories that are shaping our understanding of the universe would do well to pick up this book.
One of the strengths of this book is its clear and concise explanations of complex scientific concepts. Musser does an excellent job of breaking down the key ideas of string theory into manageable pieces that are easy to understand, even for those without a background in physics. He uses everyday examples and analogies to help readers visualize abstract concepts, such as how strings vibrate and how they can form different particles, which makes the material more relatable and engaging.
Another strength of the book is Musser's use of historical context to explain the development of string theory. He begins with the early days of physics, including the work of Einstein, and shows how string theory emerged as a possible solution to the problems posed by quantum mechanics and general relativity. By tracing the history of the field, Musser helps readers understand how the theory has evolved and how it fits into the broader context of modern physics.
Musser also does a good job of addressing some of the controversies surrounding string theory. For example, he explains how some scientists criticize the theory for being untestable and unfalsifiable, while others argue that it has the potential to unify all of physics and revolutionize our understanding of the universe. By presenting both sides of the argument, Musser allows readers to form their own opinions about the theory's strengths and limitations.
One of the few drawbacks of the book is that it can be challenging to keep track of all the different concepts and terminology. Musser introduces a lot of technical terms and equations, which can be overwhelming for readers who are not familiar with physics. However, he does provide helpful summaries and glossaries throughout the book, which can be useful for review and reference.
This book is an excellent introduction to a complex and fascinating subject. It is well-written, engaging, and accessible to readers with varying levels of scientific knowledge. Musser's use of historical context, analogies, and real-world examples makes the material more relatable and interesting, while his thorough explanations and attention to detail provide a solid foundation for further study. Anyone interested in learning more about modern physics and the cutting-edge theories that are shaping our understanding of the universe would do well to pick up this book.
December 8, 2014
Every time I pick a book trying to understand string theory, I end up feeling disappointed and this book (in spite of its title) was no different. This is not a book for idiots. Even after finishing the book, I can barely explain to anyone what String theory is and what it does.
Having said that, this book does talk about Big Bang, Relativity, Black Holes, Time Travel, extra dimensions and other competing theories like Quantum Loop Gravity. Author also talks about Standard Model of Physics, Higgs Boson, and how excited the science community was with what LHC would discover. So there were few chapters where I was hooked on. Author tried to come up with funny little analogies to explain certain concepts which I liked to some extent (with the exception of few silly ones).
If you are a science lover, I am assuming you can find many other great books than this to learn about the above mentioned topics. This is a decent one time read.
Having said that, this book does talk about Big Bang, Relativity, Black Holes, Time Travel, extra dimensions and other competing theories like Quantum Loop Gravity. Author also talks about Standard Model of Physics, Higgs Boson, and how excited the science community was with what LHC would discover. So there were few chapters where I was hooked on. Author tried to come up with funny little analogies to explain certain concepts which I liked to some extent (with the exception of few silly ones).
If you are a science lover, I am assuming you can find many other great books than this to learn about the above mentioned topics. This is a decent one time read.
January 15, 2012
I'm not going to pretend I read this whole book. I didn't even come close.
I checked it out at my library because I am looking into a possible major in physics and I just wanted to see what was going on. (I am very much leaning against majoring in it though.)
Other reviewers are commenting that it is difficult to understand, but if you have a basic knowledge of physics you can probably manage.
I won't be able to explain string theory to someone now, but I will be able to answer them if they ask me what it is. And I now know of the string theory vs. quantum loop gravity debate, so I understand more of the jokes on The Big Bang Theory. :]
I checked it out at my library because I am looking into a possible major in physics and I just wanted to see what was going on. (I am very much leaning against majoring in it though.)
Other reviewers are commenting that it is difficult to understand, but if you have a basic knowledge of physics you can probably manage.
I won't be able to explain string theory to someone now, but I will be able to answer them if they ask me what it is. And I now know of the string theory vs. quantum loop gravity debate, so I understand more of the jokes on The Big Bang Theory. :]
July 22, 2009
The book was a good layman's representative of String theory. It is definitely something to read if you want a basic overview and understanding of String Theory and a run down of the other current theories out there.
February 28, 2013
This is the book I wish I could mail to myself in the past. ( Tachyonic anti-mail ? ) To when I was 11. ( The explication of Bell's inequality sucks, but everything else is great ) List's Borge's ' Ficcione ' in the ' further reading ' ( that rocks )
April 5, 2018
A great intro to a fascinating subject.
August 20, 2019
From time to time, I read books about advanced physics to see if anything is new...
It is NOT.
Since mid-70s, when Quarks were discovered, with Quantum Chromodynamics, nothing, NOTHING HAPPENED of importance in physics...
Worst, in astrophysics, maybe nothing happened in 100 years, since Einstein relativity.
You can say: what about Gravity Waves? Included in Einstein´s theory (100 years)...
What about Higg´s Boson? It means NOTHING, cause it answers no big question about quantum mechanics or astrophysic.
It was like: HEY, WE FOUND THE HIGG´S BOSON, WE KNEW IT!!! AND NOW, WE... KNOW... KNOW... STILL NOTHING! BUT WE ARE VERY GOOD PROVING OLD PREVISIONS, HUH?
What is the problem? In fact, what are the problems?
1 - The most advanced theories of humankind cannot talk to each other: Quantum Mechanics and Relativity produces absurd results when the scientists try to aply one to other... so, NO UNIFIED THEORY OF EVEYTHING;
2- Dark Matter, dark energy? What the hell they are? We don´t know! We don´t even know how to know them...
3 - String theory, our best, till today (30 years later), candidate to "theory of everything" cannot be tested in anyway... if something cannot be tested, cannot be called science, it is SCIENCE 101!
So, what to do? Who knows? Maybe wait another genius appears and solves the problems...
Maybe scrap the 2 theories and beging again... (the problem is: Quantum and Relativity are really good theories in their respective fields)...
Don´t be fooled by NEWS about these topics, they are, generally, just technical or confimations of old theories...
It is frustation as art, and boring as fuck. Thank god I quitted any wish to be a theoretical physicist :D
BUT, if you want to learn about our failures to produce an unified theory, or what super-strings are, or the problems with quantum and astrophisics... this is a good book :D
It is NOT.
Since mid-70s, when Quarks were discovered, with Quantum Chromodynamics, nothing, NOTHING HAPPENED of importance in physics...
Worst, in astrophysics, maybe nothing happened in 100 years, since Einstein relativity.
You can say: what about Gravity Waves? Included in Einstein´s theory (100 years)...
What about Higg´s Boson? It means NOTHING, cause it answers no big question about quantum mechanics or astrophysic.
It was like: HEY, WE FOUND THE HIGG´S BOSON, WE KNEW IT!!! AND NOW, WE... KNOW... KNOW... STILL NOTHING! BUT WE ARE VERY GOOD PROVING OLD PREVISIONS, HUH?
What is the problem? In fact, what are the problems?
1 - The most advanced theories of humankind cannot talk to each other: Quantum Mechanics and Relativity produces absurd results when the scientists try to aply one to other... so, NO UNIFIED THEORY OF EVEYTHING;
2- Dark Matter, dark energy? What the hell they are? We don´t know! We don´t even know how to know them...
3 - String theory, our best, till today (30 years later), candidate to "theory of everything" cannot be tested in anyway... if something cannot be tested, cannot be called science, it is SCIENCE 101!
So, what to do? Who knows? Maybe wait another genius appears and solves the problems...
Maybe scrap the 2 theories and beging again... (the problem is: Quantum and Relativity are really good theories in their respective fields)...
Don´t be fooled by NEWS about these topics, they are, generally, just technical or confimations of old theories...
It is frustation as art, and boring as fuck. Thank god I quitted any wish to be a theoretical physicist :D
BUT, if you want to learn about our failures to produce an unified theory, or what super-strings are, or the problems with quantum and astrophisics... this is a good book :D
May 11, 2018
This book is not for complete idiots. I had to regularly read word-for-word to try to begin to grasp the theories here. The title is quite misleading. The reader must dedicate full attention just to keep up. It's dense but this is the bleeding edge of physics. Musser explains not just string theory but another giant catalog of competing quantum gravity theories as well as the general process of developing them.
I learned about how physicists study and compete and "war" around these subjects. Unfortunately, I didn't learn as much about string theory as I would've liked but I did realize the gravity of its significance. This is a big deal and it will most likely change fundamental ways we perceive dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and wormholes. Musser argues that to learn more about this mess of bosons and fermions, scientists need to unlearn conventional wisdom that is incorrectly assumed by everyone to be objectively correct. Unlearn to learn. I liked that part.
Musser's humor fits quite well into the hard, dry science. His writing reminded me of Bill Bryson. I appreciate his determination to give all theories a level playing field without unreasonable bias. He is an exemplary science journalist.
I learned about how physicists study and compete and "war" around these subjects. Unfortunately, I didn't learn as much about string theory as I would've liked but I did realize the gravity of its significance. This is a big deal and it will most likely change fundamental ways we perceive dark matter, dark energy, black holes, and wormholes. Musser argues that to learn more about this mess of bosons and fermions, scientists need to unlearn conventional wisdom that is incorrectly assumed by everyone to be objectively correct. Unlearn to learn. I liked that part.
Musser's humor fits quite well into the hard, dry science. His writing reminded me of Bill Bryson. I appreciate his determination to give all theories a level playing field without unreasonable bias. He is an exemplary science journalist.
April 15, 2024
This is a funny book. If you have a legitimate enough interest in string theory to purchase and read a 300 page book on the subject, you probably aren't much of an idiot, so the title might be slightly misleading. As somebody with a physics background, I thought the book made sense. It was a very basic introduction to a lot of modern topics in quantum gravity, and the author did a good job at making complicated ideas accessible. That said I think he leans a little bit more on the cheeky rather than accurate side of the analogy spectrum sometimes. No equations whatsoever, so it makes for relatively uncomplicated leisure reading IMO
July 7, 2017
I started reading this, then I got interrupted and haven't picked it back up. It's very interesting and well written, but it does require a lot of concentration and mental effort (at least for me), and therefore may not be the best book for me to read just before going to sleep when I'm tired. I might try the audio book and use the softcover book as reference. Anyway, enough time has passed now that I'm probably just going to start over from the beginning. I do plan to pick it up again.
August 3, 2018
This book had some interesting parts exploring theories like time travel and parallel universes, but overall it was waaaay harder to read than the title suggests. In the end, I felt like I needed more physics background to really digest this book in full.
May 7, 2021
I loved this as an introduction to string theory. This book filled in the little niggling points that I was missing within the theory. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an introduction into theoretical physics.
June 10, 2017
Excellent introduction to the overarching concepts behind String Theory.
July 13, 2019
Definitely not for a idiot. Need to have much background knowledge.
June 25, 2020
Interesting. I appreciate the modest chapter about how string theory my be a major step back.
With my limited knowledge in physics, I can only say this book was informative.
With my limited knowledge in physics, I can only say this book was informative.
November 27, 2021
For a book titled the complete guide to string theory, there’s surprisingly little information actually about string theory.
February 1, 2022
Good introduction to string theory. Would read again.
October 1, 2023
This is great but it's not for idiots. I think a lot of people will have a hard time with it, but there is some great content in this book about general physics before it gets into string theory.
August 20, 2017
Either this book is not written for "the complete idiot" or I'm too idiot to understand many of the concepts related to string theory.
January 21, 2009
Excellent, non-mathematical introduction to string theory, one of the competitors for the Theory of Everything.
So why do we need strings? Well, there are (so far as we know) four fundamental forces in the universe. Unfortunately, right now we need two theories to explain them all -
In the world of the ultra-small quantum mechanics has been incredibly successful at describing what goes on at the molecular level and below. It's been experimentally verified many times over and unites electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.
In the world of the ultra-large, we have general relativity, which accounts for gravity and the large-scale structure of the universe - again with a high degree of precision.
Basically, both theories break down and make nonsensical predictions in extreme enviroments, like the (presumed) Big Bang, or around black holes. String theory is one of the leading contenders to bridge this gap and unite all the fundamental forces.
I think this book will provide you all the background you need to follow the search for a Theory of Everything in popular sources like Scientific American and New Scientist
So why do we need strings? Well, there are (so far as we know) four fundamental forces in the universe. Unfortunately, right now we need two theories to explain them all -
In the world of the ultra-small quantum mechanics has been incredibly successful at describing what goes on at the molecular level and below. It's been experimentally verified many times over and unites electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.
In the world of the ultra-large, we have general relativity, which accounts for gravity and the large-scale structure of the universe - again with a high degree of precision.
Basically, both theories break down and make nonsensical predictions in extreme enviroments, like the (presumed) Big Bang, or around black holes. String theory is one of the leading contenders to bridge this gap and unite all the fundamental forces.
I think this book will provide you all the background you need to follow the search for a Theory of Everything in popular sources like Scientific American and New Scientist
December 6, 2015
George Musser deserves special credit for the metaphors included in this book.
A couple of years ago I picked up Sean Carroll's The Particle At The End of The Universe and as much as I really liked it for being a simple enough entry level read, quite a lot of things still remained unclear to me, especially with regard to the standard model. George Musser's explanations and metaphors in The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory, although only having an even more condensed overview of the standard model, really went a long way in plugging holes in my still humble understanding of the standard model and quantum physics. Also, more than the physics theory I also appreciate this book for showing just how much physics, or science in general, works first and foremost on speculation.
A couple of years ago I picked up Sean Carroll's The Particle At The End of The Universe and as much as I really liked it for being a simple enough entry level read, quite a lot of things still remained unclear to me, especially with regard to the standard model. George Musser's explanations and metaphors in The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory, although only having an even more condensed overview of the standard model, really went a long way in plugging holes in my still humble understanding of the standard model and quantum physics. Also, more than the physics theory I also appreciate this book for showing just how much physics, or science in general, works first and foremost on speculation.
June 29, 2016
I got this book because after watching all those documentaries on the universe and string theory in particular I was pissed that I didn't understand most of the things they were talking about. This book helped in a way, but introduced a ton of new material i wasn't familiar with. There were some explanations of things that were pretty mindblowing, like the size difference between an atom and a string; overall I had 50-60 "WTF" moments where I could not comprehend a single thing.. like "spacetime foam" and how to make wormholes. I had to take a lot of notes to go do further research to find explanations for these things. And this is an introductory book! Very interesting stuff though.
February 16, 2010
Provides a decent introduction about the Relativity Theory, Quantum physics, time, black holes (interesting explanations about what might be inside them), Big Bang; dotting with some visual examples allowing the reader to understand. After that it goes, not to deeply, in to the String Theory itself, also mentioning its competing theory - Quantum Loop Gravity. The author is careful to remark these are 'in development' theories which still might not be enough to find a unifying theory that explains all.
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