As the world enters what many consider to be the golden age of cosmology, physicist Brian Greene once again explores the secrets of the universe in an accessible new book that even the non-scientist can appreciate. The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality focuses on the search for the physicist’s holy grail—a unified theory of the universe that works from the grandest of scales to the most minute.
Greene’s first book, The Elegant Universe, a bestseller and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, inspired a PBS series that aired last fall. As a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University and an expert in string theory, he works on cutting-edge developments in particle and theoretical physics. The Fabric of the Cosmos focuses on recent advances toward attaining a unified theory of the universe and offers an overview of the historical paths taken so far to reach that goal.
It is no small task to relay ideas about the flow of time, relativity and quantum theory in a book that contains no equations, outlandishly technical terms or far-fetched reasoning. Greene’s passion for his subject allows him to accomplish these feats using only superbly written explanations, excellent illustrations and simple analogies that use such objects as a bucket of water and Bart Simpson’s skateboard.
By using science’s past accomplishments and failures as a foundation, The Fabric of the Cosmos allows the reader to understand immensely complex issues like the inflation of the universe and the 11 dimensions of superstring theory. And best of all, Greene shows patience for the reader who may be struggling to visualize subatomic particles or the strings of energy that compose them.
With additional notes for each chapter and a complete glossary, this book can bring readers up to date on the research into the forces that shaped our universe.
Coy Martin is a writer in Nashville.
