Some of the greatest mysteries of the physical universe are explained in Brian Greene’s book, The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory, published in 2000. This work is an attempt to unlock the deepest secrets of the complex world around us.

PBS has produced a series titled “The Elegant Universe” for those who are interested in string theory but may not have the time or desire to read the book. (The first episode is embedded below.)

The book begins with a thorough description of special relativity, general relativity and quantum mechanics. Greene, who is professor of mathematics and physics at Columbia University, provides a very unique and easy-to-understand explanation of each. His examples accurately describe and prove these fundamental building blocks of modern physics.

With the basics established, Greene then attempts to use these ideas to explain more complex concepts, focused around the idea of string theory. He stops using creative examples and stories to describe the difficult ideas, as the ideas begin to be too intricate for simple analogies.

Since I am an avid reader of popular science, I expected a lot from this book. I hoped it would be a great opportunity to understand the complex idea of string theory. However, I felt like my hopes had not quite been fulfilled.

If I could separate this book into two sections, the first section would easily receive five stars. It explains a vast number of difficult subjects with simple analogies and stories that not only entertain but inform. It provides a unique and well-planned explanation of general and special relativity and quantum mechanics.

In contrast, the second half of the book does not meet my expectations. Not only are there no analogies to help me understand the concepts, but all of the ideas that he proposes seem to lack sufficient evidence.

He would create the ideal situation in which string theory would provide adequate answers, and would not explain how physicists had come up with the solution. He seems to blindly lead the reader into any situation he wished without providing proof, hoping that the reader would not question it.

Though it is likely that the ideas presented in string theory are too advanced to adequately be described to a popular science reader, Greene does not attempt to explain any of it. I felt like I was cheated out of central ideas of physics that could be used to support string theory.

Despite the occasional lapse in clarity, this book proves to be very entertaining. Though the main purpose of the book is to inform, the stories and situations that Greene uses to explain his ideas kept me interested in what he had to say.

Another great thing about his book is that he does not assume that the reader will completely comprehend everything he writes. Instead, he repeats some concepts multiple times and tries to use wording that makes it easier for the reader to understand what he is attempting to prove.

Although there are a few problems with this book, I would still recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about the often surprising laws and theories of the universe.

The Elegant Universe costs about $16 and is available at most local bookstores or through Amazon.com. PBS has produced “The Elegant Universe,” a series based on Greene’s book, which is available on the PBS NOVA website.

For more book reviews, read the Sept. 15 article, ‘Mockingjay’ provides anticlimactic conclusion.

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