Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to String Theory

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a very well written book, easy to read, flows very well from topic to topic, doesn't spend too much time on any single area and has excellent coverage.
This book is for you if:
-You are looking for a good overview of the challenges that String theory is trying to solve
-You are not interested in a book of Math formula's (there is no math) or a book that just reprints the theory
-You are interested in a balanced view including discussions of alternative theories (it mostly covers String theory but it does highlight how other theories deal with the problem) as opposed to bashing other theories
-You have read several other books but still don't see the big picture
-You are not interested in a history lesson on how great the author is and all of his friends and all the other guys are nuts
Hope this helps

A chunk of the book covers relativity.
Quantum mechanics is presented with its incompatibilities.
With these formalities over with, string theory is discussed.

There are some difficulties here.
Profound conclusions are presented without much background.
The conflicting view points get tiresome.
There is not much of a climax at the end.
But these problems are inherent to the subject matter.

The digressions and historical bits are always interesting.
The endless analogies to everyday life are better than you would expect.
There is a joy about the audacity of the subject which comes through.

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 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 Polchinski and Witten.

I give it my highest rating. The title is misleading because it is more about the connection of relativity, quantum mechanics and string theory. For those who have read Brian Greene's books, this is a excellent supplement. It is a must read if Greene's books may have left you wanting more explanations and examples.

..as a part of a title. Idiots do not read such books. I may say, you will like this easy to follow review of relativity, QM, the Standard Model, the possibility of time travel, and more. Then explore alternatives to string theory. All this conveyed in everyday, even breezy, language. The next few years will be critical for string theory. LHC will begin to smash particles into bits to see what they are made of and give new types a chance to form. But finishing the job will probably require new conceptual input , as author indicates. Good quick read ..from micro to large scale cosmology.

This is an extremely good introduction to a very complicated subject that will be of great use to those with limited knowledge of string theory and, more generally, high-energy physics. The book successfully gives a conceptual description of a somewhat esoteric area of physics without the requirement of a mathematical background. Readers of the book will come away with a good understanding of cutting-edge physics, including Relativity, Quantum Mechanics, the Standard Model, Grand Unified Theories and Supersymmetry, all of which are relevant to experiments currently being performed at the Large Hadron Collider. Readers will also learn how these topics are related to string theory and how everything fits together. The book does a good job of presenting information in a pedagogical manner building from the simpler concepts up to the discussion of string theory. Thus, the reader gains a clear picture of where our current knowledge stands and the problems that still need to be addressed. The book accomplishes this without getting lost in a discussion of rather exotic things like parallel universes and extra dimensions, although the reader will see how such concepts arise in string theory. The book also gives a discussion of the current 'controversy' over string theory which has played out in popular books and blogs in recent years. Overall, this is an excellent starter book for anyone who wants to get a basic picture of string theory. If one wants to gain a deeper understanding, one can move on from this book to one of the more technical treatments available.

Having some experience with this subject, I purchased this book to fill in gaps in knowledge I have about the "current state" of String Theory among physicists. The part that needs improvement is the "In The Loop" sections, that are supposed to give information about the physicists who are writing about the current state of study on the subject. It may only be the academic in me, but I wish the author had provided dates on the material included in "In the Loop" simply because it would give a clearer picture of where the reader is in spacetime when reading this book. ...since it is about spacetime and all...

I would however recommend it for a great introduction to get one thinking about this exciting, emerging field that may well provide the Big Answer we as a people have been searching for since general relativity shook up the apple cart, so to speak.

The Five: The Law of Unintended Consequences

For those of us not toiling in the field of string theory and physics, the complexity of "Complete Idiots Guide to String Theory" is just enough to comprehend the incomprehensible. There is a large group out there, myself included, that are what I call "Frustrated Physicist Wannabes". We follow the advancements and depend on excellent writers like George Musser to explain what our minds would otherwise be incapable of understanding.
I recently published a futuristic high tech thriller and the primary technology in my novel was an advanced fictional form of String Theory. I researched for months and half of that time was spent just trying understand the plethora of internet information that is out there. I down
loaded all of the Elegant Universe and Dr. Michio Kaku videos from YouTube. There was so much information out there; some websites were very complex and some overly simplistic. I never fully developed my understanding of String Theory until I read this book.
It was not until after I published my novel that I became aware of George Musser's Complete Idiots Guide to String Theory. Talk about bad timing.
Mr. Musser has a rare talent that most high tech fiction writers should be envious of. He has that rare ability to explain a highly complex subject with clarity and in a manner that most people are able to understand. A fiction writer can over simplify a complex topic and justify just about anything with the explanation that his writing can't be too complex because he/she is writing for people that really do not have the desire to deal with the complexity, but just want the most basic explanation.

Thank you Mr. Musser for a great book.

Thomas Roberts

This audacious little book has earned a place on my nightstand as a joy to re-read. The clever examples and illustrations reflect a passion for conveying the broad shape of physics concepts as rightly as is possible without mathematical detail. These concepts are wrapped in an engaging narrative which frames their historical development. If you have room on your nightstand for some string theory (and don't mind the title) you won't be disappointed. I have enjoyed re-reading this book again and again.

how could i resist? my education/degrees are in biophysics, so there's a lot i've missed out on. fascinating to read and learn and not over the top in levels of difficulty.
take a chance!