Anyone read "Fabric of the Cosmos" yet?

[Chaotic42]

Amazon.com link

It's freaking #2 on their list. That's pretty amazing.

I'm on Chapter 12 now, about 70% done with the book. It's good, but he tries to use waaaaay too many analogies. Like comparing Higgs fields to a frog in a frying pan....

All in all, I'm enjoying it. I wonder if there will be another 3 hour long film about this book?

 

[TheChort]

I did read Greene's other book,
"The Elegant Universe"

It was good, but like you said, too many analogies. Especially when he gets to the more complex stuff like 9 dimensions, his analogies sometimes confuse, because while you are trying to understand the new concept, at the same time, you are trying to balance the wierd analogies as well.

 

[iamme]

i heard Briane Greene on NPR talking about String Theory. very interesting stuff. he did a really good job explaining stuff in layman's terms, so i'm sure his book is a good read.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: iamme
i heard Briane Greene on NPR talking about String Theory. very interesting stuff. he did a really good job explaining stuff in layman's terms, so i'm sure his book is a good read.

It's a good book. I just wish it were more technical. I've read 3 books that cover string theory (including a big 400 pager devoted to it), 2 books that cover twistor/spinor theory, and one that covers Quantum Loop Gravity.

I need something more advanced than "Fabric of the Cosmos" but not as insane as a thesis paper on M-Theory.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: iamme
i heard Briane Greene on NPR talking about String Theory. very interesting stuff. he did a really good job explaining stuff in layman's terms, so i'm sure his book is a good read.

It's a good book. I just wish it were more technical. I've read 3 books that cover string theory (including a big 400 pager devoted to it), 2 books that cover twistor/spinor theory, and one that covers Quantum Loop Gravity.

I need something more advanced than "Fabric of the Cosmos" but not as insane as a thesis paper on M-Theory.

how tehcnical is it? i remember nothing from high school physics, but wouldn't mind reading "Fabric of the Cosmos" if it were easy enough to follow.

 

[edro]

I am currently reading Elegant Universe, but I am going really slow (not much time to read lately). After I am done, I will get his new book.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: iamme
how tehcnical is it? i remember nothing from high school physics, but wouldn't mind reading "Fabric of the Cosmos" if it were easy enough to follow.

Aside from the footnotes (and it has a buuuunch of footnotes), it's not technical at all. As long as you are somewhat familiar with physics (I mean like you know who Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking are), then you'll be ok.

At $17, it's not much of a risk.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: iamme
how tehcnical is it? i remember nothing from high school physics, but wouldn't mind reading "Fabric of the Cosmos" if it were easy enough to follow.

Aside from the footnotes (and it has a buuuunch of footnotes), it's not technical at all. As long as you are somewhat familiar with physics (I mean like you know who Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and Stephen Hawking are), then you'll be ok.

At $17, it's not much of a risk.

cool, thanks.

so between Fabric of the Cosmos and Elegant Universe, which would you recommend reading first?

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: iamme
cool, thanks.

so between Fabric of the Cosmos and Elegant Universe, which would you recommend reading first?

Well, I've only *seen* the Elegant Universe DVD (3 hour set), but if the book is anything like the movie, I think I'd read "Cosmos" first. "Elegant Universe the Documentary" deals almost completely with String Theory, while "Cosmos" devotes 2 chapters (IIRC) to it.

 

[Chaotic42]

Bump for science lovers.