4/5 stars

What's it about? Brian Greene (elegantly, dare I say?) explains superstring theory, its potential to solve the conflict between quantum mechanics and general relativity, and the history of scientific discovery behind these theories.

How’d I find it? I’ve had this book on my shelves for at least ten years, as evidenced by where I found it: Books for America, a wonderful but long-gone used bookstore in Washington, DC.

Who will enjoy this book? If you enjoy popular science à la Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carlo Rovelli, you’ll appreciate The Elegant Universe.

What stood out? This is physics made approachable, a feat achieved by visuals, Greene’s enthusiasm, and many a metaphor to buoy readers through the more abstract concepts. Garden hoses will remind me of multiple dimensions forevermore. And like any good popular science book that focuses on astrophysics, The Elegant Universe gives the people what they want: a chapter on black holes.

Which line made me feel something? The descriptions of scale in this book make the mind wobble: “a black hole whose mass is about three times that of the sun has a temperature of about a hundred-millionth of a degree above absolute zero.”