APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Feodor Chin’s smooth, unflagging, could-listen-to-it-forever voice makes palpable and even delectable the most austere and formidable of subjects—the mysteries of quantum physics, string theory, and the origins of time and matter. Author Michio Kaku gives us a complete history of physics and the great physicists in as accessible and concise a fashion as any layperson could ask for. Some of us may require a second or even third listen to get it all—if we ever can. But Chin is a narrator who wears well on repeated listening, and this narrative of a great mystery unfolding grows as step-by-step the mind absorbs it. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/04/2021
CUNY physics professor Kaku (The Future of Humanity: Our Destiny in the Universe) shines light on a theory that could “unravel the deepest mysteries of space and time” in this riveting work of popular science. Kaku’s focus is on string theory, which proposes that “the universe was not made of point particles but of tiny vibrating strings, with each note corresponding to a subatomic particle.” The theory, the author writes, offers answers to questions about time travel, wormholes, and parallel universes. Kaku provides a history of string theory, which “emerged accidentally” after a chance rediscovery of an 18th-century mathematician’s work in 1968, and breaks down the centuries-long quest for a definitive explanation of how all cosmic forces operate, including the discovery of atoms in ancient Greece, Newton’s work that proved symmetry is “one of our most powerful tools in unifying all forces of nature,” and Einstein’s discovery of general relativity. Kaku lauds string theory for having “seized the imagination of the world’s top scientists,” but still gives fair credit to pushback against it: “The most glaring problem is that, for all the press extolling the beauty and complexity of this theory, we have no solid, testable evidence.” Kaku’s expertise at making mind-bending concepts comprehensible makes this a real intellectual eye-opener. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
A SMITHSONIAN BEST SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR
“This is an excellent book written by a masterful science communicator. . . . If there is anyone who can demystify the esoteric mathematics and physics of string theory, it is [Kaku]. And in this wonderful little book, that is precisely what he does—explain in clear and simple terms the conceptual breakthroughs, the blind alleys and the unanswered questions—in the search for a grand unified theory of everything. . . . The God Equation dazzles. . . . Kaku, a consummate storyteller, provides an engaging, unvarnished account. . . . His book presents cutting-edge ideas in theoretical physics, and primes readers to be ready when the next major breakthrough occurs.” —The Wall Street Journal
"[Kaku writes] about science in clean, concise language. . . . A clear and engaging story of a difficult scientific quest." —Smithsonian Magazine
"Authoritative and accessible." —Nature
“Kaku eloquently reviews the structure of our universe, highlighting contributions from intellectual giants and those continuing the daunting, decades-long quest for the elusive theory of everything. . . . Examining this tantalizing theory, Kaku outlines its promises, problems, and the breathtaking, almost inconceivable array of possibilities it presents. Kaku's latest captures the awesome and mysterious beauty of the universe, of our planet, and of ourselves, and will intrigue anyone who ponders existence.” —Booklist
“Riveting. . . . Kaku’s expertise at making mind-bending concepts comprehensible makes this a real intellectual eye-opener.” —Publishers Weekly
“An expert account of the search for 'the holy grail of physics.' . . . Illuminating. . . . An important work.” —Kirkus Reviews
Library Journal
02/01/2021
For centuries, scientists have sought a single theory—preferably in concise mathematical form—that explains everything in the physical universe. Kaku (physics, City Univ. of New York; Hyperspace) returns to the subject he last addressed in the 1990s to review this history from Newtonian mechanics through electromagnetism to Einstein's work on relativity and gravity, which he was unsuccessful in unifying with quantum mechanics. Kaku then describes his field, string theory, and how it may hold the answer to unite all of the known natural forces, including gravity. When conveying a highly theoretical topic some sacrifices must be made: the few equations are relegated to the notes, and important concepts like "renormalization" seem to be hand-waved away as too mathematically difficult to describe. The author is convinced that string theory (or the related M-theory) will provide this Theory of Everything, but never offers a convincing scientific rationale why all of these physical forces must be unified under a single equation, or why it must be simple—other than an argument from elegance and parsimony. VERDICT Despite some flaws, this is a solid introduction to the topic, and physics novices may find that it whets their appetite for more.—Wade Lee-Smith, Univ. of Toledo Lib.
APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Feodor Chin’s smooth, unflagging, could-listen-to-it-forever voice makes palpable and even delectable the most austere and formidable of subjects—the mysteries of quantum physics, string theory, and the origins of time and matter. Author Michio Kaku gives us a complete history of physics and the great physicists in as accessible and concise a fashion as any layperson could ask for. Some of us may require a second or even third listen to get it all—if we ever can. But Chin is a narrator who wears well on repeated listening, and this narrative of a great mystery unfolding grows as step-by-step the mind absorbs it. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-01-07
An expert account of the search for “the holy grail of physics."
A veteran science writer, theoretical physicist, and lucid educator, Kaku wisely begins with ancient history, providing an illuminating minihistory of physics. Aristotle got science off on the wrong foot by proclaiming that everything in the universe has a purpose. Thus, objects fall because they yearn to unite with the Earth. Newton restored some order, mostly by taking metaphysics out of physics, and he contributed vital theories of gravity, motion, space, and light. Electromagnetism was a puzzle until the 19th century, when Faraday and Maxwell explained it. The 20th century began with Einstein’s theory of relativity, an unnerving but mathematically precise description of space, time, and gravity as it applies to the universe we experience. During the following decades, scientists fleshed out quantum theory, which illuminated the three other forms of energy besides gravity (electromagnetism, strong and weak force), and added a more unnerving but equally precise description of matter and forces at the subatomic level. The 1970s saw the first attempt at a theory of everything with the “standard model,” a dazzling achievement but still a flawed “patchwork.” Kaku shows why efforts to fix the standard model have failed so far and why the leading candidate is string theory. Saving the bad news till last, the author reaches strings in the final quarter of the book, and he communicates his enthusiasm more effectively than the mechanics of the theory, which propose that subatomic particles are not points but tiny loops whose vibrations produce all physical phenomena. Converting particles to strings was a good idea (physicists hate infinities), and string vibrations produce all forces, including gravity. Sadly, strings are infinitesimally (but not infinitely) small, and their vibrations, describable by complex math, don’t produce phenomena that scientists can test. Although a brilliant idea, no concrete evidence exists for the theory.
An important work about an ongoing quest that may befuddle those without a solid grounding in its scientific concepts.
