The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality Summary and Reviews

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
by Brian Greene

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
List Price: $16.95
Our Price: $9.18
You Save: $7.77 (46%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $2.55 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Brian Greene
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-02-08
ISBN: 0375727205
Number of pages: 592
Publisher: Vintage
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780375727207
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality

Book Review: "The Entropic Arrow Of Time Is Double-Headed."
Summary: 4 Stars

My educational background is largely in biology and chemistry, but I have always found physics the most intriguing of the sciences. I have studied and read a lot of physics books over the years, and having seen Brian Greene discuss some of the more confusing of the subjects in this book on television, was immediately convinced that I must read "The Fabric of the Cosmos". I truly applaud Greene's effort to produce such a comprehensive, up to date, and comprehensible book with no mathematics to speak of.

The book is largely a success, and covers the history of physics and physical thought, and brings the reader all the way through a groundbreaking explanation of string theory and M-theory. The book is quite well written and is generally easy to follow. I appreciated especially his explanations of the conflicts between general relativity and quantum mechanics, and the potential that string theory has in regards to a unified theory. I was somewhat unconvinced by his arguments about the symmetry of entropy in spacetime, though to be fair, I am unconvinced by some of Boltzmann's thinking on the issue, which is the ultimate origin of the philosophical predicament. Regardless of this and similar minor issues, I think most discussions are quite lucid and relatively logical and easy to follow.

The book falls down in a couple of ways: though relatively easy to read, it is extremely long. I have no problems with a lengthy tome, but this book sometimes labors under myriad examples and analogies which become redundant and very monotonous to read. Perhaps, for instance, the seemingly endless discussion of Newton's spinning bucket of water warranted a couple of pages, but here it just went on and on. The book could have been equally lucid and grasped just as well with many fewer extended analogies. It's obvious that Mr. Greene loves certain shows on television, as seemingly endless references to "The Simpsons" and "The X-Files" are common throughout the book. I hated this cutesy touch.

I happen to like math, but its absence here is wise as the book would obviously reach far fewer people if mathematical reasoning was added to the already cumbersomely long text. I did very much appreciate the notes in the back of the book which were very useful and delved somewhat deeper into subjects discussed in the text. On balance I recommend the book to people who want a basic introduction to historical and current physical thought, and who don't mind a degree of redundancy in the text.

Astronomy Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Astronomy Books
Upper Atmosphere Models and Research ImageUpper Atmosphere Models and Research
by Michael J. Rycroft
Pergamon Pr; Published: 1989-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $89.00
Lunar Science: Index, 1970-78: Conference Proceedings ImageLunar Science: Index, 1970-78: Conference Proceedings
by Amanda R Masterson
Pergamon Press; Published: 1979-11; Hardcover; Book
Titius-Bode Law of Planetary Distances: Its History and Theory (Monographs in Natural Philosophy) ImageTitius-Bode Law of Planetary Distances: Its History and Theory (Monographs in Natural Philosophy)
by Michael Martin Nieto
Pergamon Press; Published: 1972-08-17; Hardcover; Book
Elements of Literature, 6th Course: Literature of Britain with World Classics ImageElements of Literature, 6th Course: Literature of Britain with World Classics
by Jay Pasachoff
Holt, Rinehart and Winston; Published: 2000-10; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $47.00
The Jupiter Effect ImageThe Jupiter Effect
by John Gribbin, Isaac Asimov
HarperCollins Publishers; Published: 1977-02-28; Paperback; Book
Best price: $372.87
Planetary System - Textbook Only ImagePlanetary System - Textbook Only
by David Morrison
Addison-Wesley Longman, Incorporated; Published: 2003; Paperback; Book
Best price: $317.36
Night Sky (Collins Watch Guide) ImageNight Sky (Collins Watch Guide)
by Liz (ed) Bourne
Harpercollins Pub Ltd; Published: 1999-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $83.01
The Universe in a Nutshell ImageThe Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen William Hawking
Baker and Taylor; Bantam; Published: 2001-11-06; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $9.99
Price in other shops: $35.00
The Cambridge Star Atlas ImageThe Cambridge Star Atlas
by Wil Tirion
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2001-03-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $132.93
A Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science ImageA Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science
by Michael S. Schneider
HarperPerennial; Published: 1995-09-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: $18.99
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Cosmology: The Science of the Universe ImageCosmology: The Science of the Universe
by Edward Harrison
Cambridge University Press; Published: 2000-03-28; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $79.99
Price in other shops: $110.00
Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos ImageParallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
by Michio Kaku
Anchor; Published: 2006-02-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.85
Price in other shops: $16.00
Hyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimens ion ImageHyperspace: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimens ion
by Michio Kaku
Anchor; Published: 1995-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.00
Price in other shops: $16.00
Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel ImagePhysics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
by Michio Kaku
Baker and Taylor; Anchor; Published: 2009-04-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.75
Price in other shops: $15.95
Icarus at the Edge of Time ImageIcarus at the Edge of Time
by Brian Greene
Knopf; Published: 2008-09-02; Board book; Book
Best price: $8.48
Price in other shops: $19.95
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos ImageThe Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
by Brian Greene
Knopf; Published: 2011-01-25; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.87
Price in other shops: $29.95
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory ImageThe Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
by Brian Greene
PBS; Vintage Books; Published: 2000-02-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.94
Price in other shops: $16.00
Nova: Fabric of the Cosmos ImageNova: Fabric of the Cosmos
Nova; Release date: 2011-11-22; DVD
Best price: $14.85
Price in other shops: $29.99
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos (Vintage) ImageThe Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos (Vintage)
by Brian Greene
Vintage; Published: 2011-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.30
Price in other shops: $16.95
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Vintage) ImageThe Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (Vintage)
by Brian Greene
Vintage Books; Published: 2000-02-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.18
Price in other shops: $16.00