false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166254348m/10638.jpg 10638 7 If Albert Einstein were alive, he would have a copy of <I>The Road to Reality</I> on his bookshelf. So would Isaac Newton. This may be the most complete mathematical explanation of the universe yet published, and Roger Penrose richly deserves the accolades he will receive for it. That said, let us be perfectly clear: this is not an easy book to read. The number of people in the world who can understand <I>everything</I> in it could probably take a taxi together to Penrose's next lecture. Still, math-friendly readers looking for a substantial and possibly even thrillingly difficult intellectual experience should pick up a copy (carefully--it's over a thousand pages long and weighs nearly 4 pounds) and start at the beginning, where Penrose sets out his purpose: to describe "the search for the underlying principles that govern the behavior of our universe." Beginning with the deceptively simple geometry of Pythagoras and the Greeks, Penrose guides readers through the fundamentals--the incontrovertible bricks that hold up the fanciful mathematical structures of later chapters. From such theoretical delights as complex-number calculus, Riemann surfaces, and Clifford bundles, the tour takes us quickly on to the nature of spacetime. The bulk of the book is then devoted to quantum physics, cosmological theories (including Penrose's favored ideas about string theory and universal inflation), and what we know about how the universe is held together. For physicists, mathematicians, and advanced students, <I>The Road to Reality</I> is an essential field guide to the universe. For enthusiastic amateurs, the book is a project to tackle a bit at a time, one with unimaginable intellectual rewards. <I>--Therese Littleton</I> 1077395 book 2004 The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe total:164|5:50|4:77|3:31|2:3|1:3| 164 660 501 45 5 2 false false Fri Jun 27 13:53:20 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 27 13:54:01 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Thu Feb 05 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Feb 05 06:02:40 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 09 07:28:01 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 1 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Sep 17 21:39:30 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 28 10:15:08 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 1 false false Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Tue Aug 21 01:58:34 -0700 2007 Tue Aug 21 02:18:14 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 11:04:48 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 11:11:28 -0800 2009
I usually fly through books, and have no problem understanding them. Not this one. Over a year after I first cracked it, I am finally done. I am amazed by the rigor of this work. In fact, I can say that I “sort of” understand the ma...more...]]> 0 1 false false Sat Apr 19 14:32:30 -0700 2008 Sun Nov 15 12:19:39 -0800 2009
The famed mathematician devotes several pages to discussing the addition of fractions then breezes through holomorphic f...more...]]> 4 1 false false Fri Sep 07 07:07:15 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 07 07:08:32 -0700 2007 5 0 true false Sun Nov 16 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sun Oct 19 08:42:00 -0700 2008 Mon Nov 17 17:04:23 -0800 2008 0.5
Having said that ...more...]]> 1 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jul 29 19:41:14 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 19:43:27 -0700 2009 5 1 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Sun Dec 09 12:38:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jun 17 06:08:18 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Thu Mar 26 08:10:28 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 27 02:05:24 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 10 00:02:04 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 00:03:26 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Jul 09 23:59:30 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 10 00:03:51 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 29 13:20:15 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 02 18:09:43 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Nov 18 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 09 12:24:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 09 12:25:23 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Mon Jul 06 19:17:26 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 08:16:46 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Aug 21 08:11:31 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 07 08:38:56 -0700 2007 more...]]> 0 0 false false Tue Jul 14 14:12:15 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 14:12:47 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed May 27 03:01:10 -0700 2009 Wed May 27 03:01:32 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue May 26 14:11:25 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 14:11:47 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=10638