The Elegant Universe

The author, who is used to lecturing to the general public on scientific matters, attempts to explain the difficult subjects of relativity, gravity, small-particle physics, and string theory. His goal of making these ideas understandable to most readers is a lofty one, when even experts in mathematical physics find the obtuse concepts challenging. The author narrates the introduction, and Erik Davies handles the remainder. Davies's greatest contribution to aid comprehension comes from his conversational ease and flawless ability to pronounce the complicated technical vocabulary. Hearing him inhale before each sentence becomes a little annoying, but the distraction isn't fatal. The value of the production comes not from trying to understand every idea but from being exposed to the forefront of today's technical thinking. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine