The Theory of Almost Everything

August 1, 2005
The Standard Model of Elementary Particles (the "Standard Model" to those in the know) can explain nearly everything from the workings of the sun to the structure of, say, a garbage can, but it can't explain gravity, which is why physicists still have jobs. Oerter, in this highly accessible volume, explains the Standard Model to the everyman, using literary references and easy-to-follow analogies to make clear mind-bending physics principles. Subatomic particles got you down? Think about a BB gun and a Nerf ball. String theory? Why, it's similar to a guitar, of course. Oerter concedes "the Theory of Almost Everything has major deficiencies," especially in light of the recently discovered dark matter and dark energy, and physicists are closer than ever to discovering the Theory of Everything that will supplant the Standard Model, but this relentlessly informative and digestible primer on just about everything should appease armchair scientists in the meantime.