Beyond Einstein: The Cosmic Quest for the Theory of the Universe

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.


Promising, but unsatisfying   October 28, 1997
5 out of 6 found this review helpful

One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?


good but lacks depth   September 13, 1997
1 out of 2 found this review helpful

after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.