Product Description
In this extraordinarily accessible and enormously witty book, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman guides us on a fascinating tour of the history of particle physics. The book takes us from the Greeks' earliest scientific observations through Einstein and beyond in an inspiring celebration of human curiosity. It ends with the quest for the Higgs boson, nicknamed the God Particle, which scientists hypothesize will help unlock the last secrets of the subatomic universe. With a new preface by Lederman, The God Particle will leave you marveling at our continuing pursuit of the infinitesimal.

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 42 reviews)

It's NOT about God- and Quantum Mysticism is Wrong

The book is a wonderful read of contemporary physics, but is out of date. I still give it 5 stars because the author clearly explains why books by Zukav, Capra and others, which are often used to argue that quantum physics explains how the mind affects the universe, or how the universe affects the mind, are fundamentally flawed - misunderstandings that abound in New Age metaphysics. Actually, it's easier to ground New Age theory in neuroscience (see Newberg's Born to Believe: God, Science, and the Origin of Ordinary and Extraordinary Beliefs. Although there is some intriguing evidence that our thoughts (although it's probably our body temperature since we find no evidence of thoughts transcending the brain) may have minute effects on the environment. But the emphasis is on the word "minute."
August 25, 2008

As elusive in this book as in the real world

As with most physics books we get a history lesson of the long road of discoveries that has led up to our current point in research, in this case the higgs boson. The history section is probably one of the best written in physics books but unfortunately that's not why I had read the book. The section that actually concerns the title of the book is actually pretty small. The second part of the book is more concerned with the authors history with Fermi lab, winning the nobel prize, interesting anecdotes and some friendships with other physicists. The God particle subject is very elusive in this book, as it is in the real world.
August 24, 2008

Quantum Physics a 'la Henny Youngman

So where is it written that a science book can't be illuminating, factual, current as well as historical, accurate and with some comedic relief?? My favorite line paraphrased: "Why did we title this book, The God Particle? Because, the publishers wouldn't let us call it The Goddamn Particle!" I sincerely hope someday he finds his Higgs Boson. A very interesting work, enjoy it!
August 15, 2008

Slow Pace, Ineffective Humor

The book was not effective for me, for a handful of reasons.

1. To begin with, I found the book slow-paced (it takes more than a third of the book to get to the discovery of the electron).

2. The authors' attempt at humor doesn't work for me. Example: "Nature uses these combinations, called molecules, to build planets, suns, viruses, mountations, paychecks, Valium, literary agents..." It's just not funny for me.

3. The authors labor under the impression that the reader will both hate any math and not be able to understand it. Their attempt to explain a formula such as F=ma is to spell it out in words: "Eff equals em ay."

4. The amount of material actually devoted to the God Particle (Higgs boson) is extremely small.

5. There are many topics that would be improved with artwork at the level of a Scientific American article, but the only pieces of artwork in the whole book are a diagram of an American football play and a childish map that leads us from Democritus to Burger King.

June 13, 2008

I wish physics was this funny when I studied it

The cover of the book had a caption that read: The funniest book about physics ever written. Immediately springing to mind was the question, how many funny books on physics are there? Well, the cover of the book was correct. Professor Lederman, a Nobel Prize winner, managed to combine a detailed yet clear presentation of physics with a keen sense of humor. His disdain for theoretical physicists was actually quite funny. Lederman covered the history of physics, from the ancient Greeks up to modern times. While the book is a little outdated now (it was written in 1993) Lederman did update the preface in 2006. The only time that I got bogged down was when Lederman was discussing his own experiments. I feel that the book could have used more illustrations, particularly about particle accelerators. However, the web site http://particleadventure.org/ was very useful in clearing up much of my confusion. This book was well worth the investment of time and I was sad when I finished the book. I felt as if I were leaving an old friend and mentor in Professor Lederman.
November 15, 2007

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe
by Leon M. Lederman, Christopher T. Hill

The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
by Brian Greene

Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics
by Bruce A. Schumm

The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
by Lee Smolin

Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the Struggle for the Soul of Science
by David Lindley