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The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?
 
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The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? [Paperback]

Leon Lederman (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)

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Paperback CDN $14.40   -- --
Paperback, Jan 1 1994 --   -- --

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From Publishers Weekly

The "God particle" of the title is Lederman's term for what other physicists call a Higgs boson--a hypothetical particle that might hold a key to the subatomic world of quarks and leptons. To find out if a Higgs boson indeed exists, this Nobel laureate in physics conceived of the Superconducting Super Collider, which, if constructed, would be the world's most powerful particle accelerator. Writing with Teresi (coauthor of The Three-Pound Universe ), Lederman first surveys moments of discovery from Newton to Einstein in a breezy, folksy style that can be annoying ("Galileo was an irascible sort of guy . . . . He could be a pain in the ass"). This style, however, serves the reader well when Lederman and Teresi enter the complexities of subatomic physics, clarifying the search for squarks and winos, grand unified theories, superstrings and dark matter. $100,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Nobel Laureate and physicist Lederman is funny, clever, entertaining, and highly accessible as he charts the course of experimental physics from 430 B.C. to the planned opening of the Superconducting Supercollider (SSC), of which he is one of the principal architects. This book might be seen, in fact, as a sort of advertisement for the SSC, answering as it does the question, What is the SSC for ? Even allowing for Lederman's open bias toward big physics, his book is a delight to read and absorb, far more accessible than most books about contemporary physics, because it is rooted in the experimental; the "God particle" of the title is the missing link of experimental physics, just as this book is the missing link between a complex world and the general reader. By contrast, Amit Goswami (physics, Univ. of Oregon) is interested in the metaphysical, or perhaps the meta-metaphysical. Drawing heavily on New Age and Eastern philosophical concepts, he attempts to demonstrate that the world as we know it is but a construct of human consciousness; mind, not matter, is the stuff of which we are made. Where Lederman explains for the delight of knowing, Goswami explains only to support his thesis, making for a much more abstract and strange book. All but the converted will find this heavy sledding. The books are thus not interchangeable: Lederman will appeal to those interested in learning about science and the physical world, Goswami to those seeking a hip confirmation of their own sense of self-enlightenment.
- Mark Shelton, Athens, Ohio
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

33 Reviews
5 star:
 (27)
4 star:
 (4)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I wish physics was this funny when I studied it, Feb 10 2008
By 
Steve G (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? (Paperback)
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.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars The God Particle, Sep 22 2009
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This review is from: The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? (Paperback)
Written by a nobel prize winner, this book offers both a review of basic physics and an introduction to modern physics. As someone who last took a physics course in 1961, I found it valuable, and would not hesitate to recommend it. Not at all dry, it's witty, involving, and gives an insider's look at many of the scientists who've been most influential in creating our modern age.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Read, Dec 3 2008
By 
Eric Boyer (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The God Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question? (Paperback)
This book is very interesting to read and provides a good introduction to the world of physics for someone who has no knowledge on the subject.
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