The Particle at the End of the Universe

May 1, 2013

While the print version of this book was very well received, the audiobook will likely have a smaller audience. Carroll (California Inst. of Technology) explains the concept of the Higgs Boson particle wonderfully; he also describes the search for the "God Particle" in an interesting manner that willhold the attention of the listener. Narrator Jonathan Hogan supports this writing with a calm, conversational reading style. VERDICT While the material is well presented, the prime drawback of this audiobook is the 10.75-hour listening time that will hold the attention of only those truly interested in the topic. ["A readable and well-researched chronicle of this century's biggest event in physics, with some explanation of the science itself," read the review of the Dutton hc, LJ 1/13.--Ed.]--Eric D. Albright, Hirsh Health Sciences Lib., Tufts Univ., Boston

Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 24, 2012
With his trademark wit and lucidity, Carroll (From Eternity to Here) delivers the story of the search for the elusive Higgs boson—the Holy Grail of particle physics—which was finally discovered earlier in 2012. The tale, says Carroll, a theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology, is one of “money, politics, and jealousy” among scientists and nations seeking the prize. The Higgs boson is not an atomic particle; it’s part of the Higgs field that pervades the universe and gives atomic particles their mass. The quest for the elusive particle required a cutting-edge tool: the massive, complex Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. Carroll takes readers inside the collider’s 17-mile ring, where protons zoom around at ultrahigh speeds to smash together, revealing telltale signs of the boson. Along the way Carroll introduces researchers like Mike Lamont, the LHC’s “Mister Scott”; engineer Lyn Evans, the man who built the LHC; and Fabiola Gianotti, one of the top women scientists in the world. Whether explaining complex physics like field theory and symmetry or the workings of particle accelerators, Carroll’s clarity and unbridled enthusiasm reveal the pure excitement of discovery as much as they illuminate the facts. Illus.