NATIONAL BESTSELLER Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize A new edition of the iconic bestseller that introduced legions to modern physics and the quest for the ultimate understanding of the cosmos, featuring a new preface and epilogue. With a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as graceful as the theories it so deftly explains, The Elegant Universe remains the unrivaled account of the modern search for the deepest laws of nature: “a standard that will be hard to beat” (George Johnson, New York Times Book Review). In this new 25th anniversary edition, renowned physicist and author Brian Greene—“the single best explainer of abstruse concepts in the world today” (Washington Post)—updates his classic work with a new preface and epilogue summarizing the significant theoretical and experimental developments over the past quarter-century. From established science, including relativity and quantum mechanics, to the cutting edge of thinking on black holes, string theory, and quantum gravity, The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated thoroughly accessible and entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to comprehending how the universe works.

The international bestseller that inspired a major Nova special and sparked a new understanding of the universe. Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away layers of mystery to reveal a universe that consists of eleven dimensions, where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter—from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas—is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy. The Elegant Universe makes some of the most sophisticated concepts ever contemplated accessible and thoroughly entertaining, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Introduces the superstring theory that attempts to unite general relativity and quantum mechanics

This ground-breaking and provocative book presents new and astonishing interpretations of ancient history, mythology and world religions that will call many established beliefs into question. In Gateway of the Gods, author Craig Hines invites readers to reconsider preconceived notions concerning Biblical theology in light of recent scientific discoveries and inquiries concerning the nature of the universe. This fascinating exploration reveals a number of ideas that have been suppressed and obscured behind layers of symbolism and misguided propaganda for thousands of years... until now. Why is it that so many world cultures share details of an event when fallen angels descended upon the earth and fathered hybrid offspring called the Nephilim? Is it possible that these beings used "gateway" technology housed within pyramids and holy temples to travel between the heavenly and earthly realms? Do the latest advances in theoretical physics lend credibility to the idea that otherworldly beings might reside in dimensions parallel to our own? Do the recorded voices of the "dead," known as Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP), indicate that we may be able to communicate with these other realms? Was a secret message embedded within ancient texts that could only be revealed after we have attained the knowledge and technology necessary to understand it? Does this message offer a solution to the approaching environmental disaster that scientists warn will be more devastating to human civilization than any others in recorded history? Drawing from a variety of historical sources and years of meticulous research, the author weaves together a compelling argument involving a range of seemingly disparate topics that when considered together, formulate a radically new narrative concerning the history and destiny of the human race.

Honor is misunderstood in the social sciences. The literature lacks both accuracy and precision in its conceptual development such that we no longer say what we mean because we have no idea what we’re saying. We use many terms to mean honor and mean many different ideas when we refer to honor. Honor: A Phenomenology is designed to fix all of these problems. A ground-breaking examination of honor as a metaphenomenon, this book incorporates various structures of social control including prestige, face, shame and affiliated honor and the rejection of said structures by dignified individuals and groups. It shows honor to be a concept that encompasses a number of processes that operate together in order to structure society. Honor is how we are inscribed with social value by others and the means by which we inscribe others with social honor. Because it is the means by which individuals fit in and function with society, the main divisions internal (within the psyche of the individual and external (within the norms and institutions of society). Honor is the glue that holds groups together and the wedge that forces them apart; it defines who is us and who them. It accounts for the continuity and change in socio-political systems.

Have you ever wondered how the universe began? Growing up, Brian Greene's father taught him to think about the world in different ways. Greene was curious about how it all worked. He set out to find answers to big science questions. At Harvard University, Greene studied physics and was named a Rhodes Scholar, an honor only the most gifted students receive. He was fascinated by the new theories explaining the universe, but he wanted to share his fascination with everyone, not just with fellow scientists. He started writing books and offering free lectures to help ordinary people understand complex ideas. Soon, he was even appearing on TV. Follow Greene's path from curious kid to celebrity scientist.

The Quantum University begins with an analysis of the current state of higher education organizational structure and leadership based on classical scientific approaches. It then focuses briefly why the classical approaches are inappropriate for human organization, such as universities. From this baseline, the book shares descriptions of quantum physics, ecology, chaos theory, and other newer sciences. These sciences provide us important lessons for how we run our universities. These new sciences are a much cleaner fit and metaphor for our institutional structures and leadership models. The Quantum University finishes with a thorough investigation of what a new university structure would look like and the type of leadership it would need. Each chapter is accompanied with a guest essay written by different practitioners from across the nation. In addition, each chapter shares a fictitious story of “Leslie.” She is a new board of trustee member and struggles with her leadership role. By the end of the book, her insights have provided a new direction not only for herself, but also for the university.

If heaven will be coming to the third planet from the sun, then where will hell or the lake of fire be? This question will be increasingly asked as the final judgment of humankind approaches. Places of loss and banishment will be away from paradisical Earth. Dr. Santini, a minister and retired aerospace engineer who has worked on top secret space projects, argues that just as heaven will be on a renewed Earth, hell will also be a physically real place—and it could be on Venus or a distant exoplanet. In this book, he investigates the interactive nature of the eternal spiritual realm with the domain of our planetary existence. He provides evidence for the fusing of the seen and unseen worlds by exploring the fundamental properties of the universe, which include space, time, matter, and energy. By revealing correlations between the Bible and science, the author deduces the ultimate destiny for saved and unsaved humanity could be within the universe, providing a new perspective on life after death.

The Butterfly Effect: Flutters of Wisdom and Kindness accentuates the compelling need for random acts of kindness. Each reader of this book can remember someone from his or her past who has made an indelible influence on his or her life. A random act of kindness can resonate with goodness for each person who participates in favor. Unfortunately, other types of acts can have an opposite effect. This work contains hundreds of “flutters” of wisdom and kindness from an eclectic composition of sources from Aristotle to Emile Zola, from Plato to Rudyard Kipling, from Booker T. Washington to Leo Tolstoy, Karl Marx to Janis Joplin. This work attempts to synthesize different thought and observations from people, past and present, from different cultures of east and west that will indicate that we all share an impetus to a common goal . . . if we help each other. Though this may be deemed a work of scholarship, it is presented in non-scholarship terms. Though the subject matters (philosophy, sex, religion, and politics) are matters of gravitas, the answers can be quite simple, if we permit them to be. This is not a “how to” book. Each person has the sovereign right to determine his or her destiny. Nevertheless, interesting and controversial points are covered so that each person may make a more informed choice about how to determine well-being. If the reader pledges to help another, thousands of others will be pledging to help the reader. A Zen Buddhist koan asks, “How does the drop of water know it is part of a wave?” A drop always has a ripple. A flutter of kindness or wisdom can shake the world.

A new cultural icon strode the world stage at the turn of the twenty-first century: the celebrity scientist, as comfortable in Vanity Fair and Vogue as Smithsonian. Declan Fahy profiles eight of these eloquent, controversial, and compelling sellers of science to investigate how they achieved celebrity in the United States and internationally—and explores how their ideas influence our understanding of the world. Fahy traces the career trajectories of Richard Dawkins, Stephen Hawking, Steven Pinker, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Greene, Stephen Jay Gould, Susan Greenfield, and James Lovelock. He demonstrates how each scientist embraced the power of promotion and popularization to stimulate thinking, impact policy, influence research, drive controversies, and mobilize social movements. He also considers critical claims that they speak beyond their expertise and for personal gain. The result is a fascinating look into how celebrity scientists help determine what it means to be human, the nature of reality, and how to prepare for society’s uncertain future.