String weary

THIS is like two books in one. The first is a technical overview of the mathematical structure of the standard model of particle physics. The second is a highly readable look at the sociology of string theory. In the end, Woit ties the two together in one fell swoop by suggesting that physicists should search for answers in the unexplored symmetries of the standard model, rather than in strings. Woit is taking a shot at the string theory clique, but this book is more than that – it is a call to arms for physicists to pursue multiple paths in…