Gravity

"Although by far the feeblest of the four universal forces, gravity is the only one we experience continuously. Every inquisitive person should read a book about it, preferably this one . . . Clegg's skills never flag and his account remains lucid and free of jargon, bad jokes, and math phobia."—Kirkus (starred review)

"Gravity is one of the most accepted laws of science. Drop an object and it falls to earth because of the attraction between the earth and the object. What alerts the earth and the object to act? Is there a sort of communication between them? Theoretical physicists have struggled to explain gravitational attraction over distance since Einstein posed his theories of special and general relativity. Quantum theory, string theory, M theory, and other theoretical inquiries have failed to solve the riddle. In his history of gravity from the Big Bang to the present, popular science author Clegg recounts international efforts to understand what is thought to be the weakest yet most essential force holding the universe together. Black holes, warps in space and time, and antimatter are featured in this wide-ranging account, which will be of interest to science students and readers of science fiction."—Rick Roche, Booklist

"Clegg's accessible presentation offers insight into everything from Aristotelian science to black holes and string theory as it reveals the complexities and surprise of a familiar force that continues to surprise scientists."—Publishers Weekly