Higgs The invention and discovery of the 'god particle'

This is one of the first books of many, no doubt, seeking to explain the significance of the discovery of the Higgs boson, nicknamed the "God particle." Baggott, a well-known science writer, relates in ten short, readable chapters the history of this fundamental physics mystery, the quest to find the source of mass. The book attempts to explain to laypersons how the Higgs boson became the focus of interest through the acceptance of the standard model of the structure of the atom. It delves into the history of experimental efforts in the US and the European Union, with the latter, at the Center for European Nuclear Research (CERN), prevailing in an experimental coup in the summer of 2012. The work is a good mix of history and physics related to this monumental effort and discovery. It will appeal more to audiences that have some background knowledge of basic physics. Nonetheless, the story is exciting and readable, comparable to the discovery of high-temperature superconductivity some decades ago. The book includes useful diagrams, some pictures, and very few equations. The glossary and notes are welcome additions to readers unfamiliar with the terminology and those who wish to further explore the topic. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; informed general readers. N. Sadanand Central Connecticut State University

Confronted with talk of the "God particle," a phenomenon that has recently been the subject of much media attention, many have responded with some form of the question, "What was all the fuss about?" Here, science writer Baggott (A Quantum Story: A History in 40 Moments) explains the search for and the importance of this elusive particle. First posited by Peter Higgs in 1964, the Higgs boson, as it is officially known, is purportedly responsible for particles attaining mass; it was tentatively discovered in 2012 at CERN's Large Hadron Collider, but continues to baffle even those in the sciences. Baggott's tale encompasses years of complex theory, billions of dollars' worth of experimentation, and countless enterprising individuals, but the strength of this book is in its tracing of the ways in which physicists and models of reality work, showing how theoretical and mathematical systems build on others' successes and shortcomings. Filled with information that is refreshingly free of abstractions and analogies, this book is best-suited to those with a background in science. If readers can weather Baggott's data-rich terrain, they'll find a world of high energy, colorful quarks, and myriad mysteries. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.