Higgs Force is a gripping account of the scientists who have revealed the hidden structure of the natural world. It is the story of the fundamental components of matter and the forces that bind them together; a tale that is woven around the symmetry at the heart of the universe and the mystery of how this symmetry is broken. The book is divided into three parts. The first three chapters provide the broad historical and philosophical context. The next three describe, in turn, each of the forces that are important in particle physics. The final three chapters are about the modern synthesis of the particles and forces and the search for the last missing piece in the particle physics jigsaw.
Industry Reviews
"Higgs Force takes a new approach to contemporary physics, and makes notoriously difficult material accessible and approachable. The book is very readable and entertaining, and I will certainly recommend it to my first year undergraduates, to whom it will greatly appeal." Tony Mann, President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics "Higgs Force, by Nicholas Mee, takes the reader on a fascinating intellectual journey: our endeavours to uncover and understand the laws governing the universe, with particular emphasis on the beautiful ideas arising from symmetry. This is a remarkable story, and it is told here with lucidity and verve." Jonathan Evans, University Lecturer, Cambridge University "Nicholas Mee acts as the trigger as he selects the tales to tell of those whose work has helped reveal the structure of matter and the laws of nature, culminating in the present hunt for the Higgs particle. The result is an intellectual journey that ends at the LHC near Geneva but begins with the Big Bang 13.75 billion years ago (...) This book is far broader and more accessible than its title may suggest." Manjit Kumar, Literary Review, Issue 396, March 2012 "... Higgs Force, the book that seeks to explain how modern physicists understand the universe by exposing the complex secrets of matter (...) You have to have a vested interest in the subject matter to be able to read Higgs Force, more than just a passing fancy." Neil Buchanan, www.starburstmagazine.com, 08 March 2012 "... it provides a well-written and clearly explained overview of the way in which our understanding of the fundamental forces in nature has developed over the last two thousand years (...) It might be particularly suitable as preliminary reading for those intending to study Physics at university." www.bookwitch.wordpress.com, 11 March 2012 "In Higgs Force, Nicholas Mee, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society with a doctorate in theorical particle physics from Cambridge University, lays out why the Higgs matters, and what is being done to find it." www.economist.com, 3 March 2012 'Every so often, physics get sexy ... [Nicholas Mee's] first book aims to do for the Higgs boson what Stephen Hawking did for the black hole ... There's no shirking on detail ... it offers a humble insight into a discipline that few people understand, equipping the reader with enough insight to explain the 'God particle' to impress friends ... the book's greatest strength is in ... the vivid depictions of the story's characters ... Higgs Force is an accomplished and engaging read ... lively biographies keep the pages turning in a way most popular science books fail to do.' Dr Stu in Guru Magazine Issue.5 02 April, 2012 "Physicists rarely become household names. Pretty much anyone watching television in Britain will have heard of Brian Cox who is credited with making physics sexy again. [ - ] One day, though, Peter Higgs and his eponymous boson might outshine them all. [ - ] In "Higgs Force" Nicholas Mee, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society with a doctorate in theoretical particle physics from Cambridge University, lays out why the Higgs matters, and what is being done to find it." Newstoday.com, Apr 2012
