The Road to Reality is a real tour de force. No one since Richard Feynman had attempted such a detailed description of the efforts of physicists to search for the underlying principles that govern the behaviour of our universe. Sir Roger Penrose has succeeded in this monumental task. This work is the most enlightening existing presentation of the mathematical tools used to explain the universe. It covers the basics of the standard model of modern physics, ranging from classical geometry to quantum field theory and Twistor Theory. It includes discussions of real and complex numbers, logarithms, exponentials, integral calculus and linear algebra. But Penrose does not end his tour with numbers. He examines the theories of modern physics and gives his view of such fundamental issues as the origin of the arrow of time, the second law of thermodynamics and the measurement problem in quantum physics; he explains and shows the limits of String Theory.

This brilliant book begins by walking readers through the basics and then lifts them to unusual heights — powerfully and with a great feeling of confidence in the ability of science to make sense of the world.

“…a deep and sophisticated tour of the past and present of modern physics. Penrose transcends the constraints of the popular science genre with a unique combination of respect for the complexity of the material and respect for the abilities of his readers.” Publishers Weekly

“What a joy it is to read a book that doesn't simplify, doesn't dodge the difficult questions, and doesn't always pretend to have answers. . . . Penrose's appetite is heroic, his knowledge encyclopedic, his modesty a reminder that not all physicists claim to be able to explain the world in 250 pages.”

—The Times (London)

There is much here that will give amateurs the desire to tackle the mysteries of physics; and much that will nourish the reflection of specialists. This book is the future bible to twenty-first-century physics.

Sir Roger Penrose is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University. He is celebrated for the Twistor Theory and for his contributions to relativity and cosmology. His works have furthered our comprehension of the workings of consciousness. His books include The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds and the Laws of Physics; Shadows of the Mind; The Large, the Small and the Human Mind; and The Nature of Space and Time, written with Stephen Hawking.