Einstein's Unfinished Symphony Listening to the Sounds of Space-Time.

MARCIA BARTUSIAK

Gravity waves--tremors in the fabric of space-time caused by massive cosmic events--define the great remaining mystery of Einstein's general theory of relativity, Physicist and veteran science writer Bartusiak spins this complicated technical subject into a riveting narrative. By using the metaphor of music to explain our still-developing understanding of relativity, she illuminates the theories and thinkers behind this area of cosmology. Observing these waves, which Einstein predicted but no one has ever found, would open a broad window onto the workings of the universe, black holes, and the Big Bang itself. Bartusiak likens current astronomy to a silent movie and suggests that the discovery and observation of gravity waves will suddenly add sound to that picture. Her clear writing and thorough understanding of the science and personalities behind her topic make her book as absorbing as any film. Originally published in hardcover in 2000. Berkley, 2003, 256 p., b&w plates, paperback, $14.00.