The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory By Brian Greene

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another...In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." --George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review
In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter-from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas-is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.
Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling.    Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecedented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing-a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

Some reader reviews

• The Elegant Universe
  A good read i would recommend for anyone who is interested in science or astronomy.
• The Final Universe
  This is a fine book but the Real Universe is only HERE: Schroedinger's Universe and the Origin of the Natural Laws
• Excellent resource for the layman....
  Don't know much about new physics? This is stuff I didn't get the first time around--they weren't discussing it back then since all of us were running from the dinosaurs....
  Anyway, Greene has a good descriptive edge that will keep you reading even if the subject of string theory and quantum physics gets a little too deep. Even if you've had physics 1 and 2 in college, I guarantee that those basic classes won't cover anything mentioned here, but you'll better have the mindset to take in this information.
  Good luck! And remember that a college education is never a waste--if you really think how to use it well. A science background will certainly make you a better television series writer.

Source from astronomy-cheap-book-20