I've always had an interest in theoretical physics (although I hated the math that accompanied it) and so the recent spate of books by physicists who make physics come alive in terms laypeople can understand has been a godsend. I've read books by Brian Greene, Stephen Hawking, and others, but I have to say this one was one of my favorites because there was an element of someone IN the field talking not only about the discoveries that have been made, but commenting in a more holistic way about the field itself and where they saw it heading in the future. Lee Smolin does a great job of showing the reader what string theory is as well as why so many physicists seem to have accepted it, and - more importantly - what repercussions this acceptance will have for the field of physics in general. Overall, this was an immensely readable book that anyone with even a passing interest in physics will probably enjoy.