Enjoyable overview of the last 40 years of physics. From the 17 century to the 1960's there were at least a huge discovery every 20 years so physicists starting their career in the 70/80s had some expectations that they could work on something earth changing. I think the last time something was named as a discovery was Hawking radiation. Nice but that happens in black holes so humans probably are not going to practically use that tidbit for some time. And Physicists have done outstanding work in the last 30 years and Smolin recounts a lot of it in this book and gives credit where it is due. Slowly we are chipping away at the fundamental questions, and that is a good thing! This book lays out where we are and the challenges we face presently.