The Fabric of the Cosmos is intended primarily for the general reader who has little or no formal training in the sciences but whose desire tounderstand the workings of the universe provides incentive to grapple with a number of complex and challenging concepts. As in my first book,The Elegant Universe, Ive stayed close to the core scientific ideas throughout, while stripping away the mathematical details in favor ofmetaphors, analogies, stories, and illustrations. When we reach the books most difficult sections, I forewarn the reader and provide brief summaries for those who decide to skip or skim these more involved discussions. In this way, the reader should be able to walk the path of discovery and gain not just knowledge of physics current worldview, but an understanding of how and why that worldview has gained prominence.