The 4% Universe

The 4% Universe by Richard Panek. A chronicle of the scientists quest to discover and explain why we can only detect 4% of the universe. The rest is filled with dark matter and energy which we can only indirectly detect.

The book spends as much time discussing the people and the politics of dark matter research as it does the science. For example, the book notes that historically, astronomers are tend to be loaners and very possessive of there data while physicists tend to be very collaborative because astronomy lends its self to individual research while physics experiments offten require the co-operation of hundreds of people. (See CERN, or the LHC) Problems result when the two groups have to work together.

A good read, but it won't go on my re-read list.