It was the universe's most elusive particle, the linchpin for everything scientists dreamed up to explain how physics works. It had to be found. But projects as big as CERN's Large Hadron Collider don't happen without conniving, incredible risks, and occasional skulduggery. Sean Carroll reveals the insight, rivalry, and wonder that fuelled the Higgs search, and explores why this particle holds the potential to change the world – much as the electron ushered in the age of nuclear energy and quantum computing. While the first sighting of the infamously named "God particle" essentially solves the riddle of why matter has mass, it also opens a door into the mind-boggling domain of dark matter and other phenomena we never predicted. Told with unparalleled ambition, authority, and access to the competing research teams, this is the definitive, behind-the-scenes account of the landmark discovery of the Higgs boson.