  We clarify and refine the relation between the asymptotic behavior of the
colored Jones polynomial and Chern-Simons gauge theory with complex gauge group
SL(2,C). The precise comparison requires a careful understanding of some
delicate issues, such as normalization of the colored Jones polynomial and the
choice of polarization in Chern-Simons theory. Addressing these issues allows
us to go beyond the volume conjecture and to verify some predictions for the
behavior of the subleading terms in the asymptotic expansion of the colored
Jones polynomial.
