Scan barcode
Reviews
This Way to the Universe: A Theoretical Physicist's Journey to the Edge of Reality by Michael Dine
quantumspook's review
4.0
A light, supportive guide to basic physics for the layman. This book makes the joy of physics accessible to all. It was a nice reminder of the wonder I felt as a child when I first became interested in STEM.
DISCLAIMER: I have a B.S and an M.S. in interdisciplinary and theoretical physics (go blue!), so maybe take my opinion of the comprehension level of this book with a grain of salt. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy!
DISCLAIMER: I have a B.S and an M.S. in interdisciplinary and theoretical physics (go blue!), so maybe take my opinion of the comprehension level of this book with a grain of salt. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy!
andrea_author's review
5.0
This entertaining and accessible book is like having a conversation with a beloved professor. Providing an overview of the topics at the cutting edge of modern physics—such as the Big Bang, dark matter, and the Higgs boson—it's full of gentle humor and personal anecdotes that contextualize the research, theories, and discoveries. A must-read for anyone interested in the topic.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
cook_memorial_public_library's review
4.0
A 2022 staff favorite recommended by Natalie. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore/search/C__Sthis%20way%20to%20the%20universe%20dine__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold
__emma__'s review against another edition
Just never really got into this one — it was supposed to be one of my “just pick up for quick bites of reading on my phone instead of scrolling social media” reads, but I think it was too heavy/dense for that context and might have been more successful if I’d given it a “daytime reading in 50+ page chunks of a physical book” treatment.
frombethanysbookshelf's review
4.0
This Way To The Universe is an accessible exploration into the world of physics and the mind-blowing mysteries of the universe.
I love physics and read a lot about it, but even so I'm not fully literate in scientific language so this was wonderful for me and readers like me - explaining complex, astounding scientific theories from the Big Bang itself to elusive Higgs Boson particle in uncomplex, comprehensive and engaging language.
There is a sense of humour and wonder throughout, a playful excitement which I found a pleasure to read - Dine conveyed how simply amazing and interesting physics can be and this is clearly demonstrated in his writing.
I love physics and read a lot about it, but even so I'm not fully literate in scientific language so this was wonderful for me and readers like me - explaining complex, astounding scientific theories from the Big Bang itself to elusive Higgs Boson particle in uncomplex, comprehensive and engaging language.
There is a sense of humour and wonder throughout, a playful excitement which I found a pleasure to read - Dine conveyed how simply amazing and interesting physics can be and this is clearly demonstrated in his writing.
literarybear's review
3.5
This book does an excellent job of providing context for prominent figures and theories in theoretical physics (and a few related fields). A lot of notable discoveries are rooted in decades of little epiphanies and Dine does a good job of weaving through various landmarks, from Newton to dark matter and quarks. Dine’s own relation to the field comes through often in the text, sometimes less helpfully than other times. Although the author does try to make complex information more palatable, this would still likely be quite dense for the average reader. I would recommend a physical copy so one could go back and reference the concepts and details of each idea as needed. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the e-ARC.
nataliya_x's review
4.0
I always thought physics would be fun if not for the endless math, and this book by UC Santa Cruz professor and a theoretical physicist Michael Dine does just that. He goes on a condensed journey through physics, Newtonian to quantum, with names and theories and quarks and dark matter and the Big Bang all addressed here.
And if you thought that physics divorced from math is easy, think again. This is not a light and easy read although it’s certainly engaging. I would not advise it if you don’t have any even passing knowledge of the subject, but if you wanted a better grasp of the things you may have learned a bit but forgot, it’s a book for you. I got through it slowly, but I do feel that at least for a while I have a slightly better understanding of that fascinating and scarily complex stuff.
Rounded up to 4 stars.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
And if you thought that physics divorced from math is easy, think again. This is not a light and easy read although it’s certainly engaging. I would not advise it if you don’t have any even passing knowledge of the subject, but if you wanted a better grasp of the things you may have learned a bit but forgot, it’s a book for you. I got through it slowly, but I do feel that at least for a while I have a slightly better understanding of that fascinating and scarily complex stuff.
Rounded up to 4 stars.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
——————
Also posted on my blog.