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theaurochs's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting meditation and rumination on Quantum Mechanics. I have to call it that because it is too brief to be an explanation, too high-concept to really be an introduction, and far too frilly to be a serious examination. It falls into this mysterious popular science quality that is less like a lecture and more like being stuck on a train journey with a very passionate professor and listening to them ramble. They are certainly very erudite, and well-informed, and clearly enthusiastic about their topic but, is there any overall point to the book? Or are we simply talking about cool science stuff?
Which is pretty fine, as the cool science stuff of QM is fascinating enough to hold your attention in this case at least. As alluded to in the previous paragraph though, I do not think this would serve well as a first introduction to QM- the introductory section laying out the problems and the motivations for approaching these problems is handled a little too swiftly, despite the title seeming to suggest a premise of examining how these breakthroughs came about. What the bulk of the book is actually interested in is attempting to lay out some of the ramifications of QM, as well as various philosophical interpretations of what these world-shattering equations “really mean”. It will happily work for someone who has a vague familiarity with the core concepts of QM and wants a deeper examination. Not an attempt at an explanation though- as Rovelli is keen to point out; we do not have a consistent and coherent explanation for what quantum mechanics actually means or how it operates. This fact has baffled and frustrated scientists for the last century. “If you think you understand QM”, says Rovelli “please read that paragraph again”.
After brief looks at the “many worlds” and “hidden variable” interpretations, more attention is giben to the view that Rovelli works on, the “relational” interpretation. This is unsurprising, it being a large part of their work, and it’s also unsurprisingly the most interesting and well-developed section of the book. It has a certain beauty to it as a reflection of special relativity and is at least as plausible as other interpretations. Further to that we get some interesting but definitely tangential detours into philosophy, examining particularly the influence of Ernst Mach on early 20th century physicists and therefore QM. These historical aspects are more well developed than the attempts at metaphysical interpretations.
Interesting for those looking for a deeper look at the problems of quantum mechanics and some interpretations of what they might mean. Prose that could be argued as beautiful or overly flowery, and some somewhat lacking philosophical arguments, although definitely enough to give you a jumping off point if you were interested. I don’t know that I’d classify it as accessible generally, and it definitely has an air of self-indulgence around it. Still, engaging reading with enough cool science stuff to keep me going.
Which is pretty fine, as the cool science stuff of QM is fascinating enough to hold your attention in this case at least. As alluded to in the previous paragraph though, I do not think this would serve well as a first introduction to QM- the introductory section laying out the problems and the motivations for approaching these problems is handled a little too swiftly, despite the title seeming to suggest a premise of examining how these breakthroughs came about. What the bulk of the book is actually interested in is attempting to lay out some of the ramifications of QM, as well as various philosophical interpretations of what these world-shattering equations “really mean”. It will happily work for someone who has a vague familiarity with the core concepts of QM and wants a deeper examination. Not an attempt at an explanation though- as Rovelli is keen to point out; we do not have a consistent and coherent explanation for what quantum mechanics actually means or how it operates. This fact has baffled and frustrated scientists for the last century. “If you think you understand QM”, says Rovelli “please read that paragraph again”.
After brief looks at the “many worlds” and “hidden variable” interpretations, more attention is giben to the view that Rovelli works on, the “relational” interpretation. This is unsurprising, it being a large part of their work, and it’s also unsurprisingly the most interesting and well-developed section of the book. It has a certain beauty to it as a reflection of special relativity and is at least as plausible as other interpretations. Further to that we get some interesting but definitely tangential detours into philosophy, examining particularly the influence of Ernst Mach on early 20th century physicists and therefore QM. These historical aspects are more well developed than the attempts at metaphysical interpretations.
Interesting for those looking for a deeper look at the problems of quantum mechanics and some interpretations of what they might mean. Prose that could be argued as beautiful or overly flowery, and some somewhat lacking philosophical arguments, although definitely enough to give you a jumping off point if you were interested. I don’t know that I’d classify it as accessible generally, and it definitely has an air of self-indulgence around it. Still, engaging reading with enough cool science stuff to keep me going.
mattbgold's review against another edition
2.0
I rank Rovelli's previous two books among my all-time favorites, each of them were powerhouses of conceptual abstraction and communication, expertly bridging the gap between the esoteric frontiers of contemporary theoretical physics and human intuition. This one though added nothing new to the conversation - the "relational interpretation" of quantum mechanics put forth here is barely given more than a single sentence description, I actually think this interpretation is better described in his 2014 book on quantum gravity: Reality is Not What it Seems. I also felt that the writing itself was awkward in places, particularly where he explains the "weirdness" of quantum mechanics (why not use the double-slit example?).
Perhaps the focus of the book was less on physics and more on philosophy, but the philosophy felt like scarcely more than a series of namedrops. Competing interpretations of quantum mechanics, such as the popular "many worlds" theory, were unfairly dismissed without dedicating more time to exploring exactly how quantum phenomena such as wave-function collapse are described from the perspective of the relational interpretation.
When compared to the author's earlier works this book seems rushed and a bit shallow. If Rovelli ever does write a serious book-length exploration/defense of the relational interpretation, like Sean Carrol did for many-worlds, I would be first in line to dive in.
Perhaps the focus of the book was less on physics and more on philosophy, but the philosophy felt like scarcely more than a series of namedrops. Competing interpretations of quantum mechanics, such as the popular "many worlds" theory, were unfairly dismissed without dedicating more time to exploring exactly how quantum phenomena such as wave-function collapse are described from the perspective of the relational interpretation.
When compared to the author's earlier works this book seems rushed and a bit shallow. If Rovelli ever does write a serious book-length exploration/defense of the relational interpretation, like Sean Carrol did for many-worlds, I would be first in line to dive in.
thereadingpotato's review against another edition
4.0
In Helgoland, Carlo Rovelli takes an accessible approach to understanding quantum theory- how it was first developed, has changed over time and is now understood. Weaving in history and philosophy, the connection between quantum theory and our daily lives is continuously evident.
This book was a pleasant surprise. As someone who changed their college major just to avoid taking any physics classes, I was apprehensive before I began reading. However, Rovelli writes in an approachable way that is enjoyable for those that know little to none about physics (like me) and for those that are experts in the field. He manages to maintain an engaging and informative tone without being too dense or complicated.
I particularly enjoyed hearing about the journey of scientific discovery. Far from reading like a textbook, it read more like a series of events and people that continuously interacted and philosophically combatted to find the truth about our world. From Schrodinger and Bohr to Lenin and Einstein, there are several familiar names that come up through the development of quantum theory, and I loved hearing how they were all interconnected.
One of the most emphasized ideas in this book is the fact that everything is relational, meaning everything that we see is perceived based upon its relation to something else. The interconnectedness of our world, and the fact that there is still so much we do not know or understand was something that definitely interested me.
Overall, a comprehensive look at quantum theory that is ideal for those that enjoy books about science, particularly scientific discovery, physics and philosophy.
Thank you to Riverhead Books for this #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was a pleasant surprise. As someone who changed their college major just to avoid taking any physics classes, I was apprehensive before I began reading. However, Rovelli writes in an approachable way that is enjoyable for those that know little to none about physics (like me) and for those that are experts in the field. He manages to maintain an engaging and informative tone without being too dense or complicated.
I particularly enjoyed hearing about the journey of scientific discovery. Far from reading like a textbook, it read more like a series of events and people that continuously interacted and philosophically combatted to find the truth about our world. From Schrodinger and Bohr to Lenin and Einstein, there are several familiar names that come up through the development of quantum theory, and I loved hearing how they were all interconnected.
One of the most emphasized ideas in this book is the fact that everything is relational, meaning everything that we see is perceived based upon its relation to something else. The interconnectedness of our world, and the fact that there is still so much we do not know or understand was something that definitely interested me.
Overall, a comprehensive look at quantum theory that is ideal for those that enjoy books about science, particularly scientific discovery, physics and philosophy.
Thank you to Riverhead Books for this #gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
gongyo64's review
5.0
La narrazione di una visione nuova della realtà. La vera visione della realtà. Destabilizzante, entusiasmante, terrorizzante, affascinante.
greglhoward's review
2.0
I've always had an interest in how to interpret quantum mechanics. The book starts out strong, and is written at about the right level (I wouldn't have minded a bit more math). But after the first few chapters where the main ideas are presented and defended, the rest of the book is overly speculative and not really about quantum mechanics. It felt a lot like filler so that this was a book and not an essay.
lladams_9000's review against another edition
5.0
This book has changed my perspective on what it means to be a part of this universe. The word relativity takes on a profound meaning; quantum entanglement becomes a ubiquitous term; the realization that nature already has the answer we’re just attempting to observe and record it at these different levels. This makes me want to peruse Quantum Mechanics even more as I fall in love with the works of the turn of the century minds that continue to lead us into the future.
nlbullock1's review
3.0
I appreciated the author’s explanation of quantum mechanics and the science behind it (although much of it is challenging to understand), but I was less enamored of his attempts to tie the science to a particular philosophy or set of philosophies. On those topics, it’s safe to say that he an I do not agree.
jeffreyisaacpincus's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
weirdenergies's review against another edition
Helgoland was a great, simple, fairly surface level introduction into complex topics in quantum physics. Albeit a short and sweet read, it was enriched with the history behind these theories, and this really set it apart from other books I’ve read on the topic!
I recommend this to anyone who’s interested in learning a bit about quantum mechanics - especially if you’re just about to start it at uni!
Thank you to Penguin for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review (and the jar of honey too)!
I recommend this to anyone who’s interested in learning a bit about quantum mechanics - especially if you’re just about to start it at uni!
Thank you to Penguin for sending me the book in exchange for an honest review (and the jar of honey too)!