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A review by etlias
Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You: Understanding the Mind-Blowing Building Blocks of the Universe by Marcus Chown
4.0
I'm not going to lie, I love popular science books. While reading this I could feel Chown’s enthusiasm, his passion for physics. And that just makes me even more enthusiastic and passionate about physics. This is the value of popular science, it nurtures enthusiasm and encourages passion.
As I am a nerd, I had encountered lots of the ideas discussed in this book before. Yet I didn't feel bored. Chown links them all wonderfully, in a way I would never have been able to do on my own.
I'm hesitant to say that I understand quantum theory better now, because there is no maths in this book. But that's not the point, popular science books aren't intended to be textbooks, they don't pretend to rigorously explain everything. The purpose of reading popular science is to become acquainted with complicated ideas, not to become an expert. Which is fine, and Chown has certainly achieved this goal. (Although I would have liked some maths, or at least some diagrams, because I'm a nerd).
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this if you have any sort of vague notion about quantum theory and want to read something to keep you interested.
(As a final note, when the book was written gravitational waves had not been observed. They have been since. But as far as I can tell that's the only major outdated piece of information presented in the text).
As I am a nerd, I had encountered lots of the ideas discussed in this book before. Yet I didn't feel bored. Chown links them all wonderfully, in a way I would never have been able to do on my own.
I'm hesitant to say that I understand quantum theory better now, because there is no maths in this book. But that's not the point, popular science books aren't intended to be textbooks, they don't pretend to rigorously explain everything. The purpose of reading popular science is to become acquainted with complicated ideas, not to become an expert. Which is fine, and Chown has certainly achieved this goal. (Although I would have liked some maths, or at least some diagrams, because I'm a nerd).
Overall, I'd definitely recommend this if you have any sort of vague notion about quantum theory and want to read something to keep you interested.
(As a final note, when the book was written gravitational waves had not been observed. They have been since. But as far as I can tell that's the only major outdated piece of information presented in the text).