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people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #29,738 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★★
A beam of light in dark places
This book is a book of two halves. The first is a history of physics and in particular the twin pillars of modern physics: The General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory. The second is a journey through Quantum Gravity.
Making sense of modern physics can be hard, very hard, for the non scientist. For many years I have read many books grappling with the subject, some good and some not so good. Rovelli's book is a game changer The title of my review refers to the shining of light in dark places because that's how I felt when I read it. Concepts and theories that I'd struggled with through many of those previous books suddenly made sense. The descriptions of Quantum theory and Quantum mechanics were wonderful. I experienced at least three genuine aha moments, moments when you close your eye, lay the book on your lap and breathe slowly with the shear joy of understanding.
As well as the explanations there is also the joy of the writing. Rovelli says on page 88 that "great science and great poetry are both visionary..." There are times when his writing is poetic and it adds to the book's majesty.
This book is a marvel. It is highly recommended.
January 2017 · Unknown