Rating: 
Summary: an extremely good book about modern physics
Review: An extremely interesting book on physics for an average readerr.If you're a guy who has forgotten most of what you learned in college physics courses and want to pick it up a little bit, and have a little fun in the mean while, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Very Entertaining Book
Review: An extremely interesting book on physics for an average readerr.If you're a guy who has forgotten most of what you learned in college physics courses and want to pick it up a little bit, and have a little fun in the mean while, this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: a so-so book
Review: I got the book to check if there were interesting ways of pedagogically conveying the basic principles/ideas of quantum mechanics to graduate students in computer science in teaching quantum cryptography, computation and communication. I know quantum mechanics from the mathematics side.
Contrary to the overwhelmingly positive reviews (here and on the back of the book), I find this book is mediocre. The book excels at conveying the history and human side of quantum mechanics. But where it should matter most -- penetrating the technical issues and presenting them in a clear, succinct and correct fashion -- the book fails to deliver.
The reasoning, logic, and development behind key arguments is sloppy and misleading. For example, in both the discussions on EPR and quantum key distribution, one wonders if the authors have a sufficient understanding of the essential points of the set-up. Like parrots they are able to "describe" a version of what's going on, but do not seem to know which points need emphasizing and which do not. For someone not versed in quantum mechanics already, there is a distinct danger that they will understand the material incorrectly or not at all.
The book is also imbued with adjectives such as "only" and such at places where they are not warranted. Even for popular books, what distinguishes science from other subject matters is the attention to careful qualification when so needed. There are excellent popular science books where this is properly done. This book falls significantly short in this respect.
I was hoping to recommend this book (based on others' reviews) to my students, but have decided against. The interesting historical accounts are not worth the undisciplined reasoning underlying some of the key issues of quantum mechanics.
Rating:
Summary: my idea of fun!
Review: I'm a novice in this area and this is the first book I read on the subject. On my first reading, I was only able to fully comprehend about 80% of this introduction to a most facinating subject matter. I must say that I enjoyed reading about all of it including the 20% I couldn't fully comprehend. The authors claim that no advanced math is necessary, but knowledge of differential calculus would help with the Shrodinger Equation. Perhaps my weakness in math (which I will soon address) accounts for the 20% I don't really understand at this point. This book has plenty of beautiful pictures and illustrations of the technologies and experiements discussed. Each chapter is well written and a joy to read. Chapters include the following: 1) Waves Versus Particles
2) Heisenberg and Uncertaintity
3) Shrodinger and Matter Waves
4) Atoms and Neuclei
5) Quantum Tunneling
6) Pauli and the Elements
7) Quantum Co-Operation and Superfluids
8) Quantum Jumps
9) Quantum Engineering 10) Death of a Star
11) Feynman Rules
12) Weak Photons and Strong Glue
13) Afterward - Quantum Physics and Science Fiction For a beginner, such as myself, it's the kind of book that's challenging in a good way. I found myself constantly wanting to pick this book up to read as much as I could. I was always looking forward to what was comming next. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about the subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: my idea of fun!
Review: I'm a novice in this area and this is the first book I read on the subject. On my first reading, I was only able to fully comprehend about 80% of this introduction to a most facinating subject matter. I must say that I enjoyed reading about all of it including the 20% I couldn't fully comprehend. The authors claim that no advanced math is necessary, but knowledge of differential calculus would help with the Shrodinger Equation. Perhaps my weakness in math (which I will soon address) accounts for the 20% I don't really understand at this point. This book has plenty of beautiful pictures and illustrations of the technologies and experiements discussed. Each chapter is well written and a joy to read. Chapters include the following: 1) Waves Versus Particles
2) Heisenberg and Uncertaintity
3) Shrodinger and Matter Waves
4) Atoms and Neuclei
5) Quantum Tunneling
6) Pauli and the Elements
7) Quantum Co-Operation and Superfluids
8) Quantum Jumps
9) Quantum Engineering 10) Death of a Star
11) Feynman Rules
12) Weak Photons and Strong Glue
13) Afterward - Quantum Physics and Science Fiction For a beginner, such as myself, it's the kind of book that's challenging in a good way. I found myself constantly wanting to pick this book up to read as much as I could. I was always looking forward to what was comming next. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about the subject matter.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully narrated, beautifully described!
Review: Of all of the technical and "non-technical" books on Quantum Physics I've read, this is the best all-in-one package. It has plenty of color plates, a rich history of the major players (I feel like I can HEAR Rutherford bellowing!), and a good balance of detail and description. The last chapter or two get a bit "geeky", though they act as a good reference on subatomic particles. Try Fred Alan Wolf's "Taking the Quantum Leap" for another good overview on the less technical side.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully narrated, beautifully described!
Review: Of all of the technical and "non-technical" books on Quantum Physics I've read, this is the best all-in-one package. It has plenty of color plates, a rich history of the major players (I feel like I can HEAR Rutherford bellowing!), and a good balance of detail and description. The last chapter or two get a bit "geeky", though they act as a good reference on subatomic particles. Try Fred Alan Wolf's "Taking the Quantum Leap" for another good overview on the less technical side.
Rating:
Summary: The New Quantum Universe
Review: The Quantum Universe was very good. The New Quantum Universe is excellent. Its authors write with a clarity and dash rarely achieved for what can be (and is) a daunting subject.
Rating:
Summary: The New Quantum Universe
Review: The Quantum Universe was very good. The New Quantum Universe is excellent. Its authors write with a clarity and dash rarely achieved for what can be (and is) a daunting subject.
Rating:
Summary: an extremely good book about modern physics
Review: this is an excellent book, from the beginning to the end. it introduces all the modern physics concepts with very clean explanations and beautiful colorful pictures. i just love it.
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