rbalir's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The first “short story” was impressive and enjoyable. The mix of fact and fiction became more opaque in the second, more lengthy story. Loved and hated this one. It was an interesting exercise in critical thinking until it got gross.
_pickle_'s review against another edition
5.0
This book - a sui generis fusing of fact and fiction - blew me away and excited me with its peerless examination of genius/madness and its inherent relish of curiosity.
sophiamcd's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
beenb's review against another edition
4.0
A deviation from my usual picks, but it was very interesting. I did get a little lost when the physics and equation explanations became too complicated, but it was enjoyable.
plunkettb's review against another edition
4.0
It's a fascinating and entertaining book. The way it highlights connections among individuals, historical events and scientific discoveries is remarkable, and I haven't read anything like it before. There was one thing that bothered me. It seemed to me that, for the most part, women were treated as props and mentioned only briefly (e.g., wives, mothers, daughters, students, lovers, innkeepers, etc.). For example, Clara Immerwhar was a scientist herself - a seemingly interesting person who had a stronger moral compass than her husband Fritz Haber - and she got about one paragraph in the book. As the book frequently veered into related characters and stories, sometimes in great detail, the fact that it largely avoided doing this with the women stood out to me. One exception later in the book was Miss Herwig, who - despite being primarily portrayed as the object of Schrodinger's sexual fantasies - was given a voice to express some important thoughts.
samudyatha's review against another edition
5.0
I want to discuss each of these chapters for ten minutes or more with a friend! The moments of discovery and realization are so clearly explained. I imagined my self sitting next to, and experiencing enlightenment as these men came to understand principles of our world. I’d like to revisit this book as it gets all of my electrons excited.
jheinemann287's review against another edition
2.0
I was maybe three quarters of the way through this paperback when my book club abruptly changed the meeting to a date I couldn't make. While I was annoyed at the last minute change (this is the second time this has happened recently), it did feel good to say EFF IT and shut the book without marking my page. When We Cease to Understand the Worldfalls into the category of books I WANT to like but just don't. I enjoy reading the reviews that make this book sound so lovely more than I enjoyed reading the book itself.
I think what screwed me up most is the idea, blaring from the synopsis and the blurbs, that this book lives in the territory ✨between fact and fiction✨, so the whole time, I kept trying to figure out what was FACT and what was FICTION. Like, in all those historical anecdotes about all of those people from history, which parts are made up? Like, a lot? Because if it's ALL made up, then just tell me that, and I'll find the stories compelling as stories. If they're ALL true, then what, wow, amazing! But the NOT-KNOWINGNESS was too distracting. (And apparently there are hour long interviews you can listen to in which the author reveals what paragraphs contain bits of fiction, and that just sounds way too precious.)
Okay, but I'm also a perfectionist and a completist, so after feeling good about closing the book, I did pick it up again to read that last story, and A) I guess I found the fiction part and B) IT WAS SO GOOD. The lemon tree at the end! The exuberance before death! You don't know when it will happen unless you cut it open look inside it's trunk. "But, really, who would want to do that?"
I think what screwed me up most is the idea, blaring from the synopsis and the blurbs, that this book lives in the territory ✨between fact and fiction✨, so the whole time, I kept trying to figure out what was FACT and what was FICTION. Like, in all those historical anecdotes about all of those people from history, which parts are made up? Like, a lot? Because if it's ALL made up, then just tell me that, and I'll find the stories compelling as stories. If they're ALL true, then what, wow, amazing! But the NOT-KNOWINGNESS was too distracting. (And apparently there are hour long interviews you can listen to in which the author reveals what paragraphs contain bits of fiction, and that just sounds way too precious.)
Okay, but I'm also a perfectionist and a completist, so after feeling good about closing the book, I did pick it up again to read that last story, and A) I guess I found the fiction part and B) IT WAS SO GOOD. The lemon tree at the end! The exuberance before death! You don't know when it will happen unless you cut it open look inside it's trunk. "But, really, who would want to do that?"
marisatn's review against another edition
5.0
I did not know what to expect from this book and ended up being unable to put it down. Totally unlike what I normally read and full of scientific and mathematical concepts I know nothing about, I nevertheless really enjoyed it! So strange and compelling.
cohen489's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t think I was mentally stable enough to read this but unfortunately I realized too late and it was of course impossible to put down or disengage with, so