sarahkelly's review against another edition
5.0
I don’t know how I’m supposed to do anything else now. Quantum gravity isn’t going to solve itself.
But seriously, where was the science teacher getting me this excited about effing particle physics when I was 15. Maybe I’d be hanging out on a space station. We’ll never know.
But seriously, where was the science teacher getting me this excited about effing particle physics when I was 15. Maybe I’d be hanging out on a space station. We’ll never know.
bookdragon_sansan's review against another edition
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
oneheart's review against another edition
3.0
I don't read that much nonfiction and it's rare that a nonfiction book will keep my attention all the way through. This one lost me about half way through. Most of the first half was enjoyable and insightful.
kemendraugh's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely got lost in the last half, where the science outweighed the history. But some super interesting stuff here, guys. Also quantum is a funny word.
gabrielvilellanilsson's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
deepdivethis's review against another edition
3.0
QUICK BITS
-Physics history
-Introspective conclusion
REVIEW
I truly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up.
So let me tell you: this is a science heavy probe into the human condition and mind (extra heavy on the physics).
As a reader I wish there was just a little bit more of introspection early on in the book. There were some great takeaways in the last 1/6th of this book and I am happy I stuck it out.
Upon finishing I am left with a bit of a twist on how I look at life, specifically on the idea of ignorance, infinity, and heat.
I guess you could say it has me thinking a little more deeply about...reality. So in that I case I believe this book achieved what it set out to do.
RATING
3.00/5.00
-Physics history
-Introspective conclusion
REVIEW
I truly didn't know what I was getting myself into when I picked this one up.
So let me tell you: this is a science heavy probe into the human condition and mind (extra heavy on the physics).
As a reader I wish there was just a little bit more of introspection early on in the book. There were some great takeaways in the last 1/6th of this book and I am happy I stuck it out.
Upon finishing I am left with a bit of a twist on how I look at life, specifically on the idea of ignorance, infinity, and heat.
I guess you could say it has me thinking a little more deeply about...reality. So in that I case I believe this book achieved what it set out to do.
RATING
3.00/5.00
nyzky's review
5.0
"The only truly infinite thing is our ignorance."
I have changed some habits since the end of 2016. I started reading more non-fiction books, initiated by Aziz Ansari's Modern Love and Dava Sobel's Longitude. My preferences lean toward science-related books, as it was my educational background. If anything, it is also because of the innocence and humbleness of science. And that is the impression I got from reading this Carlo Rovelli's book.
Rovelli does elaborate his ideas about quantum gravity. From scratch. He explains it in a very simple, yet elegant way, sometimes seasoned with intellectual jokes. He mixes scientific thought process and formulas with history and humanity in that beautiful narrative. That storytelling style of him reminds me of my advisor and his (vaguely) quote, "Basically, hard science is not about confusing things, it should be about us."
It made me regret my whole 5 university years, that I should have paid a very close attention to the subjects. It sparked a discussion with a dear friend, every little detail, though both of us are just laypeople. The book is impossible to put down, just as the quest of discovering the Truth.