sarsaparillo's review
5.0
This is one of the most lucid books I've read on one of the most difficult to understand topics. I listened to Carroll narrate the audiobook himself. He has a very warm and gentle persona.
The book is partially an introduction to the theory and mysteries of quantum mechanics and partially a thesis outlining Carroll's own philosophical take on it, which he's up-front about.
The early chapters - especially the history of discoveries and evolution of ideas in quantum theory - are easily the most well-explained summaries I've heard on this subject.
As the book progresses it gets into more and more difficult terrain, and while Carroll makes are valiant effort to keep the concepts accessible to a lay readership, he is also reluctant to dumb things down in misleading ways. As such I eventually started to lose my grasp on some of the explanations. There's just too much prerequisite math and theory required to grok some of the key points being made. He makes it clear that you shouldn't confuse the quantum "wave function" with waves propagating in space, like electromagnetic waves. But I can't help myself doing that! Perhaps being able to see diagrams would have helped me.
That said it was worth persevering through to the end and this is one of the few books I've read where I've made a mental note to read it again one day to see if I can glean more out of it.
Recommended as a clear, fascinating, no-bullshit introduction to the mysteries of fundamental physics, and the oft-ignored philosophical debates that still rages at its heart.
The book is partially an introduction to the theory and mysteries of quantum mechanics and partially a thesis outlining Carroll's own philosophical take on it, which he's up-front about.
The early chapters - especially the history of discoveries and evolution of ideas in quantum theory - are easily the most well-explained summaries I've heard on this subject.
As the book progresses it gets into more and more difficult terrain, and while Carroll makes are valiant effort to keep the concepts accessible to a lay readership, he is also reluctant to dumb things down in misleading ways. As such I eventually started to lose my grasp on some of the explanations. There's just too much prerequisite math and theory required to grok some of the key points being made. He makes it clear that you shouldn't confuse the quantum "wave function" with waves propagating in space, like electromagnetic waves. But I can't help myself doing that! Perhaps being able to see diagrams would have helped me.
That said it was worth persevering through to the end and this is one of the few books I've read where I've made a mental note to read it again one day to see if I can glean more out of it.
Recommended as a clear, fascinating, no-bullshit introduction to the mysteries of fundamental physics, and the oft-ignored philosophical debates that still rages at its heart.
quasar728's review against another edition
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
david_agranoff's review
4.0
This book is not for everyone. Sean Carroll is an author I reviewed before with his epic book about the universe the Big Picture. I feel more deeply connected to this author because I know his voice well. I listen every week to his podcast mindscape that I often describe as Sean Carrol talks to other geniuses. I was familiar with these ideas and the many-worlds theories before not just as a Carroll podcast listener but as a huge Sci-fi nerd and Philip K Dick Podcaster. We have talked about Many-worlds in a pseudo-science 60's way a lot.
I am not going to pretend for one minute that I am able to process more than the basic ideas here. I read this book quickly because whenever math or the Nitty-Gritty of how particles spin. I really enjoyed the history of discovery and how Carroll weaves the methods that the greats in science came to the various theories that make Quantum science. I know this will sound corny but my love for this topic has roots in my favorite childhood horror movie John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness that was the first place that a young me heard of Quantum psychics.
This is primarily an introduction to one of the most debated issues in the study of spacetime, as such I think it is a good introduction but the big bottom line in this review do you enjoy this stuff? I do and still felt the need to skip a few parts. I enjoy Sean Carroll's books because he helps takes universe-spanning Ideas and boils them down.
Separated into three sections, part one is where we get the majority of the history. This part is called Spooky based on the idea that even Einstein in the early days found these issues to be hard to deal with. In this section, Carroll sets up the questions that we are going to ponder. The second part is called Splitting and gets into what it all means. Part three Spacetime is where most of the interesting theories happen.
The most interesting concepts for me were near the end. "It is plausible that the symmetry between space and time that we are familiar with from relativity isn't built into Quantum Gravity." Oh no he didn't? Was there more to the universe than Einstein could see? sure and towards the end Carroll questions if Space is even part of the equation and this tiny level. Another part I enjoyed was one of the last chapters that explained more of the science behind Black holes, as Hawking was quoted in the book Black holes ain't so black.
I enjoyed Carroll's last book more than this one but that could have as much to do with the epic themes of that one. This one was designed to be a purely academic exercise, while the Big Picture dealt with the point where the rubber meets the road between cosmology and philosophy.
I am not going to pretend for one minute that I am able to process more than the basic ideas here. I read this book quickly because whenever math or the Nitty-Gritty of how particles spin. I really enjoyed the history of discovery and how Carroll weaves the methods that the greats in science came to the various theories that make Quantum science. I know this will sound corny but my love for this topic has roots in my favorite childhood horror movie John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness that was the first place that a young me heard of Quantum psychics.
This is primarily an introduction to one of the most debated issues in the study of spacetime, as such I think it is a good introduction but the big bottom line in this review do you enjoy this stuff? I do and still felt the need to skip a few parts. I enjoy Sean Carroll's books because he helps takes universe-spanning Ideas and boils them down.
Separated into three sections, part one is where we get the majority of the history. This part is called Spooky based on the idea that even Einstein in the early days found these issues to be hard to deal with. In this section, Carroll sets up the questions that we are going to ponder. The second part is called Splitting and gets into what it all means. Part three Spacetime is where most of the interesting theories happen.
The most interesting concepts for me were near the end. "It is plausible that the symmetry between space and time that we are familiar with from relativity isn't built into Quantum Gravity." Oh no he didn't? Was there more to the universe than Einstein could see? sure and towards the end Carroll questions if Space is even part of the equation and this tiny level. Another part I enjoyed was one of the last chapters that explained more of the science behind Black holes, as Hawking was quoted in the book Black holes ain't so black.
I enjoyed Carroll's last book more than this one but that could have as much to do with the epic themes of that one. This one was designed to be a purely academic exercise, while the Big Picture dealt with the point where the rubber meets the road between cosmology and philosophy.