A review by nyzky
Reality is Not What it Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity by Carlo Rovelli

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.