Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is indeed, a very brief book of very brief lessons or chapters, and it is intriguing, elusive, seductive and ultimately humbling all at once. I’ll need to read it again several times over. The easy elegance and poetry of the writing deceptively masks a whole world of things being described, and the broader, better lessons aren’t really about physics at all. Hitherto, my last experience with physics was a 2nd semester senior class in high school when, (having been accepted to university), I temporarily lost patience for absorbing further conceptual learning. I did, however, have ample capacity for sniggering at the nerds in the class who were capable of using physics concepts, 3 paper clips and assorted other parts to construct a functioning radio. I read about this book in the Economist. I bought this book, in part, to atone for my high school sins, and also to finally overcome my phobia of the general theory of relativity. I also wanted it as a quick way to get refreshed on key physics concepts in "bite size" bits, suitable for impressing people at parties. (Because To be impressive at parties, everyone really should have their own "elevator speech" ready on the meaning of the theory of relativity, right?) This book gave me both more—and less—than I bargained for. I still don’t have my elevator speeches on topics such as relativity, quantum mechanics, thermodynamics or black holes; the lessons are indeed elegant but without sufficient detail to fully master the topics at hand. In fact, if anything, the simplicity and elegance of the book have made me feel even stupider than when I started…”if this Italian Physics professor can describe these things so simply and elegantly, I really must be a half-wit, because I’m still mystified.” (Memo to self: avoid elevators or parties for now.) However, even in its brevity the book gives a good deal more. There is the enthusiasm and excitement that imbues the (even brief) descriptions of physics and related concepts. I came away with a genuine desire to go after these topics in successively greater levels of detail, in order, finally, to conquer them. At the very least I see another series of sessions with a famous Stephen Hawking book in my future. The specific physics topics are only the most obvious level in this slim volume. It also touches both implicitly and explicitly on the nature of scientific enquiry, insights into the current bleeding edge physics theories and how they’re developed, and (lastly) how scientists think. To read about this in such effective but matter-of-fact tones was extremely enlightening. The 7th and final lesson in the book is one which I’ve read three times already, because its so marvelous….a homily by a thoughtful soul on the complexities of the universe, the perceptions and complexities of humans inhabiting their small place in it, and a heartfelt wonder about the ongoing discoveries we have in front of us. The final chapter, “ourselves” really is lovely, and could easily stand alone, with or without the preceding 6 chapters. I’ve given this five stars. Although it didn’t take me where I thought I wanted to go, it took me someplace else, and much better.