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Product Description
Product Description
Of all modern scientific theories, quantum theory has perhaps done more than any other to change the way we think about basic structure of the universe. This clear and accessible introduction covers quantum physics in theory and in practice, and explains why it has become known not just as a theory, but as a revolution.
About the Author
Alastair Rae is editor of The European Journal of Physics and was until his recent retirement, Reader in Quantum Physics at the University of Birmingham. His Quantum Mechanics, now in its second edition, has become a standard undergraduate text on the subject, and his book on the philosophical implications of quantum theory, Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality?, is in its fourth edition and has been translated into six different languages.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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4.0 out of 5 stars (22 customer reviews)
171 of 176 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Book for the Quantum Curious, May 12 2007
By Jo Ana Starr "Mind-Body-Spirit" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)
I don't have a Physics or Math background, and if you'd told me 10 years ago, that I'd buy AND read a book on Quantum Physics, I'd have chuckled. You, of course, would have been right, because I did. I loved it and whipped through it pretty quickly.I bought this book to learn more about quantum theory. I wanted a book that wasn't going to beat me senseless with heavy theoretical math, physics or formulae. I wanted a more complete understanding of the possibilities that quantum physics theory hints at, which is exactly what I got with this book. This book offers the Open-minded a fascinating overview of some of the more controversial quantum theories, the experiments that "proved" some of them, and what might be just over the horizon for quantum physics and for us.
I found this book really worthwhile, with a positive slant that worked for me. What quantum physics seems to be demonstrating these days, according to the author, is that much of the information that we "knew" to be true, may very well not be. Which really does open up a world of possibility for all of us.
This short meaty book is ideal for the quantum-curious. I highly recommend it.
75 of 77 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
QM primer for the pure layman, May 31 2007
By Couder "JC" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)
In pop science literature on quantum mechanics (QM) this booklet is a bit of an oddity. Rae really does address "beginners", i.e. readers with very little or no background in mathematics and physics. However, unlike most pop science writers he does not shy away from simple mathematics, even though all the math is contained in seperate "math boxes" which one can easily skip without loss of continuity. Rae does an excellent job explaining the basics of QM, but still IMO - given the targeted audience -not as good as J.P. McEvoy and Oscar Zarate's "Introducing Quantum Theory" (Icon Books).Many readers are probably attracted to this kind of book in search of an explanation of the "weirdness" of QM. Although Rae splendidly epitomizes the many interpretations of QM in the last chapter, there are more comprehensive books out there covering this particular topic, including Rae's own "Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality?" !
The main strength of this beginners's guide really is the way he explains the many manifestations of QM in our daily lives, from chemistry, power generation and climate change to computing and cryptography. As Rae is the first to admit, in such a short text he can do little else but scratch the surface, but nonetheless his descriptions are very lucid, well illustrated, and above all founded on a deep understanding of the essentials of QM. The biggest miracle of all is perhaps that he manages to convey this essence to readers who otherwise would probably never have dreamed of opening a book containing a single equation.
All in all, the definite primer on QM for the pure layman. For those who already have some background in physics and/or mathematics, the chapters on semiconductors, superconductivity and cryptography are a nice and simple introduction to these vast and fascinating subjects.
PS: my edition does contain two bizarre mistakes: Joule was an English and not a French physicist (p. 9), and Schrodinger was an Austrian and not a German physicist (p. 24). Not that it matters much.
51 of 56 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Focuses mainly on quantum effects and applications, Jun 21 2007
By Ivor Bowden - Published on Amazon.com
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This review is from: Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide (Paperback)
Focuses mainly on quantum effects and applications. A relatively small book, it's a pretty easy read, though it does get somewhat technical at times. Simplified math is typically put in as optional sidebars. It is written in a fairly straight forward way. I felt it tended to "jump around" a bit, on occasion mentioning an unexplained term or fact, which might or might not be expounded on later, though this was rather minor. It has one chapter on underlying reality interpretations.
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