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Jim Al-Khalili

Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed Paperback – Sept. 1 2004

by Dr. Jim Al-Khalili (Author)

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Quantum
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In this lively look at quantum science, a physicist takes you on an entertaining and enlightening journey through the basics of subatomic physics.

Along the way he examines the paradox of quantum mechanics—beautifully mathematical in theory but confoundingly unpredictable in the real world. Marvel at the Dual Slit experiment as a tiny atom passes through 2 separate openings at the same time. Ponder the peculiar communication of quantum particles, which can remain in touch no matter how far apart. Join the genius jewel thief as he carries out a quantum measurement on a diamond without ever touching the object in question. With its clean, colorful layout and conversational tone, this text will hook you into the conundrum that is quantum mechanics.

“Takes readers on a fascinating journey. Al-Khalili [uses] simple and clear language and he provides excellent graphics. This is mandatory reading for undergraduates with or without a science background.”—Library Journal

Print length

280 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publication date

Sept. 1 2004
Dimensions

19.05 x 2.54 x 21.59 cm
ISBN-10

1841882380
ISBN-13

978-1841882383
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Jim Al-Khalili
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Jim Al-Khalili
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Carlo Rovelli
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Product description

Review

“Takes readers on a fascinating journey. Al-Khalili [uses] simple and clear language and he provides excellent graphics. This is mandatory reading for undergraduates with or without a science background.” —Library Journal

About the Author

Dr. Jim al-Khalili is a theoretical physicist and senior lecturer in the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey. He has twice been nominated for the Royal Society's Michael Faraday Award for the Public Understanding of Science and is the Institute of Physics Schools and Colleges lecturer. He is the author of Black Holes, Wormholes and Time Machinesand has appeared on Radio 4's Leading Edge and the BBC's Tomorrow's World andHorizon programs.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Reprint edition (Sept. 1 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1841882380
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1841882383
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 820 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 19.05 x 2.54 x 21.59 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #930,986 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #929 in Quantum Theory Books
- #938 in Quantum Theory (Books)

Customer Reviews:
345 ratings

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Jim Al-Khalili

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Jim Al-Khalili CBE FRS is a quantum physicist, author and broadcaster and one of the best-known science communicators in Britain. He holds a Distinguished Chair in Physics at the University of Surrey where he teaches and conducts his research. He received a PhD in nuclear theory in 1989 and has since published over 100 research papers. He has written twelve books on popular science, between them translated into over twenty-six languages, as well as his first novel, Sunfall. He is a regular presenter of TV science documentaries and the long-running Radio 4 programme, The Life Scientific. He is a recipient of the Royal Society Faraday medal, the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal and the Stephen Hawking Medal. His latest book, The World According to Physics, was published in 2020 by Princeton University Press. His new book, The Joy of Science, in out in Spring 2022.

Customer reviews

5 star		70%
4 star		19%
3 star		6%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from Canada

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Diogo de Oliveira Biazus

I liked the broad approach

Reviewed in Canada on June 8, 2015

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For someone that does not understand anything about quantum mechanics and never had any formal education in the field is an exciting and clarifying read on the subject. I liked the broad approach, where he tells a bit of the history, some of the fundamental concepts and modern applications of the theories.

2 people found this helpful

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David B Richman

The World As We Can't Imagine It!

Reviewed in Canada on April 29, 2004

Biologists have to a great degree ignored the strange world of quantum physics. As Chet Raymo (actually an Astronomer) observes it is difficult to see how quantum effects could really touch the scale at which we function. Raymo in fact believes that such effects may cancel each other out at our scale. I think, however, that this may be a narrow, if comfortable, view. Roger Penrose has proposed that consciousness itself may be a quantum effect and Johnjoe McFadden believes that quantum effects may very well have bearing on the evolution of life. As a biologist I am struck with the inability of scientists to actually define life, other than by the reductionist view that it is a series of chemical processes. There are in fact many chemical processes that are not life and so this does not quite satisfy.
However, this is not to get into heavy metaphysics or to take on some mystical view of life. It is, however, to acknowledge the basic weirdness of life that fits, it seems to me, into the weirdness of the quantum universe. I suspect that future scientists will discover that life has more to it than fits the conventional view. But then our view of the universe, including life, has always changed with new insights and I doubt that we have (or will ever) reach full understanding of it all.
Jim Al Khalili has caught the excitement of the old and new developments in quantum theory in "Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed." Once you get past the somewhat glitzy format, you find a solid and fascinating description of the extremely weird quantum world in which matter acts like waves and waves act like matter and in which mere observation can and does change results. The extreme weirdness of Bell's theorem and entrainment soon make the reader realize almost against their will that we live not in the neat ordered universe envisioned by Newton or even Einstein, but in the much stranger world of entrainment and "chance" events. To top it all off we discover that the brain may be a "quantum computer" that functions in ways quite different from the desk top computers that we use every day.
If you thought the universe made perfect sense read this book and be disillusioned!

3 people found this helpful

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J.C.

Best intro to quantum theory for non-specialists

Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2003

I became interested in quantum theory after reading Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe" about six months ago; since then I have gone to some lengths to find a book that would explain quantum theory in a way that was non-formal enough for me to understand but not excessively simplified. Until recently, I hadn't found any thing that fit this description -- until, that is, I ran into this book at my local book store. It is BY FAR the best explanation of quantum theory for someone who is relatively (or even completely) unfamiliar with it. The author explains the theory in a step by step fashion, not leaving anything implied or unsaid, but in no way is insulting to one's intelligence. As a philosophy grad student, I especially appreciated the chapter on the various interpretations of quantum theory, including the 'many-worlds' interpretation that reminded me very much of David Lewis's metaphysical system (in which all possible worlds actually exist somewhere). I bought this book at 10:30 p.m. and had read half of it by the time I went to bed, and finished the rest of it the next day. It is that good! Highly, highly recommended.

5 people found this helpful

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William Tillier

complex topic - wonderful book

Reviewed in Canada on August 24, 2003

This book is beautiful in all aspects. It is very well written, interesting and has great illustrations. The author takes a very complex and many times seemingly illogical topic and makes it both understandable and interesting. We are also given alternative views and told when the state of the art falls short of understanding. I would like to see a second edition in 10 years covering new advances in the topic. One of the best books I have seen in science in the past few years.

4 people found this helpful

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James E. Vancik

Not another popular press quantum book

Reviewed in Canada on November 3, 2003

I must admit I bought this book for the pictures, glossy pages and arty production just to add to my collection of physicist authored books. If you can ignore the pretentious british spelling centred around colours and flavours etc etc ad nauseam, however, what you will get is a remarkably up to date and extensive exploration of what the quantum is. What I particularly liked about this book is that you don't read about the author's interpretation of the wavefunction equation but instead explore its various attributes and meanings and uses. I certainly rate this book at the top of its genre.

2 people found this helpful

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Paul P. Mealing

One of the best books I've read on the subject for the layperson and student

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2017

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I would recommend this book to anyone seeking an introduction to quantum mechanics. I am well read in this area, yet I have learnt some new things, like how the Fourier transform on the wave function gives a mathematical reason for Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Khalili doesn't gloss over the counter-intuitive, not to mention weird, aspects of quantum physics. In fact, he does his best to explain that the 'quantum world' is totally consistent within the confines of its mathematical rules whilst defying all attempts to explain its physical manifestations based on our everyday experience.

He only includes one equation in the book, for 'aesthetic reasons', which he calls 'the most important equation in physics': Schrodinger's equation (John Barrow gives it the same status). Not all physicists agree, like Carlo Rovelli, who argues that the wave function is a fiction and therefore an illusory mathematical tool. Khalili, on the other hand, makes the wave function central to his exposition on virtually all aspects of the subject, whilst acknowledging its existence outside mathematics is not an undisputed fact. However, only a wave function can provide a visual analogue for physical phenomena that are unique to quantum mechanics like superposition and entanglement.

23 people found this helpful

Mrs Doc

Being one of the ‘perplexed’ - a great read!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 11, 2022

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I like this writer and have a few of his books on this subject. I particularly like this book because he writes about the topic in straightforward language that someone at ‘entry level’ can understand and in a non condescending way that doesn’t make me feel ‘thick’ (Grade 2 CSE Maths) because I find it really hard to grasp it all. He then includes an essay on the subject matter by another expert in the field. I read a few pages every night and it certainly gives me something to think about in the period between being wide awake and slumber!

One person found this helpful

Amazon Customer

One of the best pop-science books on Quantum Mechanics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2018

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I am an occasional reader of pop-science books, and I thought this one in particular was great. I read through this book as part of research for a quantum mechanics-based project at school. This is, no doubt, an enjoyable and accessible read for the layman, but even as a physics student myself, I did not find it to be vague or patronizing considering I already had some knowledge of quantum mechanics, it was also enjoyable for me. All in all, this book was one of the best pop-science books I found on quantum mechanics, and it did a great job explaining some more difficult concepts, thanks to its numerous diagrams and examples, and well-written prose.

6 people found this helpful

Christian T.

Good for videos subtitles

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2018

Verified Purchase

The dialog may be suitable for a video presentation where you have images to focus on as the author rambles along, but not so in book form.
Although I have enjoyed Dr Al-Khahili's BBC videos on the subject. I found this book annoyingly confusing.
The problem is his juxtaposition of of possibilities and facts; i.e. is the paragraph a presentation of the students question, or the teaches answer.

7 people found this helpful

Ronald Fraser

Was always curious about this topic and was looking for a way in...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

So as the title suggests I was wanting to get into this topic for a while and was looking for books that could explain it in ways thatade sense and provoke me into finding out more and learn in the process. This book certainly helped do that, there were a couple of bits which I felt weren't perhaps explained the best for my taste, but that is more a problem my side I think than the book or its content. Overall happy with the purchase and I will give it another read to see if that makes a difference to the parts which, as I say, maybe didn't take root on first pass.

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Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed Paperback – Sept. 1 2004

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Jim Al-Khalili

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