First You Build a Cloud: And Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life

by K.C. Cole

This clearly written and compelling look at physics and physicists offers "thousands of new ways to see our daily world more richly" (Douglas Hofstadter, author of Gödel, Escher, Bach).
 
For many of us, physics has always been a thing of mystery and complexity. K. C. Cole, an award-winning science writer, specializes in making its wonders accessible to the everyday reader.
 
This book uses lively prose, metaphors, and anecdotes to allow us to comprehend the nuances of gravity and light, color and shape, quarks and quasars, particles and stars, force and strength. It also shows us how the physical world is so deeply intertwined with the ways we think about culture, poetry, and philosophy, and explores the workings of such legendary scientific minds as Richard Feynman, Victor Weisskopf, brothers Frank Oppenheimer and J. Robert Oppenheimer, Philip Morrison, Vera Kistiakowsky, and Stephen Jay Gould.
 
"An exemplary science writer . . . For readers without scientific background, Cole gracefully introduces relativity, quantum theory, optics, astrophysics, and other significant disciplines, never getting bogged down in unnecessary explanation. Thus, you may not learn all about thermodynamics from reading her chapter on it, but you will learn enough to think seriously about the entropy in your own life. Cole sprinkles her text with comments from famous scientists—'Space is blue, and birds fly in it,' said Heisenberg, and Faraday said, 'Nothing is too wonderful to be true'—that are not only delightful in themselves but perfectly suited to her own text. No review of Cole's book could be too wonderful to be true." —Booklist 

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Physics

254 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 1999

About the author

For the past ten years, K.C. Cole has been a science writer and columnist for the Los Angeles Times; she has also written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Smithsonian, Discover, Newsweek, Newsday, Esquire, Ms., People and many other publications. Her articles were featured in The Best American Science Writing 2004 and 2005 and The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2002. She has also been an editor at Discover and Newsday.

Cole is the author of several nonfiction books, including Mind Over Matter: Conversations with the Cosmos; The Hole in the Universe: How Scientists Peered Over the Edge of Emptiness and Found Everything; and The Universe and the Teacup, the Mathematics of Truth and Beauty.

Reviews

[Patricia Joynton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I misplaced this book for a few days, went on to ASLEEP, then found it. Books may take 2nd place to my garden now that the weather is getting warmer!

Picked the book back up and found it to be wonderful! Makes me want to study physics, then I recall the details of physics lies in mathematics and I stop to rethink. Presents a very poetical review of the basic theories in physics, which attracts me. It may not be the most accurate professionally (according to reviews), but I'm not a physicist and not too worried about that. It gives a person a "feel" for the science, its scientists, and the theories of physics specifically.

I always thought of physics as very elevated, but I found it to be very basic! We're talking force and inertia, seeing things, light, order and disorder, particles and waves--which all seem very basic.

Cole also gives a good overview of the history of ideas and the scientists, from Newton to Einstein. I enjoyed ideas being presented in a historical manner. Kept things organized.

Favorite quote: Patterns may seem efemeral but in the end they are the enduring essence of things. They are the waves of substance that linger long after the momentary splashes of fate and fashion have gone silent.

[Dennis Littrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ideas of modern physics made delectable

Cole has taken great pains in shaping a book that informs and delights in the tradition of Guy Murchie, whose eminently readable Music of the Spheres may have served as an inspiration. In effect (since this is a complete reworking of her 1984 book, Sympathetic Vibrations) Cole wrote this book twice, the second time with the benefit of fifteen years of experience under her belt. It's clear that she wanted to accomplish two things: one, provide access to the ideas of physics to a wide readership; and two, convey the enthusiasm and awesome delight for physics found in the work of the greats like Newton, Einstein, Gamow, Bohr, Feynman and the Oppenheimer brothers.

She succeeds. This is science writing for a popular audience at its finest. As such it is a perfect gift especially for a young person interested in science, or for anyone who would like to know more about the way physicists view our world. It is a work of love filled with luscious quotes from the great scientists and others who have shaped our modern view of the universe. In a sense it is a celebration of the scientific view of life.

I have read Cole's The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty (1998) which enjoyed a well-deserved popular success, but I can tell you, this is an even better book. There is a sincerity and depth of earnestness here that delights. Cole's warm and human style brings the world of modern physics to life.

--Dennis Littrell, author of “The World Is Not as We Think It Is”

[Chelsea Smart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read half. I had hoped for new knowledge, but this author’s presentation of physics in its relation to metaphysics, aesthetics, morality, etc. . . was quotidian. Any high school graduate is already aware of the grounds this author covers. Who is this author’s target audience?

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akira Ikegami is a famous Japanese journalist. Since the last decade or so, he has been known as being “that older guy who has a knack for explaining complicated things in ways simple folk get.” As you can probably tell by this unusual introduction to a book far and away not about Japan or journalists, the only remainder in the above set of variables is the “simple folk”—that’s me! I am far and way not a traditionally smart person, a less than bright light bulb if there ever was one. But a thirst for knowledge is something that has been growing and books that more or less gently introduce me to advance concepts have gotten a large share of my attention as of late.

This all brings me to First You Build a Cloud, a not necessarily new book, but one that by its sub-title, And Other Reflections on Physics as a Way of Life may have been tailor made for those like me. And let me tell you, K.C. Cole succeeds. Not only that, but this really is a book that’s rooted deeply in physics and then takes that to look at the world around us; it’s philosophy with a scientific foundation—heavy emphasis on the latter.

What this book is not: “Physics for Dummies” (if that book actually exists, a thousand apologies for those who like it). This is not a “hand-holding” book, but more of what I’d consider—and bear with me for this is an odd, but perhaps solid comparison—The Guide For the Perplexed is to Joseph ben Judah, Maimonides’s confused student who needed clarification on matters of import. Or back to modern phrases, no hand-holding, but more of an arm around the shoulder while a very smart person explains very advanced concepts to a not as smart person. Obviously, First You Build a Cloud does not approach Guide in its complexity, but it has a similar vibe: this is a 210 page or so exploration for a dear friend who really wants to get started in physics studies and may need that helping arm.

It’s important to note that this book leans very hard into the “physics for my dear friend” aspect. While each chapter is littered with illustrious quotes from scientific greats both past and present, what is lacking are actual footnotes. The book in fact has almost none. Thus, this is far and away not an academic read but a gateway read that if it clicked for the right person can lead to future endeavors into more academic publications with harder data, but perhaps an even greater reward upon comprehension.

Physics is indeed a way of life, not just for the author and not just as adorns the book under its main title. What we have here is not what may some may assume to be a “philosophy book that sometimes gets sciencey”. From start to finish with few respites it’s science through and through, but gently unfolded (see the previous paragraph or the following quote on why we need wormholes more than ever):

“Finally, the energy/matter connection is the reason behind the observable fact that light speed is the speed limit of the universe. No energy or information can travel faster than light, because as anything begins to approach the speed of light it gains an ever increasing amount of mass. Mass is a measure of inertia, the resistance to a change in motion. So the more speed or motion something has, the harder it is to make it go faster, because it also has become more massive. Eventually, the thing gets infinitely massive, which means that it would take an infinite force to make it go any faster. So even inertia is not absolute: Inertia increases the faster you go.” (page 142, eBook)

Science fans who are not embarrassed to admit they don’t know enough about physics and are willing to take things easy? This is your book.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

"What men are poets who can speak of Jupiter if he were like a man, but if he is an immense spinning sphere of methane and ammonia mut be silent? - Richard Feynman

Sometimes I "finish" a book thinking the subject matter is too hard for me to understand, but "Cloud' is one of the few books that makes me doubt my abiltiy to understand physics. An imaginative, fun and sometimes frustrating book about imagination of our universal systems. Be it the solar system or our atomic sturcture, K.C. Cole argues that our perceptions are limited. Our laws of the universe few. Yet, through an understanding of forces we have been able to reach far beyond our everyday sensations to make sense of the world.

This epistemological worldview presents itself to the curious and open-minded, but I found myself fighting to understand the threaded worldview across all subjects. I suppose forces and relationship are at the core..but alas it may be my own limitations with physics and hard-science that prevented me from the deep connection of this book.

[HV Vu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing against the book but physics has always given me nightmares, especially in undergrad years. However I loved the tying of physics to biology (my fav subject) and just life in general. I did catch more than one typo but it’s a science book not an English one and I know I couldn’t do better writing a book about physics. I must admit I started to skim in the latter half of the book (maybe it was the topic or writing I’m not entirely sure).

[Irina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Varies between presenting great explanations of difficult scientific concepts, yet also delves quite deeply into complicated matters without offering much in the way of background info.

I walked away with a desire to do further research on various scientific endeavors.

[Mario Streger · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a lot of interesting information, but the book is a little long and sometimes got me sleepy.

[Calla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent use of analogy to provide a basic overview of the theories of physics accessible to a general yet curious reader.

[Bradley White · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting jaunt through physics, but errors in the text detracts from the writing.

[Charity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. Imagery, prose, and, dare I say poetry, combine to describe physics and the world of physics. I didn't get to finish this one, as the library needed it back, but I still feel it deserves five stars.

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a wonderful book! It gives you a practical perspective on complicated physics. Must read!

[Elizabeth Turek]

This book really put me to a sleep.

[Jody Bowie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really changed the way I thought about the world. I read this during my first year of teaching and thought what a great idea