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Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics
Physics, once known as "natural philosophy," is the most basic science, explaining the world we live in, from the largest scale down to the very, very, very smallest, and our understanding of it has changed over many centuries. In Black Bodies and Quantum Cats , science writer Jennifer Ouellette traces key developments in the field, setting descriptions of the fundamentals of physics in their historical context as well as against a broad cultural backdrop. Newton’s laws are illustrated via the film Addams Family Values , while Back to the Future demonstrates the finer points of special relativity. Poe’s "The Purloined Letter" serves to illuminate the mysterious nature of neutrinos, and Jeanette Winterson’s novel Gut Symmetries provides an elegant metaphorical framework for string theory. An enchanting and edifying read, Black Bodies and Quantum Cats shows that physics is not an arcane field of study but a profoundly human endeavor—and a fundamental part of our everyday world.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ouellette
8 books66 followersJennifer Ouellette is the author of The Calculus Diaries: How Math Can Help You Lose Weight, Win in Vegas, and Survive a Zombie Apocalypse, due out August 31, 2010. She is also the author of The Physics of the Buffyverse (2007) and Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics (2006), both published by Penguin. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, Discover, New Scientist, Salon, Symmetry, Nature, and Physics Today, among other venues. She blogs at Discovery News, and maintains the group science blog Cocktail Party Physics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 18, 2017
Black Bodies and Quantum Cats: Tales from the Annals of Physics, by Jennifer Ouellette, explores the many stories of different physicists throughout history. It features 38 chapters, each with its own unique story and set of characters relating to one concept or invention in the world of physics. Despite the dryness and antiquity of most of the source content, Ouellette gears the book towards young contemporary readers by employing copious amounts of pop culture references. The book covers a wide timeframe: from the visionary inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, through the ingenious breakthroughs of Albert Einstein, to the modern day intrigue of quantum physics and particle colliders.
One of the main things I liked about this book is that the author depicts the personalities and quirks of the inventors and physicists discussed. It’s very easy to think of these people as perfect logical thinkers with an affinity for crunching numbers, but they were in fact human beings with mundane unscientific thoughts and feelings just like you and me. They had the same vices and made the same mistakes that we do to this day. A prime example of this is when the author talks about Isaac Newton’s theories on light. She says that once Newton’s ideas were rejected by his peers and colleagues “....he found himself embroiled in a contentious and sometimes bitter four-year debate [...] Always a bit prickly and prideful, Newton refused to publish anything further on the subject” (Ouellette, 154). This portrayal of Newton as petty and punitive shocked me. Before reading this I had only known him as one of the greatest minds in science and the inventor of calculus. The notion that this legendary man was in fact not so legendary after all bizarrely made him more likeable to me. It is this representation of the imperfect and prideful scientist that made all the stories in this book more compelling to me.
However, there was one thing about this book that annoyed me to no end while I was reading it: the constant pop culture references. These references felt patronizing, condescending, and sometimes very far removed from the concept at hand. In chapter 20, After including a paragraph about Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, and how it helped introduce the concept of a dual personality into modern culture. The author then begins a tangent in another paragraph into modern day superheroes such as Superman and Batman and their connection to duality before even beginning to touch on physics in the chapter. Then she proceeds to begin the next paragraph with “So it shouldn’t be surprising that duality also pops up in modern physics” (153). This transition felt like the author was reaching too far for a pop culture connection. Duality is a very easy concept to grasp for almost everyone who lives in modern society. Similarly, every chapter began and ended with a forced pop culture anecdote that was only loosely connected to the topic at hand. These references were redundant and insulting.
One of the main things I liked about this book is that the author depicts the personalities and quirks of the inventors and physicists discussed. It’s very easy to think of these people as perfect logical thinkers with an affinity for crunching numbers, but they were in fact human beings with mundane unscientific thoughts and feelings just like you and me. They had the same vices and made the same mistakes that we do to this day. A prime example of this is when the author talks about Isaac Newton’s theories on light. She says that once Newton’s ideas were rejected by his peers and colleagues “....he found himself embroiled in a contentious and sometimes bitter four-year debate [...] Always a bit prickly and prideful, Newton refused to publish anything further on the subject” (Ouellette, 154). This portrayal of Newton as petty and punitive shocked me. Before reading this I had only known him as one of the greatest minds in science and the inventor of calculus. The notion that this legendary man was in fact not so legendary after all bizarrely made him more likeable to me. It is this representation of the imperfect and prideful scientist that made all the stories in this book more compelling to me.
However, there was one thing about this book that annoyed me to no end while I was reading it: the constant pop culture references. These references felt patronizing, condescending, and sometimes very far removed from the concept at hand. In chapter 20, After including a paragraph about Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, and how it helped introduce the concept of a dual personality into modern culture. The author then begins a tangent in another paragraph into modern day superheroes such as Superman and Batman and their connection to duality before even beginning to touch on physics in the chapter. Then she proceeds to begin the next paragraph with “So it shouldn’t be surprising that duality also pops up in modern physics” (153). This transition felt like the author was reaching too far for a pop culture connection. Duality is a very easy concept to grasp for almost everyone who lives in modern society. Similarly, every chapter began and ended with a forced pop culture anecdote that was only loosely connected to the topic at hand. These references were redundant and insulting.
May 4, 2013
" Question. Explore. Let your curiosity overcome your fear. You may be surprised to find that the world of physics isn't such a scary, alien place after all."
With these encouraging words Jennifer Ouellette gives us an immensely interesting book on Physics. Beginning with the publication of De Divina Proportione in 1509 to the development of string theory till 2003, she covers it all.
Writing a book on physics is undoubtedly hard. And this is one of those rare books that you'll find hard to put down. It doesn't bore for a second. Filled with instances from books but mainly many TV series' and movies, the author shows us the world of physics, the scientists, their lives, and how we came to be living in the kind of world we are today.
The Da Vinci Code, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, War Of The Worlds, Addam's Family etc are just some of the names used to compare the theories with. Art, Literature, music all find it's way in this book.
An enchanting read. Also to learn a great deal from. It's like QI episodes in a book, without the charm of Stephen Fry of course.
With these encouraging words Jennifer Ouellette gives us an immensely interesting book on Physics. Beginning with the publication of De Divina Proportione in 1509 to the development of string theory till 2003, she covers it all.
Writing a book on physics is undoubtedly hard. And this is one of those rare books that you'll find hard to put down. It doesn't bore for a second. Filled with instances from books but mainly many TV series' and movies, the author shows us the world of physics, the scientists, their lives, and how we came to be living in the kind of world we are today.
The Da Vinci Code, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, War Of The Worlds, Addam's Family etc are just some of the names used to compare the theories with. Art, Literature, music all find it's way in this book.
An enchanting read. Also to learn a great deal from. It's like QI episodes in a book, without the charm of Stephen Fry of course.
May 12, 2013
Jennifer Ouellette collects 38 of her best essays on physics in one volume. Writing for the layman, Jennifer makes every attempt to bring high flying physics logic down to earth. Ultimately, I found this shotgun survey approach to all things physics difficult to digest. In non-fiction (like fiction), short stories often fail to keep my interest. For non-fiction science, perhaps blame new media sources for this view.
Before high-speed internet, this was the sort of book I'd acquire to explore the world of science. A regular smorgasbord of science and history. Fast forward a decade. Television is the place to go for a general science fix.
With Hulu, Netflix, the Science Channel, and other multi-media sources, I can get everything science 24/7. Even at this moment (playing on TV as I type) 'Captain James T. Kirk'- William Shatner is narrating a show called Mars Rising on the Science Channel. Now days, I would rather get the book to explore one of the essay topics in depth.
I would mention one essay because it reminded me of a common quote in the self-help literature. Essay 15, May 1888: Tesla and Electric Power Generation.
I recall this article because it illustrates two kinds of people in the mind of architect, inventor and futurist Richard Buckminster Fuller. He opined that our lives often revolve around either money or meaning. And the sooner we decide which orbit were in, the better off we'll be.
Tesla was a man driven by meaning, Edison was driven by money. They worked together to help bring us electric power generation. Tesla was for a period Edison's employee. Edison wanted to market the already developed DC power, Tesla wanted the superior but still in development AC power. For Edison, the question was not about which was better, it was about making money faster. For Tesla, it was always about the science.
AC won out in the end but not before Edison made every effort to discredit it (and it's advocates) in a smear campaign. Tesla even gave away his numerous patent rights to Westinghouse so the struggling company could keep operating and spreading AC power. Tesla died poor but he never gave up on his science study.
Ouellette writes a good book, 3.5 stars, but for me, too many different articles. I tried carrying the book in the car for random reads but it started to feel like the never ending story.
Before high-speed internet, this was the sort of book I'd acquire to explore the world of science. A regular smorgasbord of science and history. Fast forward a decade. Television is the place to go for a general science fix.
With Hulu, Netflix, the Science Channel, and other multi-media sources, I can get everything science 24/7. Even at this moment (playing on TV as I type) 'Captain James T. Kirk'- William Shatner is narrating a show called Mars Rising on the Science Channel. Now days, I would rather get the book to explore one of the essay topics in depth.
I would mention one essay because it reminded me of a common quote in the self-help literature. Essay 15, May 1888: Tesla and Electric Power Generation.
I recall this article because it illustrates two kinds of people in the mind of architect, inventor and futurist Richard Buckminster Fuller. He opined that our lives often revolve around either money or meaning. And the sooner we decide which orbit were in, the better off we'll be.
Tesla was a man driven by meaning, Edison was driven by money. They worked together to help bring us electric power generation. Tesla was for a period Edison's employee. Edison wanted to market the already developed DC power, Tesla wanted the superior but still in development AC power. For Edison, the question was not about which was better, it was about making money faster. For Tesla, it was always about the science.
AC won out in the end but not before Edison made every effort to discredit it (and it's advocates) in a smear campaign. Tesla even gave away his numerous patent rights to Westinghouse so the struggling company could keep operating and spreading AC power. Tesla died poor but he never gave up on his science study.
Ouellette writes a good book, 3.5 stars, but for me, too many different articles. I tried carrying the book in the car for random reads but it started to feel like the never ending story.
November 26, 2017
This book is ok for people who want the Schoolhouse Rock version of things. I found the numerous pop-culture references irrelevant at best and condescending at worst, as when the author uses The Addams Family to discuss gravity. I almost threw the book across the room the fourth or fifth time I had to read yet another reference to Pugsley and Wednesday trying to kill their baby brother, and that was just in one chapter.
Science fascinates me and I'll be the first to admit that the math completely scares me off, but this book goes just a little too far in the opposite direction. I get the feeling the author is working too hard to make physics approachable, and the effect is too cutsey simple. Take out the stupid pop-culture references, and it could be a much better book.
Science fascinates me and I'll be the first to admit that the math completely scares me off, but this book goes just a little too far in the opposite direction. I get the feeling the author is working too hard to make physics approachable, and the effect is too cutsey simple. Take out the stupid pop-culture references, and it could be a much better book.
November 22, 2021
I was put onto this book after researching the background to the fascinating “The Big Picture” by Sean Carroll, which turned out to be her spouse. I have tried hard to plough through Ouellette’s book but have given up after 200 pages. It tries to be a walk though the discoveries and mysteries of science for the curious neophyte, using the technique of starting each chapter with an everyday (humanistic) anecdote, but somehow fails to both enthral or illuminate. Maybe my intellect isn’t up for it, but many of the analogies used just don’t work!
August 17, 2012
A collection of interesting stories spanning several centuries of physics, this book doesn't focus too much on the physics but can definitely get the reader excited about physics! Written as a collection of tales, Jennifer Ouellette does an excellent job of putting together what some may consider as "boring sciency stuff" with fascinating stories.
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July 21, 2025This is the kind of well written 'pop-science' that I like, found on The Angel bookshelf in Woodbridge
Its hard to summarise a book that covers so much, in 38 small chapters, everything from da Vinci and Newton to string theory and exotic sub-atomic particles. Its odd that the scientists have become less interesting as the science has become more abstract and impenetrable; except Einstien of course. Oh, and one other thing, who designed the cover, mad staring cat, and blurb, 'tales of...mad science', '...great fun...' - not sure who the target audience is, horrible histories readers?!
Its hard to summarise a book that covers so much, in 38 small chapters, everything from da Vinci and Newton to string theory and exotic sub-atomic particles. Its odd that the scientists have become less interesting as the science has become more abstract and impenetrable; except Einstien of course. Oh, and one other thing, who designed the cover, mad staring cat, and blurb, 'tales of...mad science', '...great fun...' - not sure who the target audience is, horrible histories readers?!
August 11, 2018
Excelente para todo publico
March 10, 2011
Things I did not understand at all prior to reading this book: why static electricity works, how microscopes and telescopes work, gravity, electricity, how cameras work, why airplanes fly, how telephones work, roller coasters, the advent of cinema, x-rays, “blackbodies”, relativity, rockets, photocopies, atomic bombs, foams, Velcro, lasers, fractals, microwaves, all of whatever Chapter 33 is about, and string theory. Things I still don’t understand after reading this book: “blackbodies” and Chapter 33. Things I partially understand, but not completely: relativity, electricity, string theory.
Ouelette’s text is intelligible, though, even to a layperson such as myself. By incorporating examples from popular media, she is able to apply things one is already familiar with to a completely unfamiliar subject. The only difficulties I had were in understanding terminology that was born from physics and been subverted to refer to more simplified and common experiences. For example, my concept of the word ‘frequency’ has to do with the number of times a certain thing occurs, i.e. the frequency with which I am able to wear jeans to work. In physics, frequency apparently refers to the lengths of waves and oscillations in electric currents.
The chapters are relatively short, and cover an entire theory or invention, and the order is loosely chronological. The earlier chapters, because they dealt with simpler inventions such as the telescope and cameras, were easier to digest. I was able to make it about a third of the way through before I had to put it down and read something else, just to give my brain a rest. For this reason, I suggest reading it in small chunks, but not, say, in a waiting room or on the subway because it does require concentration and distractions can cause a person to have to start the whole chapter over. I hate to tell people 'read this on the toilet,' but that seems to be the best place I can think of in this instance.
As always, extra points go to any book that references Buffy the Vampire Slayer which this one does twice. Bonus!
Ouelette’s text is intelligible, though, even to a layperson such as myself. By incorporating examples from popular media, she is able to apply things one is already familiar with to a completely unfamiliar subject. The only difficulties I had were in understanding terminology that was born from physics and been subverted to refer to more simplified and common experiences. For example, my concept of the word ‘frequency’ has to do with the number of times a certain thing occurs, i.e. the frequency with which I am able to wear jeans to work. In physics, frequency apparently refers to the lengths of waves and oscillations in electric currents.
The chapters are relatively short, and cover an entire theory or invention, and the order is loosely chronological. The earlier chapters, because they dealt with simpler inventions such as the telescope and cameras, were easier to digest. I was able to make it about a third of the way through before I had to put it down and read something else, just to give my brain a rest. For this reason, I suggest reading it in small chunks, but not, say, in a waiting room or on the subway because it does require concentration and distractions can cause a person to have to start the whole chapter over. I hate to tell people 'read this on the toilet,' but that seems to be the best place I can think of in this instance.
As always, extra points go to any book that references Buffy the Vampire Slayer which this one does twice. Bonus!
March 24, 2014
Originally written as columns for The Annals of Physics, this book compiles thirty-eight of the author’s essays on the development of scientific thought through history. The author is not a scientist, so that she brings a layperson’s perspective to her writings on these technical topics, which makes them more accessible to those without more advanced science backgrounds. In addition, the author does a pretty good job, for the most part, of placing the scientific concepts into historical context, so that the reader can better grasp the incremental development of our understanding of our universe. This is good reading for those who want to understand more about what modern science tells us about the universe, but are intimidated by the complexity of scientific details.
Much of the content of this book was a review for me, as I have encountered these concepts elsewhere. But in certain cases, the historical context was new to me and occasionally even surprising. I probably learned the most in the discussion of the more modern concepts here, especially those topics that deal with quantum physics, which have long struck me as more than a bit mysterious. The explanations here helped me clarify my understanding of these matters somewhat. I still can’t claim much expertise, but I suspect that I might be able to read further on these concepts with less confusion, which would be an improvement. Even the final chapter, on string theory, helped me expand my awareness of these ideas, even if the concept of an eleven dimensional reality still gives me a headache!
Much of the content of this book was a review for me, as I have encountered these concepts elsewhere. But in certain cases, the historical context was new to me and occasionally even surprising. I probably learned the most in the discussion of the more modern concepts here, especially those topics that deal with quantum physics, which have long struck me as more than a bit mysterious. The explanations here helped me clarify my understanding of these matters somewhat. I still can’t claim much expertise, but I suspect that I might be able to read further on these concepts with less confusion, which would be an improvement. Even the final chapter, on string theory, helped me expand my awareness of these ideas, even if the concept of an eleven dimensional reality still gives me a headache!
May 16, 2012
I found this book very enjoyable, both in content and layout. It is basically a collection of stories/articles, many of which were published elsewhere such as magazines and possibly online (can't remember exactly). But this made for a nice, readable format, as it was easy to sit and read through one or two stories, put the book down, then get back to it without worrying about having lost the thread. And the stories were so interesting, and broad ranging, incorporating layman-level (mostly) science, technology, and physics knowledge into stories and history about the people involved. There was electricity, flight, Velcro, light, roller coasters, Redi-Whip, television, telephone, and more, all in the context of the people and society and worldviews of the time.
The only thing that led me to leave it at 4 stars instead of 5 was that the articles and stories were from around 2004-2006. This didn't matter for most of the information, but there were a couple of mentions of "contemporary" technology that were somewhat dated. It doesn't seem like much should have changed in 6 or 7 years, but you'd be surprised. For example, the author, in discussing television technology, discussed CRT TV technology (the pre-Plasma/LCD/LED flat screen TV's) and that TV technology still works in basically the same way. Now, I wouldn't expect her to predict the future, but I am pretty sure that there were some Plasma TV's on the market by the early 2000's...
Anyway, overall, very neat book.
The only thing that led me to leave it at 4 stars instead of 5 was that the articles and stories were from around 2004-2006. This didn't matter for most of the information, but there were a couple of mentions of "contemporary" technology that were somewhat dated. It doesn't seem like much should have changed in 6 or 7 years, but you'd be surprised. For example, the author, in discussing television technology, discussed CRT TV technology (the pre-Plasma/LCD/LED flat screen TV's) and that TV technology still works in basically the same way. Now, I wouldn't expect her to predict the future, but I am pretty sure that there were some Plasma TV's on the market by the early 2000's...
Anyway, overall, very neat book.
October 30, 2012
A wonderful look at quantum physics written in a style that accommodates everyone from the layman to working scientist.
Jennifer Ouellette, the author, uses metaphors which reference everything from novels to current affairs. This was a wonderful, and at times whimsical tool which pulled me in.
So many books on quantum physics are either tomes 'dumbed down' to appeal to an average high school student mentality that it has made be berserk. On the other end, far too many are so far above the reach of the 'armchair physicist' that they are unreadable.
Gah it's difficult to find a book that appeals to so many, and explains a subject that is simply off-putting to many due to the science itself.
Have to recommend this one to readers with a smattering of knowledge on the subject. If you don't get jokes about Schrodinger's cat I'd avoid it.
Loved the chapter which revolves around the earliest movies and original camera obscura. Not only learned more about physics but had a nifty and fun-filled history lesson as well.
The entire book flows in this way. The author catches your fancy with a historical, literary, artistic, bizarre or current event (the Hubble telescope for instance) and can weave the theory of relativity into the story. A perfect way to learn.
Fun book that's filled with anecdotes, history, grins, absurdity and.... quantum physics!
Jennifer Ouellette, the author, uses metaphors which reference everything from novels to current affairs. This was a wonderful, and at times whimsical tool which pulled me in.
So many books on quantum physics are either tomes 'dumbed down' to appeal to an average high school student mentality that it has made be berserk. On the other end, far too many are so far above the reach of the 'armchair physicist' that they are unreadable.
Gah it's difficult to find a book that appeals to so many, and explains a subject that is simply off-putting to many due to the science itself.
Have to recommend this one to readers with a smattering of knowledge on the subject. If you don't get jokes about Schrodinger's cat I'd avoid it.
Loved the chapter which revolves around the earliest movies and original camera obscura. Not only learned more about physics but had a nifty and fun-filled history lesson as well.
The entire book flows in this way. The author catches your fancy with a historical, literary, artistic, bizarre or current event (the Hubble telescope for instance) and can weave the theory of relativity into the story. A perfect way to learn.
Fun book that's filled with anecdotes, history, grins, absurdity and.... quantum physics!
February 19, 2011
Overall this is a highly informative and readable book, filled with quirky introductions to topics in the history of physics.
On the other hand, for a book whose author proudly states in the preface, I have taken great pains to be accurate, there appear to be some remarkably nonsensical statements in the earlier sections. For example:
p.25. It is possible to observe individual atoms at resolutions as small as the thickness of a human hair.
p.44. Metal is positively charged.
Other inaccuracies
p.40. "Newton was careful to give due credit to the work of those who came before him". This is contradicted by various documentaries suggesting that he was far from keen on acknowledging e.g. Robert Hooke.
p.61. Dr Guillotin did NOT have his head cut off by the machine that bears his name. An opponent of the death penalty, he died of natural causes in 1814 (see e.g., Wikipedia, or Encyc. Brit.)
p.200. The Feynman diagram shows an electron on the left interacting via a photon with a positron on the right. Mysteriously, these oppositely charged particles seem to be shown repelling one another.
On the other hand, for a book whose author proudly states in the preface, I have taken great pains to be accurate, there appear to be some remarkably nonsensical statements in the earlier sections. For example:
p.25. It is possible to observe individual atoms at resolutions as small as the thickness of a human hair.
p.44. Metal is positively charged.
Other inaccuracies
p.40. "Newton was careful to give due credit to the work of those who came before him". This is contradicted by various documentaries suggesting that he was far from keen on acknowledging e.g. Robert Hooke.
p.61. Dr Guillotin did NOT have his head cut off by the machine that bears his name. An opponent of the death penalty, he died of natural causes in 1814 (see e.g., Wikipedia, or Encyc. Brit.)
p.200. The Feynman diagram shows an electron on the left interacting via a photon with a positron on the right. Mysteriously, these oppositely charged particles seem to be shown repelling one another.
Read
July 27, 2016I should add some thoughts on the book. I haven't read it all, in fact I've only read the first three chapters. This year I really want to read and clear out as many of my book piles as I can manage. This book hasn't engaged me enough to want to hang on to it at the moment and I just want to clear it out. It's not bad but... it's a collection of science articles, mixed up with popular culture to make it accesible to us non scientific folks. Although sometimes that grates a little. The first chapter was on Leonardo Da Vinci - they have written books on him. But she seemed to spend far too much time in the article explaining the plot of The Da Vinci Code to me. What? (not a Dan Brown fan).
As I've not read that much of the book I don't feel that I can give it a rating. But considering I started this in April and it's still hanging around in July, it's got to go.
As I've not read that much of the book I don't feel that I can give it a rating. But considering I started this in April and it's still hanging around in July, it's got to go.
February 7, 2012
A series of essays about various milestones in the history of physics from Leonardo da Vinci to string theory. If you are a hardcore physicist, you will probably find this too dumbed down to be entertaining. However, though I was already familiar with all the concepts presented here, I was drawn in by the historical anecdotes surrounding the discovery and development of these various ideas. The pop culture references, while occasionally amusing (I hadn’t known, for instance, that Fabio once killed a goose with his face), could have been cut. They were not always relevant and the connection often felt forced. Still, I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and will have to find some other science history texts in the future.
March 6, 2013
This seems to be a starter book - that is if you are seeking to know more specifically about "black bodies and Schrodinger's cat. If that is what you seek, you should probably look elsewhere. Since you have to skip most of the book to get past relativity and into the quantum world -- for the book is quite chronological -- I'd deem it underwhelming.
However, there is another way to evaluate this book. It contains a series of cute but not cutesy articles about science history and science marvels which, as such, is interesting, fairly relaxed, and moderately provocative of desire to know more. On this basis I rate it a 3 of 5.
If you are a history-of-science buff, it is a refreshiing reminder. If you are new to the genre, or are curious about it, then I'd give it a try.
##
However, there is another way to evaluate this book. It contains a series of cute but not cutesy articles about science history and science marvels which, as such, is interesting, fairly relaxed, and moderately provocative of desire to know more. On this basis I rate it a 3 of 5.
If you are a history-of-science buff, it is a refreshiing reminder. If you are new to the genre, or are curious about it, then I'd give it a try.
##
August 23, 2008
This book is a great history of physics. Jennifer Ouellette does a fine job of packaging complex topics into an easy universal media that should be understandable for just about anyone.
Additionally she spends time in each chapter giving a brief bio on the key players and their achievements. She also does a good job of telling both sides of a controversial subject without picking a side, such as camera obsura and artist from the 16-1700’s using these devices to “fake” art. More often then not for every person you find that agrees they cheated you will find another that believes they didn’t.
Additionally she spends time in each chapter giving a brief bio on the key players and their achievements. She also does a good job of telling both sides of a controversial subject without picking a side, such as camera obsura and artist from the 16-1700’s using these devices to “fake” art. More often then not for every person you find that agrees they cheated you will find another that believes they didn’t.
April 2, 2016
I knew everything the first few articles covered, so I was quickly prepared to be disappointed by the overall book, but instead there were only four or five before it switched to new or mostly-new information, which was awesome, and I ended up quite happy that I read it.
But I had to knock a star off for two reasons. One, it's getting old; the science only goes through 2005-ish, so the LHC is still under construction, and the Higgs-boson is barely theoretical. And two, I didn't really care for some of the metaphors used to illustrate points. Some were great, some were okay, and some were really quite a stretch, and more distracting than useful.
But I had to knock a star off for two reasons. One, it's getting old; the science only goes through 2005-ish, so the LHC is still under construction, and the Higgs-boson is barely theoretical. And two, I didn't really care for some of the metaphors used to illustrate points. Some were great, some were okay, and some were really quite a stretch, and more distracting than useful.
November 5, 2007
In college i took a class called "Physics for Poets," designed for English and drama majors to get their science credits without a fuss.
This book is similar -- the author discusses physics by relating it to various movies, books, and TV shows: Buffy, Neil Gaiman, Back to the Future, etc. The basics of relativity are covered, but so are topics far more complicated -- i can now boast a vague understanding of string theory. Best of all, the book fostered my crush on Richard Feynman. Swoon.
This book is similar -- the author discusses physics by relating it to various movies, books, and TV shows: Buffy, Neil Gaiman, Back to the Future, etc. The basics of relativity are covered, but so are topics far more complicated -- i can now boast a vague understanding of string theory. Best of all, the book fostered my crush on Richard Feynman. Swoon.
June 30, 2013
Good book full of interesting historical information on famous scientists. The science in the book covers a lot of ground but is pretty thin, however, that is not the point of the book. I really enjoyed it not for getting a deeper understanding of science but rather for getting a feel for the life and times of some very famous yet little known figures.
It is, I think a great primer for someone with a budding interest in science literature and a great read for anyone!
It is, I think a great primer for someone with a budding interest in science literature and a great read for anyone!
February 3, 2016
This book was really hard to read at times, because it was kind of text-bookish, but it made me feel really smart! The writer did a good job of relating really complex ideas to everyday kinds of things, which made it easier to read, and I learned all sorts of fun stuff. I guess my background makes this the sort of book that I'm into (and an engineering nerd too), but I thought this was really interesting. Not exactly a beach read though, which is why I'm constantly reading three books at once.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2009
This is a generally interesting book that will most likely be enjoyed by people with at least a basic background in Physics, but its attempts to make complex concepts understandable to the lay person don't always succeed. Sometimes the explanations are far too general, other times far too technical.
April 13, 2012
The book covers a lot of really fascinating material, however, as it was written to entertain and introduce these concepts, the approach is really basic. Read this at the beginning of your exploration into physics.
March 24, 2016
Great essays about physics, and totally accessible to the layman (me).
I read a few essays over a long time, between other books, and it was so easy to come back to this author's style. Readable and informative. High'y recommended.
I read a few essays over a long time, between other books, and it was so easy to come back to this author's style. Readable and informative. High'y recommended.
February 3, 2016
Like reading an encyclopedia, this book had a lot of information, but it was easy to follow, and the author used a lot of film references which made it fun. Her chapter on explaining QED was very clear indeed!
May 25, 2008
Awesome book. I want to say it simplified physics for the uninitiated, but it's not so much simplified as the context is modernized.
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April 11, 2010Science the way I like it -- written by an English major!
March 26, 2011
The chronological history of physics through the eyes of pop culture. A brilliant, easy read that is informative and fun.
May 13, 2012
very well written.
I like the way that the physics comes in very gradually in such a way that you don't notice that it's there. That makes it very readable
I like the way that the physics comes in very gradually in such a way that you don't notice that it's there. That makes it very readable
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