What do you think?
Rate this book
Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed
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
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
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
386 people are currently reading
3705 people want to read
About the author
Jim Al-Khalili
39books715followersDr. Jameel Sadik "Jim" Al-Khalili is an Iraqi-British theoretical physicist, author and broadcaster. He is professor of theoretical physics and chair in the public engagement in science at the University of Surrey. He is a regular broadcaster and presenter of science programmes on BBC radio and television, and a frequent commentator about science in other British media.
In 2014, Al-Khalili was named as a RISE (Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers) leader by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). He was President of Humanists UK between January 2013 and January 2016.
In 2014, Al-Khalili was named as a RISE (Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers) leader by the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). He was President of Humanists UK between January 2013 and January 2016.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
December 14, 2024
Много интересна книга, която превежда читателя през мистериозния свят на квантовата механика. Проследява се създаването на теорията през първата половина на 20-ти век от такива гениални умове като Хайзенберг, Борн, Паули, Бор, Дирак, Айнщан и др., които съдбата е предопределила да живеят и работят по едно и също време. Въпреки, че материята е сложна, книгата е написана на разбираем език, и е лесна за четене.
April 29, 2025
I don’t know if Jim Al-Khalili is a good physicist, but he’s definitely a bad author.
How he decided to publish this book is beyond me—throughout 90% of the time reading, I felt like I was reading a 2014 Facebook post. His attempts at humor were, to put it mildly, bad and completely unnecessary. There were some very strange statements, like claiming Einstein was the greatest scientist who ever lived. I mean, maybe that’s true, but why state something so subjective in what’s supposed to be a scientific book?
The topics were organized in a chaotic way, almost as if the goal was to create some kind of plot twist. The structure followed neither a chronological order nor one based on importance—although it got somewhat better by the end. The biggest meme-worthy moment was when he talked about how his wife couldn’t grasp quantum mechanics, no matter how many times he tried to explain it. Then he tells this story where they’re at a bar, and because she had nowhere to escape, she was “forced� to listen to him talk about it for two hours. And her final conclusion was that quantum mechanics is pointless nonsense. That story sounded 100% made up. Why did the fictional character who couldn’t understand physics have to be female? More importantly, why throw your own wife under the bus by indirectly implying she’s dumb? He could’ve easily used an unnamed, fictional friend for that example.
Another big problem is that I honestly can’t tell whether this book would actually help someone with no physics background understand quantum mechanics. I was already relatively familiar with the topic beforehand, so I don’t know if I was able to follow because of that prior knowledge. Maybe a few more mathematical equations would’ve helped explain the examples better. I get that it’s hard to write a book about complex physics without using calculus-level math, but that doesn’t excuse how poorly this book was written.
Pre_read
Another gifted book � honestly, I wouldn't have picked it up myself.
I'm going to do a little experiment and try reading it during my workout.
How he decided to publish this book is beyond me—throughout 90% of the time reading, I felt like I was reading a 2014 Facebook post. His attempts at humor were, to put it mildly, bad and completely unnecessary. There were some very strange statements, like claiming Einstein was the greatest scientist who ever lived. I mean, maybe that’s true, but why state something so subjective in what’s supposed to be a scientific book?
The topics were organized in a chaotic way, almost as if the goal was to create some kind of plot twist. The structure followed neither a chronological order nor one based on importance—although it got somewhat better by the end. The biggest meme-worthy moment was when he talked about how his wife couldn’t grasp quantum mechanics, no matter how many times he tried to explain it. Then he tells this story where they’re at a bar, and because she had nowhere to escape, she was “forced� to listen to him talk about it for two hours. And her final conclusion was that quantum mechanics is pointless nonsense. That story sounded 100% made up. Why did the fictional character who couldn’t understand physics have to be female? More importantly, why throw your own wife under the bus by indirectly implying she’s dumb? He could’ve easily used an unnamed, fictional friend for that example.
Another big problem is that I honestly can’t tell whether this book would actually help someone with no physics background understand quantum mechanics. I was already relatively familiar with the topic beforehand, so I don’t know if I was able to follow because of that prior knowledge. Maybe a few more mathematical equations would’ve helped explain the examples better. I get that it’s hard to write a book about complex physics without using calculus-level math, but that doesn’t excuse how poorly this book was written.
Pre_read
Another gifted book � honestly, I wouldn't have picked it up myself.
I'm going to do a little experiment and try reading it during my workout.
February 25, 2016
This book made my brain hurt. Seriously. I simultaneously realized how smart and creative theoretical physicists really are, and my little brain pales in comparison.
I really couldn't rate this book in all fairness because I'm way too conflicted about it. The author had a wonderful voice, and the book is beautifully illustrated. I seriously give him five stars for effort. He really, really tried to make this stuff understandable. He used examples. He used pictures. He didn't use sophisticated language.
Nonetheless, I just couldn't really understand a whole lot of it. I was doing pretty good in the first few chapters -- and only because I have taken a couple of years of calculus. But later on, I was just lost and also a bit bored because some of the concepts were just eluding me, and you needed those concepts to understand the latter part of the book.
I did come away with incredible admiration for folks who actually do understand this stuff and can apply it to real world applications. Because it seriously is the most counterintuitive thing I've ever come across.
A part of me would like to try another book on the subject to see I would come away any more enlightened.
A part of me would like to remain blissfully ignorant.
Another very strange thing about this book is that some of the concepts are so counter to reason that it really casts doubt in my mind on my own atheistic beliefs which are seriously derived from reason and rationale thought.
Quantum physics really seems to highlight the limits of our understanding while simultaneously showing how brilliant we are. We can create predictive mathematical formulas that WORK under all sorts of experimental conditions. But we don't know why they work.
Brain. hurts. bad.
All in all, hats off to the author for even attempting to bring this subject down to layperson's terms even if he wasn't 100% successful with this particular layperson.
March 13, 2014
Nice introduction to the main elements of quantum mechanics. The part about the different interpretations of quantum mechanics is really interesting and masterfully accomplished; it should also be pointed out that this is one of the few very books on the subject that do not fall into the usual trap of only considering the Copenhagen interpretation. Being myself particularly attracted to the De Broglie-Bohm interpretation, I found the treatment of this item by the author particularly interesting and balanced.
This book does not provide any quantitative description/treatment of QM, so while it left me a bit dissatisfied for this reason, I must admit that it may be appealing to people interested in the conceptual apparatus of QM but unwilling to go through the required mathematics.
I personally think that, in order to really understand QM, a minimum of mathematical depth is required, otherwise there is a significant risk of misunderstanding and over-simplification: as far as this particular book is concerned, while the author managed to explain some complex concepts in a admiringly simple and lucid manner, I have the impression that only with a prior more quantitative exposure to QM the reader would really be able to fully appreciate and understand the examples and arguments developed by the author.
Overall, a very good read, recommended to people with some prior, even if not at practitioner level, exposure to QM.
This book does not provide any quantitative description/treatment of QM, so while it left me a bit dissatisfied for this reason, I must admit that it may be appealing to people interested in the conceptual apparatus of QM but unwilling to go through the required mathematics.
I personally think that, in order to really understand QM, a minimum of mathematical depth is required, otherwise there is a significant risk of misunderstanding and over-simplification: as far as this particular book is concerned, while the author managed to explain some complex concepts in a admiringly simple and lucid manner, I have the impression that only with a prior more quantitative exposure to QM the reader would really be able to fully appreciate and understand the examples and arguments developed by the author.
Overall, a very good read, recommended to people with some prior, even if not at practitioner level, exposure to QM.
September 27, 2012
"Quantum Physics"... the term causes many people to either roll their eyes in an expression of pointlessness, or to just fall asleep for lack of seeing any applicable use, or to drift into apathy from an assumption that the subject is far beyond their ability to grasp. That is unfortunately because quantum physics is at its heart the study of the nature of reality, in a way that far transcends the esoteric realm of philosophy... but in a way that is not quite classic "science" either.
What I love in particular about this book, is its many color illustrations that help (at least slightly) to visualize what is being discussed. Much like the popular "For Dummies" series of books... but in a far more visually appealing way... this book seeks to show the non-scientist masses just how fascinating, weird, disturbing, and to use an overused business phrase "paradigm-shifting" the discoveries of quantum physics really are.
Your cell phone, your computer, and the GPS in your car... none of them would work at all without the principles of quantum physics. Quantum is a study of the unimaginable small. And when we look closely at such things... atoms and parts of atoms... we discover that the world around us may just be an illusion of sorts. Looking "too closely" at the fabric of matter exposes us to a world where effect can precede cause, information can travel faster-than-light, objects can absolutely be in in more than one place at the same time, and matter and energy blur into the same thing. Even more spooky and disturbing, we discover than when human beings look at an atom, the act of looking at it - being aware of its position or its velocity in our minds - actually changes its nature into being different than it was before we looked at it... because looking at it imparts an energy unto it.
Remember back in high school when they taught us that electrons go around the nucleus of an atom like the moon goes around the earth? Wrong. And they knew it was wrong when they taught us that, decades ago... it's just that you cannot explain to most high school teenagers what electrons REALLY do, so they dumb it down to an analogy of one object circling another. What's really happening within every atom in the universe? Those electrons don't orbit the nucleus... they occupy quantum areas of probability of location around the nucleus... "superpositions"... in more than one place at the same time. At least until we look at them using an electron microscope. Then, they suddenly "collapse" into being in one place, as if we caught them with their hands in the cookie jar.
The implications of this are shocking. Forget about such trivial mind games as "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it make a sound?" The real question is "If nobody is in the forest... is the forest still there... or does the forest only collapse from a potential state into a real state upon someone being there to experience it?" To take this mind-twister out of the realm of science and drag it kicking and screaming into the realm of theology... "We don't leave lights on in rooms we are not using... so why do we assume that God wastes vast amounts of energy maintaining physical reality in areas where and when nobody is looking?"
Sure, it's easy to dismiss all this as "silly talk"... until you take a moment to actually LOOK at what quantum physic experiments have been proving beyond any doubt in recent decades. Then, it's not so easy to dismiss the facts.
If you've ever seen the movie, The Matrix... there is a scene where Morpheus asks Neo if he wants to take the red pill and be made aware of the true nature of reality... or if he wants to take the blue pill, and wake up in his bed at home, and continue in blissful ignorance. I encourage you to "take the red pill" and read this book.
What I love in particular about this book, is its many color illustrations that help (at least slightly) to visualize what is being discussed. Much like the popular "For Dummies" series of books... but in a far more visually appealing way... this book seeks to show the non-scientist masses just how fascinating, weird, disturbing, and to use an overused business phrase "paradigm-shifting" the discoveries of quantum physics really are.
Your cell phone, your computer, and the GPS in your car... none of them would work at all without the principles of quantum physics. Quantum is a study of the unimaginable small. And when we look closely at such things... atoms and parts of atoms... we discover that the world around us may just be an illusion of sorts. Looking "too closely" at the fabric of matter exposes us to a world where effect can precede cause, information can travel faster-than-light, objects can absolutely be in in more than one place at the same time, and matter and energy blur into the same thing. Even more spooky and disturbing, we discover than when human beings look at an atom, the act of looking at it - being aware of its position or its velocity in our minds - actually changes its nature into being different than it was before we looked at it... because looking at it imparts an energy unto it.
Remember back in high school when they taught us that electrons go around the nucleus of an atom like the moon goes around the earth? Wrong. And they knew it was wrong when they taught us that, decades ago... it's just that you cannot explain to most high school teenagers what electrons REALLY do, so they dumb it down to an analogy of one object circling another. What's really happening within every atom in the universe? Those electrons don't orbit the nucleus... they occupy quantum areas of probability of location around the nucleus... "superpositions"... in more than one place at the same time. At least until we look at them using an electron microscope. Then, they suddenly "collapse" into being in one place, as if we caught them with their hands in the cookie jar.
The implications of this are shocking. Forget about such trivial mind games as "If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there, does it make a sound?" The real question is "If nobody is in the forest... is the forest still there... or does the forest only collapse from a potential state into a real state upon someone being there to experience it?" To take this mind-twister out of the realm of science and drag it kicking and screaming into the realm of theology... "We don't leave lights on in rooms we are not using... so why do we assume that God wastes vast amounts of energy maintaining physical reality in areas where and when nobody is looking?"
Sure, it's easy to dismiss all this as "silly talk"... until you take a moment to actually LOOK at what quantum physic experiments have been proving beyond any doubt in recent decades. Then, it's not so easy to dismiss the facts.
If you've ever seen the movie, The Matrix... there is a scene where Morpheus asks Neo if he wants to take the red pill and be made aware of the true nature of reality... or if he wants to take the blue pill, and wake up in his bed at home, and continue in blissful ignorance. I encourage you to "take the red pill" and read this book.
January 13, 2016
after discussion of the double slit experiment, the author talks about the birth of quantum physics and who should be credited with what. interesting....
Al-Khalili argues that the tradition wave-particle view being the main feature of quantum physics is limited (and has somewhat poisoned the water in picturing quantum physics)
The author talks about the different schools of thoughts / interpretations of which none are perfect .He adheres to the shut up and calculate school of QP.
Some feel. if two people have a differing opinions but no one way of settling them thorough empirical fact then their conflicting statements are meaningless and they should go and have a beer instead.
Bohrs/Heisenberg/Pauli's Copenhagen interpretation is more of a set of rules to abide by so we can use it without having to make sense of the formal explanation. (Jim A's view)
Also the C Interp. says nothing of how the process of wavefunction collapses occurs.
An number of different guest spots from academics in this book, where they talk about their specialty and research. a nice touch.
Al-Khalili argues that the tradition wave-particle view being the main feature of quantum physics is limited (and has somewhat poisoned the water in picturing quantum physics)
The author talks about the different schools of thoughts / interpretations of which none are perfect .He adheres to the shut up and calculate school of QP.
Some feel. if two people have a differing opinions but no one way of settling them thorough empirical fact then their conflicting statements are meaningless and they should go and have a beer instead.
Bohrs/Heisenberg/Pauli's Copenhagen interpretation is more of a set of rules to abide by so we can use it without having to make sense of the formal explanation. (Jim A's view)
Also the C Interp. says nothing of how the process of wavefunction collapses occurs.
An number of different guest spots from academics in this book, where they talk about their specialty and research. a nice touch.
July 9, 2024
i will just leave this here 🪼
August 29, 2022
A very good book on the topic. While it requires a rudimentary understanding of QM it is still very accessible. The only problem was the editing. 4.5 stars.
April 28, 2024
At one point in the previous few months I felt that my worldview lacked a basic understanding of quantum theory. I mean I was familiar with Schrödinger's cat and the dual nature of light, but for the love of me I couldn't tell you what a quantum computer does. Honestly, I can't say that I would be coherent when explaining it even now, but something opened up after reading this book.
Yeah, the book's old (20 years is a long time on the frontier of science) but it helped me get a better feel for the weirdness (especially in the way it's actually being applied in today's technology). Take transistors, they only work because electrons have definite, quantised orbits around a nucleus, depending on their energy and because a bit of current through silicone makes the electrons jump to a higher level and so open the semiconductor gate.
The author does a good job of making things as accessible as possible without dumbing them down. He's very conscientious, in that he doesn't invent crazy analogies or strange theories just for the sake of explanation. But I felt that he couldn't actually get to the bottom of some things. Schrödinger's equation is the only equation written down in the book and it's actually got some explanation bubbles around it describing its various components. But it's useless. Without an example of how to actually use it, or a step by step explanation of what a physicist would do with it, there's nothing to be gained from that.
That's where Youtube comes in. The experiments and explanations done by channels like 3blue1brown, Sabine Hofenstäder, Looking Glass Universe, The Action Lab, minutephysics, Professor Dave and so so many other great channels have been indispensable. I mean, the polarization filter experiments were just mind blowing (you get no light passing through two filters placed at a perpendicular angle to each other but you do get light if you add a third filter at a 45 degree angle between the two). That's the fundamental weirdness of our universe put on display for all to see.
The book was good: Al-Khalili is a great science communicator in the most important sense. He doesn't talk bullshit and keeps things as simple as possible without making stuff up. He's also on youtube, for the Royal Institute, so check him out.
Yeah, the book's old (20 years is a long time on the frontier of science) but it helped me get a better feel for the weirdness (especially in the way it's actually being applied in today's technology). Take transistors, they only work because electrons have definite, quantised orbits around a nucleus, depending on their energy and because a bit of current through silicone makes the electrons jump to a higher level and so open the semiconductor gate.
The author does a good job of making things as accessible as possible without dumbing them down. He's very conscientious, in that he doesn't invent crazy analogies or strange theories just for the sake of explanation. But I felt that he couldn't actually get to the bottom of some things. Schrödinger's equation is the only equation written down in the book and it's actually got some explanation bubbles around it describing its various components. But it's useless. Without an example of how to actually use it, or a step by step explanation of what a physicist would do with it, there's nothing to be gained from that.
That's where Youtube comes in. The experiments and explanations done by channels like 3blue1brown, Sabine Hofenstäder, Looking Glass Universe, The Action Lab, minutephysics, Professor Dave and so so many other great channels have been indispensable. I mean, the polarization filter experiments were just mind blowing (you get no light passing through two filters placed at a perpendicular angle to each other but you do get light if you add a third filter at a 45 degree angle between the two). That's the fundamental weirdness of our universe put on display for all to see.
The book was good: Al-Khalili is a great science communicator in the most important sense. He doesn't talk bullshit and keeps things as simple as possible without making stuff up. He's also on youtube, for the Royal Institute, so check him out.
February 22, 2022
I've been on a perpetual search for "plain English" explanations of quantum theory since it utterly baffled me at university in the 1980's, largely because university teaching started with the maths and bypassed any attempt at creating a coherent mental model first. Solving complex abstract equations is not just difficult but incredibly tedious - IF you don't have a good idea why you are doing it, what the equations represent and therefore what the significance is to Physics as a coherent description of the universe. Books like this, and others by the same author, redress the balance very effectively. This book takes you through much of the usual material - the photoelectric effect, black body radiation, wave/particle duality, the 'two-slits' experiment, the EPR paradox - and many of the usual actors - Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schrödinger - but does so with clarity and simplicity of language. Personally, the biggest 'click' moment was the description of the relationship between position and momentum wave functions - getting from one to the other using a fourier transform - a mathematical trick taught at university with no explanation of significance. If someone had just pointed out to me, in plain English at the time, that this was the origin of the uncertainty principle, I might have paid more attention, stuck with it, and who knows...ended up writing books like this instead of reading them!
August 17, 2015
A great book that introduces you to Quantum Physics, and as usual Jim's way is amazing, simple, clear and beautiful. You will not get bored with this book, not even if you haven't heard of Quantum, and on the other hand this book answers so many questions that you might have if you heard those stories about Quantum that make no sense (spoiler alert: they do make sense once you finish the book). The essays in the book are a good addition, they enriched the book and explained other ideas without letting the book branch into them and lose its goal. The only point that you need to notice is that this book was written in 2003, I can't imagine that this was 12 years ago, but it is, so some stuff that the book says we haven't reached or couldn't yet implement actually exist already, not necessarily in production, but at least in test labs, one example I sure know of is more than one implementation of the quantum computer. Also the book wouldn't mention the discovery of the Higgs boson and the breakthrough it made and its effects on the standard model of particle physics. But still all the ideas that are explained in this book are still valid so you really need to read it to get yourself aware of the amazing world we live in, and to prepare yourself for the future.
September 27, 2020
The first half of this book (through interpretations of quantum mechanics) is quite good. Al-Kahlili explains the history, experiments, and nature of quantum mechanics in a clear, layman's manner. Oftentimes, explanations can become more complicated when not relying on the math, but he does it clearly. He also honestly acknowledges the gaps, points out common misconceptions, and addresses reasonable objections.
The second half of this book is not as strong: he covers a wider variety of topics and applications, which is somewhat more disconnected. Also, that information is perhaps more out-of-date than the first half. You can probably skip around through a lot of that, but I do recommend you at least read the last 2 pages on quantum transportation since I think it is clearly explained and a nice wrap.
The second half of this book is not as strong: he covers a wider variety of topics and applications, which is somewhat more disconnected. Also, that information is perhaps more out-of-date than the first half. You can probably skip around through a lot of that, but I do recommend you at least read the last 2 pages on quantum transportation since I think it is clearly explained and a nice wrap.
July 4, 2020
my brain hurts
December 28, 2024
He ido dejando de entender buena parte de lo que leía una vez llegaba al final del libro, pero la idea de fondo sobre lo asombroso de la cuántica la he ido captando desde el principio hasta el final. También muy interesante todo el repaso histórico en los primeros capítulos con todo lo que se fue descubriendo a lo largo de los siglos XIX y XX y que han ido aportando mejoras tecnológicas y moldeando parte del pensamiento filosófico que está estrechamente relacionado con el mundo cuántico.
April 14, 2024
no niezle czary mary
February 3, 2025
Bello, inizia molto semplice poi mi sono un pochino persa ma spacca ho scoperto un sacco di cose stranissime e
August 12, 2018
I used to be quite fascinated with UFOs, paranormal, conspiracy theories and such like. While Forteana still interests me the utter banality and fantasy (or nowadays unpleasantness) of the rest has lost its appeal. Fortunately I discovered the world of Quantum Physics which offers more empirical weirdness, tales of the unexplained and just downright outrageous improbability than a library full of UFO lore and conspiracy ever could. Things like this: "Unless actively observed most physicists believe that the electron does not exist as a classical particle with a definite location, that all that exists is its wave function". The best thing about it is that it's there to be explored and it's not dependent on some grainy photos or voice-overs of some shady character filmed in a darkened room. Jim Al-Khalili is my favourite theoretical physicist. Beside being very good at what he does he is also very good at explaining it in terms a CSE maths failure, such as myself, can understand (he is also very handsome and has a good sense of humour). It is a clever and humourous brain that explains wave probability through the movements of an unrepentant thief and his pursuers. Al-Khalili is not afraid to meet the issues raised head on "You are not supposed to be comfortable with the conclusions of quantum mechanics" and "... I am just as baffled as the next person. My advantage over you is that I am convinced there is no simple answer or straightforward and intuitive explanation". The book opens with some basics about what quantum is and is not. It introduces some of the key thinkers and discoverers. It explores the discussions and disagreements which have given the subject its foundation. It looks at the the theoretical predictions and their experimental proofs. Al-Khalili also manages to open the Pandora's box of particle physics and guide the reader slowly and carefully through the literal minutiae of particles and their peculiar behavior. One of the things I like about physics, even if I can't come close to claiming to understand is the symmetry and patterns which seem to make up the building blocks of nature. The book also gives a sense of the excitement in unraveling secrets of the Universe "A surprising and still mysterious discovery is that the arrangement of energy levels in quantum chaology is related to one of the deepest problems in mathematics, involving patterns in the prime numbers". It also examines the problem of interacting with the quantum world where ".. to learn something about a system we must measure it, but in so doing we often unavoidably change it and will therefore not know its true nature. This problem can be circumvented in the macroscopic world but not in the quantum domain". I actually got to chapter eight before I started to feel I'd lost the thread (I have to add that I've read quite a few introductory books on quantum mechanics and if I hadn't would no doubt have struggled a lot more with this one) and had to recap (which helped a little). The book concludes with a look at the practical applications and benefits of quantum research and development (quite an eye opener) as well as looking to where future developments might lead. Quantum theory is a meeting point of science and philosophy, it is as exciting as it is confusing but it is also addictive. It is about the very stuff we, and everything else is composed of, how it behaves and why. I can't think of anything more exciting and urgent to want answers to. Not perhaps an easy read but one of the best I've read. As Jim says "The quest for the ultimate truths is always a quest for beauty and simplicity".
November 25, 2021
Personally - it was a rather dull dry read. Promising on the outside , offering the possibility of giving insight into how quantum underpins our very existence but in reality it was just full of equations which weren’t even explained in a coherent way.
September 28, 2014
As an avid fan of physics since my adolescence, this book is impressive as a gate to the mysterious (and somewhat new) world of quantam physics. Throw all classical Newtonian physics aside and stare in awe and wonder as the author/theoretical physicist helps you find some solace in this intriguing world- after he stumps all logic and reason with the simple double-slit experiment, leaving you to ponder thoroughly as you decipher Schrödinger's equation for the "wavefunction", or look at the many aspects of determinism vs uncertainty. The book's simple popularizing theme coupled with the author's avoiding of chalkboard equations is what attracts a person such as myself- chest deep in medical terminology while throwing back at some good 'ole physics. This book is definitely "for the perplexed".
October 21, 2020
Χωρίς να θέλω να μειώσω το συγγραφέα, θα ήθελα να ξεκινήσω λέγοντας πως η εντύπωση που είχα διαβάζοντας το βιβλίο σχεδόν μέχρι τη μέση ήταν πως κάτι δεν είχε πάει καλά στη μετάφραση, αρκετά κομμάτια φαινόντουσαν παράξενα γραμμένα δίχως να μπορείς να καταλάβεις τι φταίει.. Τελικά δεν φταίει καμία μετάφραση που παραδοσιακά είναι πάντα καλές από τις (αγαπημένες) εκδόσεις Τραυλός, αλλά η ίδια γραφή, δομή, γενικά του βιβλίου.. Δε θα μακρηγορήσω, σίγουρα δεν είναι ένα κακό βιβλίο, αλλά (επιπλέον του μακρινού έτους συγγραφής για βιβλίο εκλαϊκευμένης-ή μη- Φυσικής) ένα βιβλίο χωρίς ιδιαίτερη δομή, συνοχή, που διαρκώς μοιάζει μια συλλογή από άρθρα, ιδέες, απόψεις, με πολλά θέματα να αναφέρονται και τελικά να μην επιστρέφει ποτέ ο συγγραφέας... Δεν προτείνεται..
August 20, 2014
I was fortunate enough to see Jim Al-Khalili speak about quantum mechanics a few months ago. The lecture hall was full to bursting, so I sat on the cold hard steps. An hour later I'd been treated to a fast-paced tour through fundamental physics and its possible applications to other sciences; and yet my head hurt less than my hind. I choose to interpret this as evidence that Jim Al-Khalili is an excellent speaker, able to get across complex ideas with clarity and enthusiasm. Or I might just have a delicate bottom. Either way, this is a nice book on quantum mechanics, albeit not the best starting point if you want to get into the subject.
November 4, 2012
Very helpful introduction for the non-physicist. Lavish illustrations, which come at a cost of imposing an awkward form on the book and making it uncomfortably heavy. Good-humored. Not too many lapses into scientism or materialism. I should probably take a vow to re-read it every five years or so--and I should go work on my notes on the Standard Model while the distinction between fermions and bosons is still fresh.
August 8, 2024
Quantum mechanics is such an inaccessible subject to so many people- it just doesnt make sense in a macro-centric view. Jim Al-Khalili makes the key and break-through lessons of some of the most complex theories and laws of physics palatable and concise. From the double-slit experiment to more complex equations such as Planck's constant, there is a wealth of information tailored for the layman. It is not an easy feat to accomplish.
November 18, 2016
Very professional, well written, with good humor: a no-nonsense, in-depth intro to the world of quantum weirdness.
January 19, 2019
An excellent book, although it is sold as an overview of "quantum theory", it goes over some relatively deeper concept examples I've not heard in other conceptual summaries of this subject, like the Zeillinger fake diamond detection scheme, which is a variant of the Eltzur-Vaidman bomb detection procedure, both of which could be thought of as a type of non-adversarial game, whereby there exists a "best" deterministic strategy guaranteeing success say 1/10 for detecting either the bomb or the non-fake diamond in the case of Zeillinger, that can be beaten by exploiting quantum properties like superposition or entanglement to increase success to 200% or of 3/10 for Zeillinger (might be off by a few percentages). Although, it's not clear that the quantum solution is that much better than what one could get from a purely non-quantum probability-based strategy, I think these quantum techniques are unique because they technically don't "interact" with the objects of concern to extract information, which if you think of it, is a profound statement. The author goes over the setup in nice detail, and should really open the reader's eyes to novel ways these phenomena could be leveraged in real life.
Obvious from the above examples, the author's concerns in communicating the ideas of QM are mostly from an information theoretic and foundations purview vs. some unabridged literal overview of the subject. History is also kept at a minimum, the book is really about ideas.
With the focus on the "epistemology" of QM, Al-Khalil helps clarify some issues that may plague those who are learning the material from purely the scientific/mathematical basis, by discussing what measurement really means (or could mean) in the context of quantum systems, as well as clarifies the true foundations of QM vs "rules", like Born's interpretation of the norm of a wave amplitude as the probability of some state, which helps to motivate the computational elements of the subject.
The discussion here is really first rate, Al-Khalil has used his own voice to write clean, and to the point explanations of challenging material, that isn't just a verbal restatement of what one can find in a textbook. There is even a chapter on all of the current interpretations of the theory, as well as commentary on why professional physicist tend not to dwell on this facet of the subject (mostly cause diverging interpretations to tend not to alter the predictive power of the subject). The last 3 chapters deal with subatomic particles, application of QM in industry and other fields of academia, and the future of QM in the application and other fields.
Highly recommended
Obvious from the above examples, the author's concerns in communicating the ideas of QM are mostly from an information theoretic and foundations purview vs. some unabridged literal overview of the subject. History is also kept at a minimum, the book is really about ideas.
With the focus on the "epistemology" of QM, Al-Khalil helps clarify some issues that may plague those who are learning the material from purely the scientific/mathematical basis, by discussing what measurement really means (or could mean) in the context of quantum systems, as well as clarifies the true foundations of QM vs "rules", like Born's interpretation of the norm of a wave amplitude as the probability of some state, which helps to motivate the computational elements of the subject.
The discussion here is really first rate, Al-Khalil has used his own voice to write clean, and to the point explanations of challenging material, that isn't just a verbal restatement of what one can find in a textbook. There is even a chapter on all of the current interpretations of the theory, as well as commentary on why professional physicist tend not to dwell on this facet of the subject (mostly cause diverging interpretations to tend not to alter the predictive power of the subject). The last 3 chapters deal with subatomic particles, application of QM in industry and other fields of academia, and the future of QM in the application and other fields.
Highly recommended
January 5, 2019
“Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed� proved to be the best book I’ve read concerning the mysterious world of quantum mechanics. The author, Jim Al-Khalili, has an engaging style of presenting the technical aspects of theoretical physics. I found myself better able to understand quantum phenomena than I ever had been before. Of course, this does not remotely imply full understanding on my part � even the most expert physicists disagree about some aspects of how best to interpret quantum properties of molecular, atomic, and subatomic physics.
I was quite intrigued by the discussions of particle interferometers on page 89. It seems almost as if a quantum particle has some sort of capacity for awareness of what properties the experimental apparatus has before the particle actually encounters the apparatus. That is, it would seem as if the particle had an awareness of what measurement was going to be performed on the particle BEFORE it encountered the measuring device. This seems to me to really beg for an explanation.
I liked what the author had to say about Murray Gell-Mann’s positivist approach to quantum phenomena. Al-Khalili says the following (page 153):
“I disagree. At least here I feel Einstein was right. He believed that the job of physical theories is to ‘approximate as closely as possible to the truth of physical reality�. So in true X-Files spirit, I would prefer to think that ‘the truth is out there�. Whether we will ever reach it or not I do not know but I am confident it will not turn out [to] be a futile search. Just because the formalism of quantum mechanics allows us the luxury of several interpretations that we cannot (yet) choose between does not imply that there isn’t a correct interpretation. Of course, we may never be able to find it, but it is too arrogant of us to claim that since we are unable to choose, then neither does nature.�
As for myself, a complaint I had in trying to read the drawings (at the extreme top of page 185) was with the color-coded up and down quarks depicting the proton and neutron. Either the drawings for the proton and neutron at the extreme top of the page are wrong, or the color coding is confusing. It’s just a matter of a technical error in color coding, but it was confusing to me in trying to exactly understand the drawing.
Overall, I found the book to be highly engaging and quite helpful in showing non-scientists like myself a whole lot about the extremely great mysteries underlying the quantum world.
I was quite intrigued by the discussions of particle interferometers on page 89. It seems almost as if a quantum particle has some sort of capacity for awareness of what properties the experimental apparatus has before the particle actually encounters the apparatus. That is, it would seem as if the particle had an awareness of what measurement was going to be performed on the particle BEFORE it encountered the measuring device. This seems to me to really beg for an explanation.
I liked what the author had to say about Murray Gell-Mann’s positivist approach to quantum phenomena. Al-Khalili says the following (page 153):
“I disagree. At least here I feel Einstein was right. He believed that the job of physical theories is to ‘approximate as closely as possible to the truth of physical reality�. So in true X-Files spirit, I would prefer to think that ‘the truth is out there�. Whether we will ever reach it or not I do not know but I am confident it will not turn out [to] be a futile search. Just because the formalism of quantum mechanics allows us the luxury of several interpretations that we cannot (yet) choose between does not imply that there isn’t a correct interpretation. Of course, we may never be able to find it, but it is too arrogant of us to claim that since we are unable to choose, then neither does nature.�
As for myself, a complaint I had in trying to read the drawings (at the extreme top of page 185) was with the color-coded up and down quarks depicting the proton and neutron. Either the drawings for the proton and neutron at the extreme top of the page are wrong, or the color coding is confusing. It’s just a matter of a technical error in color coding, but it was confusing to me in trying to exactly understand the drawing.
Overall, I found the book to be highly engaging and quite helpful in showing non-scientists like myself a whole lot about the extremely great mysteries underlying the quantum world.
January 31, 2024
Jim Al-Khalili’s book “Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed� touts itself as, well, THE BOOK for those who are truly confused about the nature of quantum physics. In some ways, this book succeeded in that endeavor for me, and at other moments, it left me behind in the quantum dust.
Like other books I’ve read on the subject(s), it was really a superposition of pros and cons (otherwise known as a mixed bag). It’s Schrodinger’s book. You both understand, and yet…you don’t. My only consolation was the repeated admonition that “if you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics�. Small (pun intended) comfort.
That said, the way the author breaks down the double-slit experiment (which he spends around half of the book on) was truly one of the most comprehensive explanations I’ve yet encountered. I came away with a working knowledge of the experiments they (the scientists) have been performing, and the conclusions they’ve reached. Suffice it to say, my mind feels like it was sent through a particle accelerator at the speed of light…but I still managed to grasp some things from the pieces that I held onto!
Despite my difficulties, I genuinely loved this book. I rate it 4 stars purely for the aforementioned breakdown of the double-slit experiment. And while I know I am late to reading this (20+ years and counting), I must say that the second half didn’t hold me as well; and not just because advancements have been made in the last two decades. Al-khalili covers quite a broad spectrum of applications in the second half, and I felt like I got lost more than once along the way. Several times I had to break away to research things (like how diodes and transistors work), and when I returned to the material, I found some of it to be more understandable. But isn’t that what this book was supposed to be doing for me? At a certain point, I gave up trying to understand every one of the concepts he was explaining, and found myself “taking it on faith� to a degree. Admittedly, I’m no mathematician, nor am I a scientist…but this “guide for the perplexed� didn’t deliver much clarity in the final pages, and it made a lot of assumptions about what the reader knows.
But obviously the main selling point was the breakdown of the double-slit phenomenon, and in that, the book wildly succeeded. Perhaps I’ll revisit it again someday, when I make up for some of the ignorance I currently have with further studies. But for now, I remain…perplexed.
I guess that means I learned something about quantum physics after all! 4 out of 5 stars! �
Like other books I’ve read on the subject(s), it was really a superposition of pros and cons (otherwise known as a mixed bag). It’s Schrodinger’s book. You both understand, and yet…you don’t. My only consolation was the repeated admonition that “if you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics�. Small (pun intended) comfort.
That said, the way the author breaks down the double-slit experiment (which he spends around half of the book on) was truly one of the most comprehensive explanations I’ve yet encountered. I came away with a working knowledge of the experiments they (the scientists) have been performing, and the conclusions they’ve reached. Suffice it to say, my mind feels like it was sent through a particle accelerator at the speed of light…but I still managed to grasp some things from the pieces that I held onto!
Despite my difficulties, I genuinely loved this book. I rate it 4 stars purely for the aforementioned breakdown of the double-slit experiment. And while I know I am late to reading this (20+ years and counting), I must say that the second half didn’t hold me as well; and not just because advancements have been made in the last two decades. Al-khalili covers quite a broad spectrum of applications in the second half, and I felt like I got lost more than once along the way. Several times I had to break away to research things (like how diodes and transistors work), and when I returned to the material, I found some of it to be more understandable. But isn’t that what this book was supposed to be doing for me? At a certain point, I gave up trying to understand every one of the concepts he was explaining, and found myself “taking it on faith� to a degree. Admittedly, I’m no mathematician, nor am I a scientist…but this “guide for the perplexed� didn’t deliver much clarity in the final pages, and it made a lot of assumptions about what the reader knows.
But obviously the main selling point was the breakdown of the double-slit phenomenon, and in that, the book wildly succeeded. Perhaps I’ll revisit it again someday, when I make up for some of the ignorance I currently have with further studies. But for now, I remain…perplexed.
I guess that means I learned something about quantum physics after all! 4 out of 5 stars! �
July 6, 2022
i know this book is almost twenty years old now but i dont think my criticism will be in any way connected to that...
the book starts off with the lengthiest, most chaotic description of the double-slit experiments i have ever seen. if i wasnt familiar with it, i would probably have no idea what its about. so much of space is wasted on - just that. or repeating claims about what the wavefunction is and isnt. other phenomena (e.g. entanglement, coherence...) are merely glanced over in comparison to that. secondly, all many explanations are perfunctory and confusing, often containing undefined terms and they also end abruptly, with no concluding remarks, further questions, anything... the essays of other authors dont seem to be informed about to what has been covered so far either.
also, it contains an excessive amount of particle physics about which i couldnt make out how they contribute to fundamentals of understanding QM. and theres also a lot of rather detailed talk about the advances in reconciling QM with relativity and gravity, while the measurement problem or decoherence are just brushed aside, despite those being the most perplexing problems. the author claims that he will not be dealing with the history about scientific discovery, yet the story he tells is peppered with historical trivia and they basically just obscure the technical problems. the chapters on technology are either very vague (yet still there?) or excessively detailed.
functions as a disorganized bundle of half-finished mental notes on QM and other auxiliary, loosely related topics.
i reached for this book in hopes of getting some of the aforementioned problems elucidated, and the book failed to do that, at least for me. its best feature is that it briefly mentions some of the more obscure topics (casimir effect, no-cloning theorem, gauge theory...) and it has a nice "further reading" section.
an easy read if you want to look smart on the beach, but you wont learn the amount the page-count suggests. ive only read some chapters from the emperors new mind, but i am 100% sure it is way more exhaustive and rigorous throughout. same goes for the particle zoo on particle physics. now im off to feynmans six easy pieces.
the book starts off with the lengthiest, most chaotic description of the double-slit experiments i have ever seen. if i wasnt familiar with it, i would probably have no idea what its about. so much of space is wasted on - just that. or repeating claims about what the wavefunction is and isnt. other phenomena (e.g. entanglement, coherence...) are merely glanced over in comparison to that. secondly, all many explanations are perfunctory and confusing, often containing undefined terms and they also end abruptly, with no concluding remarks, further questions, anything... the essays of other authors dont seem to be informed about to what has been covered so far either.
also, it contains an excessive amount of particle physics about which i couldnt make out how they contribute to fundamentals of understanding QM. and theres also a lot of rather detailed talk about the advances in reconciling QM with relativity and gravity, while the measurement problem or decoherence are just brushed aside, despite those being the most perplexing problems. the author claims that he will not be dealing with the history about scientific discovery, yet the story he tells is peppered with historical trivia and they basically just obscure the technical problems. the chapters on technology are either very vague (yet still there?) or excessively detailed.
functions as a disorganized bundle of half-finished mental notes on QM and other auxiliary, loosely related topics.
i reached for this book in hopes of getting some of the aforementioned problems elucidated, and the book failed to do that, at least for me. its best feature is that it briefly mentions some of the more obscure topics (casimir effect, no-cloning theorem, gauge theory...) and it has a nice "further reading" section.
an easy read if you want to look smart on the beach, but you wont learn the amount the page-count suggests. ive only read some chapters from the emperors new mind, but i am 100% sure it is way more exhaustive and rigorous throughout. same goes for the particle zoo on particle physics. now im off to feynmans six easy pieces.
January 30, 2023
I've read a few books on quantum stuff and know some stuff about it but don't really get it. So, a guide for the perplexed sounded good but, sadly, I still feel none the wiser. This is probably a little unfair on the author and more a reflection of the oddity of the subject. That said, for someone who does such a good job of explaining things on the TV, this abilitly didn't really translate into print; repeatedly, I found myself reading paragraphs over and over just to try and understand what he was getting at. As with so many physicists, many of the explanantions seemed to consist merely of 'they did the maths and it turned out...'. Now, I accept that it is all about the maths and the scope of the maths is likely to be beyond the grasp of this reader, but just giving this as an explanation does nothing for this reader's perplexity. Also, it would be nice if a bit more detail was given about how, say, a piece of equipment can 'fire' one atom at a time (at a double slit etc), and then how a detector can detect one. And why do physicists worry about black bodies? I also found many of the diagrams quite poor and detracted from the explanation. Despite all this negativity, there were some nuggets - his explanation of wave function collapse came across well and even basic things like - why is negative, negative and positive, positive - they are just forces that either repel or attract and could equally have been called up or down (like some quarks), we've given them the name, there is no inherent negativity etc.
The book was peppered with short essays by other authors which slowed the momentum of the book (if slowed is the right term) and often served to distract, so much so, that I think they were unnecessary. The last chapters of the book explained how some quantum phenomena are used in technology and their potential for new technology; some of this involved such difficult concepts that I started giving up rereading paragraphs and just ploughed on through superficially.
A noble effort to explain a frighteningly complex topic but, in the end, I remain as perplexed as I was.
The book was peppered with short essays by other authors which slowed the momentum of the book (if slowed is the right term) and often served to distract, so much so, that I think they were unnecessary. The last chapters of the book explained how some quantum phenomena are used in technology and their potential for new technology; some of this involved such difficult concepts that I started giving up rereading paragraphs and just ploughed on through superficially.
A noble effort to explain a frighteningly complex topic but, in the end, I remain as perplexed as I was.
December 6, 2022
I probably wasn't really the audience for this one. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I had read it a decade ago.
Provides a reasonable whistle-stop tour of quantum mechanics at a popular level, starting with Planck in 1900 and bringing it more or less up to date (as of c. 2012) with an appraisal of what is essentially still the research frontier in quantum tech. An impressive amount is done with the infamously slippery subject matter at a conceptual level without the use of a single equation (some lip service is paid to the Shrödinger and Dirac equations) although depth is often frustratingly sacrificed for breadth, with some of the all to brief descriptions of ideas I wasn't hugely familiar with leaving me cold.
Al-Khalili gives a reasonably good overview of several of the better known ontologies for quantum mechanics (although a better introduction is given in John Gribbin's Shrödinger's Kittens, where this discussion has a more central role) as well as a fine overview of the Standard Model's zoo of fundamental particles. The unique selling points of the book are what the author calls 'boxes'; subsections written by Al-Khalili and his colleagues in which a certain of subfield of quantum mechanics is spotlighted for a couple of pages. My favourites include the section on Quantum Chaology by Bristol's Michael Berry, and a section on the role played by quantum mechanics in a certain kind of genetic mutation written by Al-Khalili himself. Again these suffer from the aforementioned defficiency of being all too brief, but may serve as a starting point for independent research, which may be valuable to any tired graduates looking for PhD's in physics out there.
Overall, a fairly enjoyable popular level introduction to one of the most fascinating fields of research out there. The ideal christmas present for the weird fourteen year old who won't shut up about particles in your life.
Provides a reasonable whistle-stop tour of quantum mechanics at a popular level, starting with Planck in 1900 and bringing it more or less up to date (as of c. 2012) with an appraisal of what is essentially still the research frontier in quantum tech. An impressive amount is done with the infamously slippery subject matter at a conceptual level without the use of a single equation (some lip service is paid to the Shrödinger and Dirac equations) although depth is often frustratingly sacrificed for breadth, with some of the all to brief descriptions of ideas I wasn't hugely familiar with leaving me cold.
Al-Khalili gives a reasonably good overview of several of the better known ontologies for quantum mechanics (although a better introduction is given in John Gribbin's Shrödinger's Kittens, where this discussion has a more central role) as well as a fine overview of the Standard Model's zoo of fundamental particles. The unique selling points of the book are what the author calls 'boxes'; subsections written by Al-Khalili and his colleagues in which a certain of subfield of quantum mechanics is spotlighted for a couple of pages. My favourites include the section on Quantum Chaology by Bristol's Michael Berry, and a section on the role played by quantum mechanics in a certain kind of genetic mutation written by Al-Khalili himself. Again these suffer from the aforementioned defficiency of being all too brief, but may serve as a starting point for independent research, which may be valuable to any tired graduates looking for PhD's in physics out there.
Overall, a fairly enjoyable popular level introduction to one of the most fascinating fields of research out there. The ideal christmas present for the weird fourteen year old who won't shut up about particles in your life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.