In Search of Schrodinger's Cat |
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Author:
John Gribbin
By Black Swan
Average Customer Rating: 
List Price: £9.99
Our Price: £4.97
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Part history book and part remedial physics text for those who lost interest when the equations started getting unintuitive, In Search of Schrödinger's Cat explains quantum physics in a way that's not only clear, but also enjoyable. Gribbin opens with the subjects that most physics professors have just started to examine by the end of term: the mysterious character of light; the valence concept in Nils Bohr's atomic model; radioactive decay; and the physics of life-defining DNA all get clear, comprehensive and witty coverage. This book reveals the beauty and mystery that underlies everything in the universe. Does this book claim to explain quantum physics without maths? No. Maths is too central to physics to be bypassed. But if you can do basic algebra, you can understand the equations in In Search of Schrödinger's Cat. Gribbin is the physics teacher everyone should have in high school or college: kind without being a pushover, knowledgeable without being condescending, and clearly expressive without being boring. Gribbin's book belongs on the shelf of every pre-calculus student. It also deserves a place in the library of everyone who was scared away from advanced physics prematurely.
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 A gripping introduction to quantum mechanics, 2007-05-16
Quantum mechanics is a tricky subject to come to terms with, but it's implications are diverse and far-reaching. It's also a fascinating subject to read about, because the quantum world is so counter-intuitive.
John Gribbin writes clearly and concisely, elaborating just enough for you to understand, but concisely enough that you find yourself still asking questions (no bad thing).
The history of quantum mechanics was interesting, but i'm unlikely to re-read, but the implications and explanations of the experiments were enthralling. Gribbin devotes special attention to particularly important experiments (like the double slit experiment) and then goes from there.
When he does depart from fact into speculation (his preference for the many worlds view) he makes this clear, showing it's pros and cons without being biased, just opinionated.
There's hardly any maths, so the layman need not fear, only the basic principles. Indeed, I don't think it's the maths behind quantum mechanics which is so confusing and controversial, it's the plain English implications of non-locality/non-causality which most people find baffling. Especially the Copanhagen interpretation.
Nevertheless, if you're looking for a good introduction to quantum mechanics that will give you a solid framework to ask some deep questions, this is an excellent starting point.
Popular physics at its very best, 2008-05-30
To put it simply - I have already read many popular science books about physics by many authors, but this is by far the best one I have ever read. John Gribbin has a gift to write about science in a very interesting way - I can't think of any other author with quite the same gift.
 It's not you, it's the book!, 2008-08-25
I obtained a good degree in physics twenty years ago, and I hoped to get a reasonable understanding of the main interpretations of quantum mechanics from this book. Some hope. I, especially, found the account of the Copenhagen interpretation disjointed and unclear. On the plus side, there are clear accounts of the "Many World's" interpretation, and the early history of Quantum Mechanics. But this doesn't gain it more than a star. The last few chapters certainly lose stars through trying to explain too many areas of quantum exotica in too few pages. These chapters lost me, but at least I had enough knowledge to know it was the book's fault and not mine! I pity the lay reader confronted with these chapters, and his (non-)explanation of the Copenhagen interpretation. If you're looking for a simple, clear, unbiased account of the interpretations of quantum mechanics, keep looking.
 Tough going, 2008-07-24
Yes, this is probably a good buy when you want to discover what quantum physics is about (though I've heard that Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Non-Scientists by Fred Alan Wolf is a strong competitor). Even so, as Gribbin took me further and further into the quantum thicket, I'm afraid I did lose track.
Maybe it's me. Or maybe the book's not quite what it's cracked up to be. Still, I feel it was worth the try. And I must grant the author this: at every step, he's very clear about what he's doing and where's he's leading you.
A great basic text, 2008-08-05
By its very nature physics is a a complex subject and I am always a little dubious of any review that claims to take the uninitiated from ignorance to a full understanding of the universe in less than 300 pages.
In this respect I dont think John Gribbin entirely succeeds either but In search of Scrodingers cat certainly takes a good stab at it. I defy anyone to read even half the book and not come away with a very different view of how the world or indeed worlds work. I would certainly recomend this book to any student about to embark on a Physics degree - Much lighter reading than the standard texts but at the same time provides powerful (and more importantly memorable) illustrations of all the basic principles.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 530
EAN: 9780552125550
ISBN: 0552125555
Label: Black Swan
Manufacturer: Black Swan
Number Of Pages: 318
Publication Date: 1985-02-15
Publisher: Black Swan
Studio: Black Swan |
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