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Quantum physicist, New York Times bestselling author, and BBC host Jim Al-Khalili offers a fascinating and illuminating look at what physics reveals about the world

Shining a light on the most profound insights revealed by modern physics, Jim Al-Khalili invites us all to understand what this crucially important science tells us about the universe and the nature of reality itself.

Al-Khalili begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of space, time, energy, and matter, and then describes the three pillars of modern physics―quantum theory, relativity, and thermodynamics―showing how all three must come together if we are ever to have a full understanding of reality. Using wonderful examples and thought-provoking analogies, Al-Khalili illuminates the physics of the extreme cosmic and quantum scales, the speculative frontiers of the field, and the physics that underpins our everyday experiences and technologies, bringing the reader up to speed with the biggest ideas in physics in just a few sittings. Physics is revealed as an intrepid human quest for ever more foundational principles that accurately explain the natural world we see around us, an undertaking guided by core values such as honesty and doubt. The knowledge discovered by physics both empowers and humbles us, and still, physics continues to delve valiantly into the unknown.

Making even the most enigmatic scientific ideas accessible and captivating, this deeply insightful book illuminates why physics matters to everyone and calls one and all to share in the profound adventure of seeking truth in the world around us.

From the Publisher

"Broadcaster and quantum physicist Jim Al-Khalili is a superb guide to the fundamental principles of quantum theory, relativity and thermodynamics."—Mail on Sunday

"Many distinguished physicists have set out to explain their weird and wonderful world to lay readers but few have done so with the simple elegance of Al-Khalili, a physics professor at the University of Surrey best known for his radio and television programmes about science. He calls this book 'an ode to physics'; it is also an ode to joy in science."—Clive Cookson, Financial Times

"Jim Al-Khalili's The World According to Physics is a thrilling ride . . . [it] makes cutting-edge physics easily understandable and makes it clear why he fell in love with the subject as a teenager."—Richard Webb, New Scientist

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press; Illustrated edition (March 10, 2020)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691182302
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691182308
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.75 x 8 inches
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Ambitious, inspiring and humble
Review: Jim Al-Khalili is a pleasure to watch and equally to read. I rate his two documentaries, Shock and Awe, and Order and Disorder as amongst the best science communication out there and in the company of Cosmos.The World According to Physics has a similar, ‘take you on a journey’ feel and Jim Al-Khalili is a welcoming guide. The arc of the book is beautifully executed, providing the reader with a sound basis on which predictions and general observations are built. The subject matter is ambitious but the book makes a solid go of covering a lot of ground. There could have easily been another 300 pages but I think the balance of breadth and depth was well made. If you enjoy reading about the wonder, hope and the place of science in human society, you will enjoy this book.Even if your knowledge of physics is already at the leading edge (which mine is not), the discussion in The World According to Physics will give you food for thought about the place of physics in society and how to hold and communicate ideas. If you are not a leading edge physicist then you will find a lot of very well explained ideas to update your physics knowledge. Jim Al-Khalili is an excellent teacher and communicator.As an engineer who studied physics at university, I wish Jim Al-Khalili had been writing and producing 30 years ago to give me some of his enthusiasm and sense of wonder while I tried to penetrate the math and get my assignments done. Physics and science are in good hands with the next generation inspired by teachers and communicators like Jim Al-Khalili.

Reviewer: Mary Soon Lee
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A good, clear overview of physics for non-physicists.
Review: This book sets out to describe physics, especially the frontiers of modern physics, to non-scientists, and to do so in relatively simple terms and in a relatively short volume. I love this goal, its ambition and its importance, and I think the book mostly succeeds. I'm not sure how well it would work for someone with no science background whatsoever, but it seems accessible to those with just a modicum of familiarity.I found the preface and the first two chapters the weakest. Sometimes they felt overly sensationalist. Even the title of the opening chapter -- "The Awe of Understanding" -- rubbed my crotchety self the wrong way. From chapter three onward, either I grew less crotchety or the book hit its stride, and I liked it considerably. In chapters three through six, Al-Khalili provides a lucid overview of three fundamental areas of physics: gravity, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics. Then in chapters seven through nine, he talks about unresolved issues in physics, its future, and its applications. Finally in chapter ten, he steps back and discusses the nature of scientific endeavor, including the importance of doubt and admitting mistakes, and yet how scientific theories on gravity, evolution, et al, have a weight of evidence behind them that less scientific opinions lack.If I have a complaint about chapters three through ten, it is only that I wanted them to go deeper, to learn more about the state of physics than this relatively brief overview could provide. But that shows that the author succeeded in fascinating me in the subject. Happily, he provides suggestions for further reading. (I've already ordered two more books.)About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).

Reviewer: Hector Matthews
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Thoroughly Enjoyable and Equally Informative
Review: I am an enthusiast of science but I'm not a scientist. I thoroughly enjoyed the content of this book and having the author read the audio book while I read it, added to the enjoyment.Physics can be mind-blowing in its complexity and Jim Al-Khalili manages to articulate this complexity in a way that helps understanding by a non-scientist such as I. My understanding grew throughout the book and I enjoyed his portrayal of leading-edge theories that as yet remained untested.I thoroughly recommend this book and accompanying audio book.

Reviewer: Fuzzy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I eat this stuff up
Review: While generally I prefer fiction and mysteries mainly, physics, math, astronomy, etc. for the layperson is my alternative preference in nonfiction. First by this author and it was interesting and fun. He has a nice writing style about what can sometimes seem dry material.

Reviewer: TR
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Physics for the People
Review: I love the concepts of Physics and the amazing micro and macro particles and masses that make up our universe! But my math is not the best and mathematical concepts often prove to be too much for you mind to conceive.This book brings to me the concepts without the (to me) confusing maths. It makes the particle interaction understandable and very interesting! I really appreciate Jim Al-Khalili’s ability to explain and expound on the concepts relating to Special Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. It’s just the information I have been looking for!

Reviewer: old IT guy
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Recommended. A quick non-mathematical review of current physics.
Review: Well written, no complex equations, and useful analogies to help understand the truly weird and sometimes wonderful current physics. Also, a brief discussion of why the approach and methods of scientists are to be admired and emulated.

Reviewer: Cancelled for Non-Performance
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: As Good as His Documentaries
Review: The book is as good as the documentaries Al-Khalili hosts, especially those on Amazon's Prime video.The book does not insult your intelligence, nor does it talk beyond the depth of a well educated reader.I only wish the US tv would trash the Nova production team and find a group of presenters like Al-Khalili to personally present the new, exciting science, most of us don't have the time to track down by ourselves., or even the older science we never got taught because of STEM deficiencies in the US Ed-Biz

Reviewer: David Mckeown
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: follow the author

Reviewer: ajay singh
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Must read for physics enthusiasts.

Reviewer: Amazonian Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Jim Al-Khalili is seriously clever. Not only does he understand and work with extremely complicated concepts and theories, he's also an absolute genius at explaining them in simple enough terms that an idiot like me can (almost) understand them.The World According to Physics is another excellent example of this skill. In it he describes the three pillars of modern physics: relativity, quantum mechanics and thermodynamics. He goes on to discuss space, time, matter and energy, examines the weird world of the quantum and gazes into the black hole of the unknown, considering the theories that are yet to be proven and pondering on discoveries yet to come. In the final chapter he addresses the role of scientific proof in our modern world - where many people prefer to believe something they read on Facebook over an expert.It's mind-bending, awe-inspiring stuff and as ever Jim Al-Khalili explains it all beautifully.

Reviewer: Arnoud
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Goed en leuk geschreven compact werkje. Weet de concepten GR, SR, QM, etc. zeer duidelijk te beschrijven en geeft inzicht in emergente theorieën. Geen enorme diepgang of wiskunde.

Reviewer: Robert Aran
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Excellent book. More than enough for a lay people. Very inspiring. It lets you eager to read more about some specific subjects. I would recomend this book to everybody.