Quantum Physics for Poets

This is a lucid and informative book that makes the seemingly daunting subject of quantum physics accessible, appealing, and exciting. Quantum theory is the bedrock of contemporary physics - it informs our understanding of everything from matter in its smallest dimensions to the universe as a whole. But for many, quantum theory remains an impenetrable enigma. Drawing on the unrivalled expertise of a Nobel Laureate and theoretical physicist, "Quantum Physics for Poets" is a lucid and informative volume that makes this often daunting subject accessible, appealing, and exciting. Exploring every aspect of quantum physics - from the first experiments, through the strange behaviour of 'particles' that can be in many places at once, to the latest developments, including quantum string theory - this book renders even the most profound reaches of quantum theory understandable.

About the Author :
Leon M. Lederman is a Nobel Laureate, Pritzker Professor of Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the author of the highly acclaimed The God Particle. Christopher Hill is chairman of the Department of Theoretical Physics at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

Review :
A sparkling and articulate new account of how the quantum revolution changed 20th century science - and, as a further delight, how physics and poetry can speak the same language. Lederman and Hill have provided a great gift to poets and all other mortals in search of an accessible yet authoritative guide to the mysterious and weird world of quantum physics. Your head will still spin, but your feet will be on solid ground. Lederman and Hill, two very-well known physicists, have written in a prose that speaks to the poet in all of us. A delightful and illuminating guide through the mysteries of the quantum world. Niels Bohr famously said that anyone who can think about quantum mechanics without getting giddy doesn't understand the first thing about it. This book changes all that. The wit and style with make you giddy, and you will understand a lot! No doubt about it, the quantum world is the weirdest place known to the human mind. With unexcelled clarity and humor, Leon Lederman and CHristopher Hill provide the best guide to this bizarre place I've ever seen. Quantum Physics for Poets is like sitting down to dinner with two very enthusiastic, amusing, and down-to-earth physicists who can't wait to tell you about the strange ways of electrons, which are so puzzling that Einstein, Schrödinger, and Heisenberg devoted their lives to sorting out what these strange things do. They tell you about baseballs knocked out of the park and water waves hitting boats; they bring up black holes and string theory, an occasional transistor, and a bit of chemistry... all while scribbling little pictures on the tablecloth and even (as the title promises) reciting poetry. Lederman and Hill stay with you all the way through- and by the time dessert rolls around, quantum cryptography actually sounds pretty enticing. Two well-known experts on quantum mechanics- Lederman and Hill- have done a wonderful job in communicating its essence and logical content to a general audience.