Product Description
The principles of quantum mechanics are the basis of everything in the physical world--from atoms to stars, from nuclei to lasers. Quantum paradoxes and the eventful life of Schroedinger's Cat are explained, along with the Many Universe explanation of quantum measurement in this newly revised edition. Updated throughout, the book also looks ahead to the nanotechnology revolution and describes quantum cryptography, computing and teleportation. Including an account of quantum mechanics and science fiction, this accessible book is geared to the general reader. Anthony Hey teaches at the University of Southampton, UK, and is the co-author of several books, including two with Patrick Walters, The Quantum Universe (Cambridge, 1987), and Einstein's Mirror (Cambridge , 1997). Patrick Walters is a Lecturer in Continuing Education at the University of Wales at Swansea. He co-ordinates the Physical Science Programme in DACE which includes the Astronomy Programme. His research interests include science education, and he also writes non-technical books on science for the general reader and beginning undergraduates. First Edition Pb (1987): 0-521-31845-9

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 10 reviews)

Very cranial subject matter......

This book provides an overview of quantum physics. It starts with wave - particle duality and moves through the structure of the atom to the large scale structure of the Universe. Some of the material really makes the reader think hard so be prepared for some hard thinking! The book does warn the reader of this in places however. It also covers the applications of quantum physics to practical issues such as electron micropscopes and the transistor. The explanation of the periodic table of the elements was most illuminating. It also provides many little vignettes of key people such as Dirac, Heisenberg, Planck, etc. all of which are very interesting indeed. An excellent read!
January 09, 2007

Textbook at Harvard

The book looks excellent. It will be required reading for Harvard Extension school Physics E-6. I will write another review in June, 2007
November 11, 2006

Beautifully illustrated overview of quantum physics

I bought this book just over one year ago and I refer to it occasionally for the thrill of understanding quantum physics from a laymans nonmathematical viewpoint. There is no better book on the history of this branch of physics -- multiple sidebar illustrations and photos add to the "people" dimension of physics. The reader rides this thrill too and gets insight into Nobel winners and the contraptions used in experimental physics. The "New" in the title refers to an updated version of the book, providing confidence to the reader that the quality of the first book warranted an update by the publisher. This book should supplement any math based quantum physics course simply because the latter don't profile scientists as real people or have enough historical context. For nonphysicists, this is a great read, worthy of a long lasting presence on the family bookshelf.
April 29, 2006

a so-so book

I got the book to check if there were interesting ways of pedagogically conveying the basic principles/ideas of quantum mechanics to graduate students in computer science in teaching quantum cryptography, computation and communication. I know quantum mechanics from the mathematics side.

Contrary to the overwhelmingly positive reviews (here and on the back of the book), I find this book is mediocre. The book excels at conveying the history and human side of quantum mechanics. But where it should matter most -- penetrating the technical issues and presenting them in a clear, succinct and correct fashion -- the book fails to deliver.

The reasoning, logic, and development behind key arguments is sloppy and misleading. For example, in both the discussions on EPR and quantum key distribution, one wonders if the authors have a sufficient understanding of the essential points of the set-up. Like parrots they are able to "describe" a version of what's going on, but do not seem to know which points need emphasizing and which do not. For someone not versed in quantum mechanics already, there is a distinct danger that they will understand the material incorrectly or not at all.

The book is also imbued with adjectives such as "only" and such at places where they are not warranted. Even for popular books, what distinguishes science from other subject matters is the attention to careful qualification when so needed. There are excellent popular science books where this is properly done. This book falls significantly short in this respect.

I was hoping to recommend this book (based on others' reviews) to my students, but have decided against. The interesting historical accounts are not worth the undisciplined reasoning underlying some of the key issues of quantum mechanics.
September 13, 2004

my idea of fun!

I'm a novice in this area and this is the first book I read on the subject. On my first reading, I was only able to fully comprehend about 80% of this introduction to a most facinating subject matter. I must say that I enjoyed reading about all of it including the 20% I couldn't fully comprehend. The authors claim that no advanced math is necessary, but knowledge of differential calculus would help with the Shrodinger Equation. Perhaps my weakness in math (which I will soon address) accounts for the 20% I don't really understand at this point.

This book has plenty of beautiful pictures and illustrations of the technologies and experiements discussed. Each chapter is well written and a joy to read. Chapters include the following:

1) Waves Versus Particles
2) Heisenberg and Uncertaintity
3) Shrodinger and Matter Waves
4) Atoms and Neuclei
5) Quantum Tunneling
6) Pauli and the Elements
7) Quantum Co-Operation and Superfluids
8) Quantum Jumps
9) Quantum Engineering

10) Death of a Star
11) Feynman Rules
12) Weak Photons and Strong Glue
13) Afterward - Quantum Physics and Science Fiction

For a beginner, such as myself, it's the kind of book that's challenging in a good way. I found myself constantly wanting to pick this book up to read as much as I could. I was always looking forward to what was comming next. I highly recommend it for anyone curious about the subject matter.
March 11, 2004

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
by Thomas S. Kuhn

Feynman Lectures on Computation
by Richard P. Feynman, Anthony Hey, Tony Hey, Robin W. Allen

The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters)
by W. Daniel Hillis

Where Does The Weirdness Go?: Why Quantum Mechanics Is Strange, But Not As Strange As You Think
by David Lindley

The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone
by Kenneth W. Ford
by Diane Goldstein