Product Description
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

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 26 reviews)

Great introduction by Winston Banford (Mount Holly, NJ USA)

5 Stars
May 11, 2009
I think this book is a great introduction for anyone who is interested in being exposed to the mysteries of quantum mechanics. It is clearly written, so that non-scientists can understand and learn scientifict vocabulary that can be used to further their research should they choose to read more books on the subject. The first one-third of the book is the best part. After that, Jim just touches on certain subjects without going into enough detail for anyone to really appreciate it. Further reading of other books is really required--but this book is an excellent starting place.

It may be a well-written book, but I don't think it's for your "average person" by yippee1999 (New York, NY United States)

3 Stars
March 13, 2009
Many other reviews here seem to suggest that this book is great for explaining in layman's terms, exactly what quantum theory is all about...that it is very easy to understand. Well it seems to me that if that is the case, that one must have already had a scientific/physics background, in order to even comprehend this book. I became interested/curious about quantum, after having seen some movies that alluded to it. But after giving this book a concerted effort, I finally had to admit to myself that it was er...too much "effort"! There was just too much scientific jargon in the book, and the bulk of what was being said was simply not "computing" with me. My eyes began to glaze over by page 30, and I finally had to give up on this book!

Good book but deceptive by Daniel E. Ferro (Baltimore, MD)

4 Stars
March 11, 2009
The book is well-written. It's best asset is probably it's excellent illustrations. My only problem with it is the author claims to not adhere to any interpretation of quantum mechanics yet teaches the reader the copenhagen interpretation as if it were fact and barely touches on any other interpretations. He teaches the reader that wave functions are basically mathematical tools and one should never view the wave as real (this is just an opinion by the author based on his belief of the copenhagen interpretation but he does not let the reader know this) There are numerous problems with the copenhagen interpretation, it's most troubling is the philosophical implications regarding the role of the observer. There are many instances where the author injects his strong personal opinion as scientific fact and this is troubling. As long as you take this book with that grain of salt, it is quite good.

I wish this guy wrote my chemistry/physics textbooks by N.B

5 Stars
February 01, 2009
I originally grabbed this book to become briefly introduced to quantum mechanics before taking a quantum chemistry class. Al-Khalili has the talent of explaining complicated subjects in a manner that the average person can understand AND not be bored of. I had the book out and my friend casually picked it up to kill some time. It was so enticing she took the book from me to finish it. I have read some books on quantum mechanics before and this one helped me really understand material I thought I knew. The presentation is well done with beautiful pictures. Be warned, it doesn't have the math behind the science but it does present quantum mechanics in an interesting and well structured way. Once you start, it's difficult to put it down.

Easy to Ready by Martin Schmid (Florida, USA)

5 Stars
January 25, 2009
This book is amazing in all sense. Jim has found the way to express such as complex concepts in a very easy way for non-scientifics. Within many books I have read about Quantum Mechanics, it has been so far the best book. I trully recommend this book for those ones who wants to make the first steps into the Quantum world.

SIMILAR PRODUCTS

	The Quantum World: Quantum Physics for Everyone by Kenneth W. Ford (Author), Diane Goldstein (Contributor) As Kenneth W. Ford shows us in The Quantum World, the laws governing the very small and the very swift defy common sense and stretch our minds to the limit. Drawing on a deep familiarity with the discoveries of the twentieth century, Ford gives an appealing account of quantum physics that will help the serious reader make sense of a science that, for all its successes, remains mysterious. In order to make the book even more suitable for classroom use, the author, assisted by Diane...
	Black Holes, Wormholes & Time Machines by Jim Al-Khalili (Author) Do you know: what might happen if you fall into a black hole? that the Universe does not have an edge? that the reason it gets dark at night is proof of the Big Bang? that cosmic particles time-travel through the atmosphere defying death? that our past, present and future might all coexist "out there"? With two remarkable ideas Albert Einstein revolutionized our view of the Universe. His first was that nothing can travel faster than light - the ultimate speed...
	Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide to Science's Most Puzzling Discovery by J.P. McEvoy (Author), Oscar Zarate (Author) A step by step tour of a notoriously difficult subject, tackling the puzzle of wave duality and the famous questions raised by Bohr's 'Copenhagen Interpretation'. Scientific discoveries of the earliest 20th century destroyed assumptions about basic physics laws. At subatomic level things work very differently, one particle seems to know what others are doing, limiting how accurately nature can be observed. Yet quantum theory explanations are widely applied and very accurate.
	Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness by Bruce Rosenblum (Author), Fred Kuttner (Author) In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics and found, to their embarrassment, that their theory intimately connects consciousness with the physical world. Quantum Enigma explores what that implies and why some founders of the theory became the foremost objectors to it. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all of this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory's developers. They present the quantum mystery...
	Deep Down Things: The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics by Bruce A. Schumm (Author) A useful scientific theory, claimed Einstein, must be explicable to any intelligent person. In Deep Down Things, experimental particle physicist Bruce Schumm has taken this dictum to heart, providing in clear, straightforward prose an elucidation of the Standard Model of particle physics—a theory that stands as one of the crowning achievements of twentieth-century science. In this one-of-a-kind book, the work of many of the past century's most notable physicists, including Einstein,...