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Carlo Rovelli
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White Holes Kindle Edition

by Carlo Rovelli (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
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A mesmerizing trip to the strange world of white holes from the bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and The Order of Time

Let us journey, with beloved physicist Carlo Rovelli, into the heart of a black hole. We slip beyond its horizon and tumble down this crack in the universe. As we plunge, we see geometry fold. Time and space pull and stretch. And finally, at the black hole’s core, space and time dissolve, and a white hole is born. 

Rovelli has dedicated his career to uniting the time-warping ideas of general relativity and the perplexing uncertainties of quantum mechanics. In White Holes, he reveals the mind of a scientist at work. He traces the ongoing adventure of his own cutting-edge research, investigating whether all black holes could eventually turn into white holes, equally compact objects in which the arrow of time is reversed.

Rovelli writes just as compellingly about the work of a scientist as he does the marvels of the universe. He shares the fear, uncertainty, and frequent disappointment of exploring hypotheses and unknown worlds, and the delight of chasing new ideas to unexpected conclusions. Guiding us beyond the horizon, he invites us to experience the fever and the disquiet of science—and the strange and startling life of a white hole.
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  1. Print length
    171 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Riverhead Books
  5. Publication date
    October 31, 2023
  6. File size
    13071 KB
  7. Page Flip
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It doesn't take a degree in astrophysics or expertise on Albert Einstein to appreciate White Holes. . . . a book that says as much about imagination and exploration as it does about physics. . . . Rovelli helps readers grasp how important imagination is to seeing the universe in new ways, for both artists and scientists.” —Associated Press
 
“If you want to remember why you once fell in love with the idea of the cosmos, or want to fall in love with that idea for the first time, then this book is for you. For my part, I found myself following Rovelli into a weird and wonderful new universe and I was very content to be there.” —Observer (UK)

“It is always worth reading Rovelli. He writes like he believes you are as learned and clever as he is. Yet he also writes with such care for your ignorance that it feels every page is urging and coaxing you—a non-physicist—to see what he can see.” —TThe Times (UK)

"White Holes edifies, excites, and even transforms me. Rovelli summons us to novel forms of knowledge while also breathing life into questions that affect all sentient beings, such as: how do we proceed when our guides no longer suffice? I’m grateful for the warm invitation to the journey." —Maggie Nelson

“Meet the new Stephen Hawking.” —The Sunday Times (UK)
 
“No one writes about the cosmos like theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli.” —The Washington Post

“Carlo Rovelli is a genius and an amazing communicator. . . . What I love about this writing is that it always comes back to people—people interacting with other people, who are interacting with their world. This is the place where science comes to life.” —Neil Gaiman
 
“The physicist known for making complex science intelligible.” —Financial Times

“One of the warmest, most elegant and most lucid interpreters to the laity of the dazzling enigmas of his discipline.” —John Banville, The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Carlo Rovelli is a theoretical physicist who has made significant contributions to the physics of space and time. His books, including Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, and Helgoland, are international bestsellers translated into more than fifty languages. He has been included among the 100 most influential Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine, and among the world’s top 50 thinkers by Prospect magazine. Rovelli has worked in Italy, the United States, and France, and currently resides in Canada.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BTKZVJJK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Books (October 31, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 31, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 13071 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 171 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0593545443
  • Customer Reviews:

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Carlo Rovelli

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
470 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the subject matter fascinating and easy to understand. They also say the arrow of time discussion is best towards the end of the book. Opinions are mixed on the length, with some finding it very short and detailed, while others say it's not book-length.

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ReadabilitySubject matterLength
7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well worth reading, easy to understand, and brief yet detailed. They also describe it as a super fun, very easy read.

"Super easy read. Fantastic and recalls the giants of science and literature along the way!" Read more

"...A truly enjoyable read at all levels." Read more

"...which the author seamlessly weaves with allegory and easy to understand images and examples...." Read more

"...between relativity and quantum mechanics is fascinating and well worth reading. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in cosmology" Read more

7 customers mention "Subject matter"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the subject matter fascinating, informative, and useful. They also say the book is a useful introduction to the concept and a mixture of science, history, and philosophy.

"Super easy read. Fantastic and recalls the giants of science and literature along the way!" Read more

"Short and without mathematics, this is a warm and broad introduction to one aspect of current cosmological thinking without ignoring the great steps..." Read more

"It’s a short book, but it contains a lot of information which the author seamlessly weaves with allegory and easy to understand images and examples...." Read more

"...(or would appreciate) Rovelli’s style, the book is a useful introduction to the concept." Read more

5 customers mention "Length"3 positive2 negative

Customers are mixed about the length of the book. Some mention it's very short, while others say it'd be better suited for a television show.

"Short and without mathematics, this is a warm and broad introduction to one aspect of current cosmological thinking without ignoring the great steps..." Read more

"This is a good book but there are very few pages." Read more

"It’s a short book, but it contains a lot of information which the author seamlessly weaves with allegory and easy to understand images and examples...." Read more

"Most important, this is not a book-length work, so it shouldn't be priced as one. It's about a one hour read...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Nicholas Lippolis
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2024
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Super easy read. Fantastic and recalls the giants of science and literature along the way!
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YoBe
4.0 out of 5 stars Poetry Meets Physics - And Poor Proofreading
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2023
This book is different from the other Rovelli books in that references Dante's Devine Comedy are tightly woven into the writing. It's not just an explanation of physics - but offers a fascinating angle on how a humanistic text of great poetry can provide guidance and inspiration to a scientist. I enjoyed the physics - presented with Rovelli's great skill as an extraordinary science communicator and the Dante quotes. Rovelli then gets into the thick of the physics in the third section of the book - though here he moves too fast for my part. Still, inspiring and inspired reading.

What I didn't enjoy was the atrocious proofreading Penguin offered. Really? For an author of this caliber? It's like a schmutzig copy & paste job of text passages received from Rovelli's laptop at different times throughout the writing process with lower/upper case use all over the place.
8 people found this helpful
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Jim Pearson
5.0 out of 5 stars One new direction in theoretical work leading to our understanding of the cosmos.
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2024
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Short and without mathematics, this is a warm and broad introduction to one aspect of current cosmological thinking without ignoring the great steps taken in the past which illuminate our understanding of the world. A truly enjoyable read at all levels.
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Justin F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Brief yet detailed and easy to understand
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2023
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It’s a short book, but it contains a lot of information which the author seamlessly weaves with allegory and easy to understand images and examples. I am not a physicist but I was able to comprehend everything in this book, and walk away with a better appreciation for the universe. Definitely worth a read.
2 people found this helpful
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James D. Costich
5.0 out of 5 stars You will laugh, cry and fall in love with reality/universe/life!
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2024
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Carlo Rovelli is one of my favorite authors. I read a lot of science/philosophy of science/physics for phun and Astronomy stuff and every one of Rovelli's works has thrilled me and inspired me to tell others that if they just read one of his books they will fall in love with - feel connected to - the LONG story of our Universe and our exciting place in it. HIS love of it all if infectious.
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Daniel Putman
3.0 out of 5 stars A brief scientific explanation of black and white holes in a literary context
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2023
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Before reading this book I think it is important to know what you are looking for. Rovelli in places gives clear if concise explanations of black holes and their relation to white holes. It is an interesting interpretation of black holes. But interspersed with the explanations are many literary quotations, most of them from Dante. And something I found disruptive (but which other readers may not) is that inside many chapters he spends from a paragraph to over a page talking about his writing process, his history writing the book, his personal reflections on scientific thinking, or his thoughts on the human condition. These are set off by the fact that in these sections he suddenly stops using capital letters at the beginning of sentences or with the pronoun “I.” (When I first ran into this, I thought they were typos on a large scale – they are not.) I found this amalgamation of science, literary citations, and e.e. cummings style unhelpful and distracting and at times irritating. However, if you are looking for a brief explanation of white holes and do not mind (or would appreciate) Rovelli’s style, the book is a useful introduction to the concept.
9 people found this helpful
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DB
4.0 out of 5 stars I really want to understand this
Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2023
I still don’t understand space/time (much less white holes) but this book fuels my curiosity and desire to wrap my head around this concept.
2 people found this helpful
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Steven Cirone
5.0 out of 5 stars Rovelli speaks to the average Joe like me.
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024
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Fascinating proposal that White Holes are the flip side of Black Holes and both look the same.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Tiina
5.0 out of 5 stars It’s exciting book for those who know nothing about physics
Reviewed in Canada on January 8, 2024
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Interesting theory of what happens to the black holes
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Jim
5.0 out of 5 stars Zoals afgesproken
Reviewed in Belgium on August 1, 2024
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Exact wat besteld was aan de aangekondigde gunstige prijs en geleverd op het beloofde tijdstip
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David Crean
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing point of view
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 1, 2024
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Carlo Rovelli writes in such a clear way that does not deny the rough and tumble of argument in the scientific community whether in agreement or disagreement. I find Rovelli is always a pleasure to read.
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Jose A Carrasco
1.0 out of 5 stars The actual physical content could have been written in two or three pages
Reviewed in Spain on January 14, 2024
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Full of typos and diversions from the min subject ( that is expected to be white holes), the essence of the book may be contained in a few pages. I skipped most of the anecdotes and references to Dante and read hop over the few ideas in the book. It was an 1 hour peer through that did not actually clarified my mind.
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Kavya A.
5.0 out of 5 stars A journey through the confines of reality...
Reviewed in India on December 17, 2023
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Do you feel like science is too disconnected from our sense of meaning in this cosmos? Read Rovelli to feel the wonder of the Inferno that is the elusive blackhole. Through Dante's prose, Rovelli takes us on a magical journey spanning most of space and time.
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