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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016
This brief, beautifully written book is not only a clear and profound discussion of the greatest achievements of modern physics, it is also a literary masterpiece. Rovelli's discussion of the great breakthroughs of modern physics covers familiar terrain--Einstein's theories of relativity, the development of quantum physics, and more recent theories that will eventually lead to the long-anticipated final theory-- and does not break new ground. Readers familiar with developments in physics in the 20th and 21st Centuries will find little new here. But what they will find are clear and elegant lessons about the meaning of these breakthroughs and why they matter. Rovelli's essays are among the clearest and most comprehensible summaries of the astonishing breakthroughs in modern physics that any reader will find anywhere. If one wants to acquaint one's self with the most profound breakthroughs in physics, these essays are a great place to start. Rovelli has a gift, a teacher's gift, to explain the most complex ideas in a way that a non-specialist can comprehend while still conveying the enormous consequences of the great ideas he discusses.
But beyond being a wonderful discussion of the greatest ideas of science, this little book is above all a literary masterpiece. It is beautifully written, deeply human, and, ultimately, takes science to the level of poetry. Rovelli's essays convey the grandeur of the quest to understand our universe, and, beyond that, they discuss, in beautiful prose, the human significance of this quest. If you love science, and you love literature, do yourself a favor and buy this little book. It is profound, lucid, and deeply moving. It is about the meaning of life itself, and it is wonderful.
But beyond being a wonderful discussion of the greatest ideas of science, this little book is above all a literary masterpiece. It is beautifully written, deeply human, and, ultimately, takes science to the level of poetry. Rovelli's essays convey the grandeur of the quest to understand our universe, and, beyond that, they discuss, in beautiful prose, the human significance of this quest. If you love science, and you love literature, do yourself a favor and buy this little book. It is profound, lucid, and deeply moving. It is about the meaning of life itself, and it is wonderful.
