Book Description

Making science more accessible than ever before!

The Essential Science series makes the difficult and fascinating world of cutting-edge science accessible to everyone with a stimulating mix of lively illustrations and jargon-free text. Important scientific theories are explained clearly in these authoritative guides that feature cross-references, glossaries, and thorough indexes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

So little and so much
I have read several books on Quantum physics and I have never come accross such clear explanations on some strange concepts ranging from black body radiation to QED and Quantum teleportation. And in only 70 pages! I think Gribbin's strength is in its ability to explain advanced concepts from the layman's point of view. ... Read more

Book Description

This text aims to provide an introduction to the subject of quantum field theory without the complication of introducing its application areas such as elementary particle physics or statistical physics at the same time.
It explains those features of quantum and statistical field systems that result from their field-theoretic nature and are therefore common to different physical contexts. The reader is supplied with practical tools for carrying out calculations as well as a discussion of the meaning of the results.
An approach emphasizing the simplest models is used, progressing to discussion of real systems before mentioning more general and rigorous conclusions. The book is structured around carefully selected problems, which are solved in detail. The central concept is that of effective action (or free energy in statistical physics), and the main technical tool is the path integral, although other formalisms are also mentioned. A knowledge of particle physics phenomenology is not required. T ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent informal QFT intro
You want to know what is Casimir effect, renormalization and Callan-Symanzic Eqn, effective action and path integral. You take a standard QFT course (say, Weinberg or Peskin) and find yourself overwhelmed with peculiarities of Dirac spinors and Lorentz group representations. You feel you are not going anywhere: you are not learning QFT, really! Maybe you are even not a particle physicist after all. Then this book is for YOU! Authors do a great job explaining the essence of QFT (as an interacting theory with an infinite number degrees of freedom) using the scalar field Lagrangian with the quartic interaction as a prime example. It is amazing how far one actually can go with such a model! Each chapter contains an illustrative calculation of a physical quantity (say, the Casimir energy, Ch. 5), with all the details, and without unnecessary complications. One also learns a great deal of the path integral techniques (e.g. instantons), which is extremely important in a variety of fields (QCD, condensed matter, statistical physics, etc). Overall, a highly recommended reading.

A great introductory course
I've looked at many books on quantum field theory and this is without doubt the best introductory work I have found. The Weinberg book jumps in at the deep end, the Kaku book jumps in at about 6 feet deep but this one allows you to at least climb into the pool. It's a rare intelligence to be aware of how to lead one's reader along the learning curve and these authors display it. Typo errors occur at the rate of about one every two pages (did anyone read the proofs?) but they are easily discovered if one follows the math carefully. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Heisenberg's motivation
Not really for beginners in spite of appearances, this book sketches Heisenberg's path in discovering the canonical commutation rules of quantum mechanics. After trying unsuccessfully for years to quantize the helium atom via the Bohr-Sommerfeld quantization rules (which attempt Einstein had already explained in 1917 to be hopeless, because the classical 3-body problem is nonintegrable), Heisenberg was finally motivated by the example of relativity (where absolute time had to be abandoned) to give up the assumption that the position and momentum of a point particle are simultaneously predictable. To follow Heisenberg's reasoning the reader must first understand action-angle variables in classical mechanics. With Einstein's 1917 paper in hindsight, the three body problem representing the helium atom energy spectrum was finally approximated semi-clasically around 1990 based on a path-integral approximation to a chaotic Hamiltonian system.

Great book, but beginners beware
This book is excellent--BUT you must have a very keen appreciation of what is happening with the mathematics in order to understand its intensity. If you are just beginning your study of quantum mechanics, I would not recommend this to you unless you just wanted to blur your vision. First, get your tools sharpened with introductory level books and then, maybe, try to tackle this. Its pretty rough, but if you get there it is well worth it.

A classic in quantum mechanics
This book is the standard introduction to - well, to the physical principles underlying the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. While it is dated in terms of that mathematical formalism, it has never been superseded in its analyses. Every serious student of quantum physics will encounter it, sooner or later, in the original or in paraphrases in newer monographs on quantum theory.

Quantum theory is really misterious !!
This really helping me to understand more about the Quantum Theory, I think this book is need to be read by everyone who study physic or by someone who interested by physical theory. I have been read this book for several times and I stil never feel bored. I think this book is really interesting. Thank's

A book to answer the questions of life
This book answerrs all the questions you`ve wanted to know it tells you about relativity and quantum theory, and also the most puzzling of all questions how did the universe start? This book is definity a must buy. ... Read more

Book Description

Problem solving in physics is not simply a test of understanding of the subject, it is an integral part of learning it. In this book, the key ideas of quantum mechanics are well illustrated by a carefully chosen set of problems complete with detailed, step-by-step solutions. Beginning with a chapter on orders of magnitude, a variety of topics is then covered, including the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics, Schrödinger's equation, angular momentum, the hydrogen atom, the harmonic oscillator, spin, time-independent and time-dependent perturbation theory, the variational method, multielectron atoms, transitions and scattering. Throughout, the physical interpretation or application of certain results is highlighted, thereby providing useful insights into a wide range of systems and phenomena. There is considerable emphasis on applications to atomic, nuclear, and solid-state physics and this book will be invaluable to a wide range of physics undergraduates. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

great primer!
This is a fantastic book ... explains standard undergrad quantum problems clearly ... the best explainations I've ever encountered! Learning the fundamentals of q.m. is easy with the help of this book.

essential for review of what QM is
If you have already taken undergraduate QM course and want to review what you have learned, it is a best book with readable size for couple of days. The book summarizes the basic formulae with a brief comments at each chapter. After keeping in mind the key idea you see the problems which are application of the formulae. The problem sets are so well organized as to help you get a consistent concept of what QM really is. Master it.

essential for review of what QM is
If you have already took undergraduate QM course and want to review what you have learned, it is a best book with readable size for couple of days. The book summarizes the basic formulae with a brief comments at each chapter. After keeping in mind the key idea you see the problems which are application of the formulae. The problem sets are so well organized as to help you get a consistent concept of what QM really is. Master it. ... Read more

Book Description

Quantum mechanics, which describes the behavior of subatomic particles, seems to challenge common sense. Waves behave like particles; particles behave like waves. You can tell where a particle is, but not how fast it is moving--or vice versa. An electron faced with two tiny holes will travel through both at the same time, rather than one or the other. And then there is the enigma of creation ex nihilo, in which small particles appear with their so-called antiparticles, only to disappear the next instant in a tiny puff of energy. Since its inception, physicists and philosophers have struggled to work out the meaning of quantum mechanics. Some, like Niels Bohr, have responded to quantum mechanics' mysteries by replacing notions of position and velocity with probabilities. Others, like Einstein and Penrose, have disagreed and think that the entire puzzle reflects not a fundamental principle of nature but our own ignorance of basic scientific processes.

Sneaking a Look at God's Cards offers the general reader a deep and real understanding of the problems inherent to the interpretation of quantum mechanics, from its inception to the present. The book presents a balanced overview of current debates and explores how the theory of quantum mechanics plays itself out in the real world. Written from the perspective of a leading European physicist, it looks extensively at ideas from both sides of the Atlantic and also considers what philosophers have contributed to the scientific discussion of this field. Sneaking a Look at God's Cards sets out what we know about the endlessly fascinating quantum world, how we came to this understanding, where we disagree, and where we are heading in our quest to comprehend the seemingly incomprehensible.

Reviews (1)

Best book on qm for general audience
This is the best book I've seen on quantum mechanics. It's probably too hard to follow without some scientific experience on the part of the reader. But it is the only book I know of (and I'm aware of most) that really covers the conceptual issues of the entire subject in an open-minded non-romantic, non-mystical and realistic way. Very refreshing. A gem. ... Read more

Book Description

Inspired by Richard Feynman and J.J. Sakurai, A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics lets professors expose their undergraduates to the excitement and insight of Feynman's approach to quantum mechanics while simultaneously giving them a textbook that is well-ordered, logical, and pedagogically sound. This book covers all the topics that are typically presented in a standard upper-level course in quantum mechanics, but its teaching approach is new: Rather than organizing his book according to the historical development of the field and jumping into a mathematical discussion of wave mechanics, Townsend begins his book with the quantum mechanics of spin. Thus, the first five chapters of the book succeed in laying out the fundamentals of quantum mechanics with little or no wave mechanics, so the physics is not obscured by mathematics. Starting with spin systems gives students something new and interesting while providing elegant but straightforward examples of the essential structure of quantum mechanics. When wave mechanics is introduced later, students perceive it correctly as only one aspect of quantum mechanics and not the core of the subject. Praised for its pedagogical brilliance, clear writing, and careful explanations, this book is destined to become a landmark text. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A great undergrad text
I used this text for a course and was impressed with it. For those who claim Sakurai is a better text, I'd say that Sakurai is a text just a half a step above this on in difficulty. I've tried reading Sakurai and found that I only got anything out of it after having studied out of Townsend's book extensively. Sakurai is more on an intro graduate level, while Townsend was written specifically to be an upper-division undergraduate text.
In other words, I learned a whole heck of a lot from this book, but don't get Townsend expecting a complete and thorough graduate-level treatment of QM. It's a really good introduction that provides a few dips into more advanced topics (particulary chapter 14).

Great Read
Unlike other textbooks which cover very abstract notions from the first chapter on, Townsend does a very good job of explaining simple concepts that will prove to be invaluable towards sharpening one's physical intuition. Townsend does not pretend that it is profound and often cites other references that are more challenging to read so for the physics enthusiast, they appetite is satisfied nonetheless. In summary, his book is an excellent introduction to very fundamental aspects of wave mechanics using both bras and kets plus operator notation. A must-read if you want to ground your understanding of quantum mechanics in very accessible and tangible physical arguments, especially if you have a bad memory like me.

Decent Book, but missing a lot
Townsend's book gives good insight into Introductory QM, but lacks a lot of the rigor that other books at this level provide. Basically, this book is a gentler version of Sakurai's "Modern QM", and it is somewhat annoying that the Townsend implies that Stern-Gerlach experiments are the be-all, end-all way to understand quantum mechanics.

Not bad, but certainly not perfect
I've used this book for two Intro to Quantum Courses. I found it to be very clear and concise, but seriously lacking in examples and skipping lots of mathematical steps (and providing almost no discussion of units, which is annoying because it uses SI units). It would benefit greatly from a glossary and some clearly outlined definitions. An appendix outlining solved wavefunctions for given Hamiltonians like the Harmonic Oscillator would also help. If you get this book, I suggest you also get a Schaum's outline or something else to give you the exposure to "solved problems". And I also suggest a good physics reference, as I found the book's appendix didn't have many of the constants I needed.

Buy Sakurai Instead
Townsend says he was "inspired" by Sakurai's QM book "Modern Quantum Mechanics" in writing this text. Inspired??? It's more like he copied 85% of Sakurai's book including exercises (he barely changed the title too). Since Sakurai's book is good that makes this book not bad but I recommend you buy Sakurai and get it straight from the horse's mouth instead of from this plagorized text. ... Read more

Book Description

How quantum physics will explain the nature of reality and the human mind. For decades, neuroscientists, psychologists, and an army of brain researchers have been struggling, in vain, to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. Now there is a clear trail to the answer, and it leads through the dense jungle of quantum physics, Zen, and subjective experience, and arrives at an unexpected destination. In this tour-de-force of scientific investigation, Evan Harris Walker shows how the operation of bizarre yet actual properties of elementary particles support a new and exciting theory of reality, based on the principles of quantum physics-a theory that answers questions such as "What is the nature of consciousness, of will?" "What is the source of material reality?" and "What is God?"

"A breathtaking journey into the very atoms of the brain...In his rare fusion of intellectual ambition with emotional urgency, Walker exposes the emptiness of a science that avoids the ultimate questions." -Booklist ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Mixed Blessings
I really felt I should only give this book two stars based on an objective view of its presumptions, assumptions, and hopeful speculations disguised as objective inquiry. However, Walker's tale is strangely moving, and not just because of the way he interweaves his memory of the death of his first love when she was but 16 years old. Walker means this quest; he needs it. Despite his denials, it seemed obvious to me that he began with presumptions of deity and a unity of spirit beyond time. When he expresses that sense, that intuition, his writing almost waxes poetic. I wanted to be offended, but instead I was moved. However, when he delved into the details of quantum mechanics I sometimes found myself quite lost. His brief exposition & dismissal of David Bohm's quantum interpretation was not recognizable to me. He showed no awareness of Bohm's holographic implicant order (which results in an ontology of creative immanence rather than Walker's preferred transcendence). I am aware of the EPR Paradox & Bell's Theorem as well as the Alain Aspect nonlocality experiments (and others, more recently) that prove that divided photons or electrons are still ' against all standard physics ' somehow one entity, no matter how far apart we judge them to be. Yet, Walker's explanation and his diagrams completely muddied up my whole understanding. (It's probably just me.) And it is on the proving of this theorem (which he interprets as proving absolute nonlocality) that his whole case for the existence of a transcendent God and eternal love seems to rest. He goes to the unadmitted consequences of the Copenhagen Interpretation of quantum physics ' that all the particles of matter, all solid reality, and therefore all the universe is the result of the "observer effect" (aka the "measurement problem"). Just as wave collapse occurs when an observer attempts to measure it and the wave then manifests as an "actual subatomic particle", so the whole Universe, according to Walker, is ultimately based in nothing but infinite wave-potential. Potential does not equal existence. So it follows that "in the beginning" a cosmic observation -- an act of divine will -- "collapsed" *some* of the infinite potential energy into the first material of time and space. So it seems to me that he implies a separate & supreme consciousness, that is, the monotheistic utterly transcendendent Deity who is not to be identified with His creation. If our whole universe is built from this loving God through His "observation" of the infinite quantum potential, then why is life so full of crap, stupidity, and cruelty? Why must this first "observation" originate from a supreme and conscious entity who is yet beyond all space and time? Why not just blind (or even accidental) creativity? In that way, amorality & human stupidity would be expected. In short, I mostly really enjoyed reading this heartfelt tome, but was sometimes left high & dry by some of the scientific detail or put off by the wishful thinking leaps of faith.

Quantum proof for consciousness, free will and God
The subtitle of Walker's exploration is perhaps better than the title: The Quantum Mind and the Meaning of Life. Unlike some of the other postings here this reviewer cannot gush uncritically about The Physics of Consciousness. It begins awkwardly, it ambles and lurches along for some time, and when it does hit it's stride with science it careens between disciplines with intoxicated gusto, rather than surgical precision. But in the end it's worth the ride. It is an important book as it postulates a testable hypothesis about consciousness, free will and whatever uber-reality may (or may not) underlie ALL THAT IS. (It is a modern re-statement of Thales' theorem that "all is water" --in this case "all is consciousness/will.")

To get through this awkward tangle requires some patience and more than a little familiarity with quantum physics and neuroscience. A healthy prior exposure to cosmology, evolution, and epistomology is also useful. But with that background in place, Walker's thesis is nothing short of extraordinary to contemplate. The author's exploitation of a personal tragedy from his young adulthood weaves a personal thread into this tapestry. Some might complain about this intrusion, and it does complicate the development. But it also lends a deep (if idiosyncratic) humanity that this reader eventually found oddly satisfying.

Walker goes as far with the philosophy of reality as any Western scientific thinker has been willing to go. It's the most contemporary general proof for an ultimate consciousness, a Platonic "first cause," this reader has ever enjoyed. And it's good enough to merit serious attention. The Physics of Consciousness deserves a place alongside recent explorations such as The Moral Animal (R. Wright) and The Fifth Miracle (P. Davies) as serious contemplations for students of Big Ideas. Just be prepared to be patient with it. And brush up on your quantum mechanics.

Almost there...
Never trust anything that claims to be about quantum physics unless it contains equations. This book does, and does a fair job of quantifying some of the physical aspects related to consciousness. In that respect it's easily the best book I have read on the subject. I used to be a big fan of Roger Penrose before I read Walker. (I still find Penrose worth reading, but he's much further off the mark, in my opinion.)

Where he breaks down is that he has only physical models to explain consciousness. They're necessary, but not sufficient. Let me ask it this way: Is the mind a Turing machine? If it is, then his explanations are sufficient. I don't believe the mind to be that limited, and there is plenty of evidence that it is not. Then what makes the mind something that can determine that a particular Turing machine will never halt?

Another stereotyping stuff imitating TAO
If i am allowed to rate a -5 stars, i would do it no doubt. The book starts with complicated material and thought experiment which can be illustrated in a much comprehensible way, like those in "one, two, three... to infinity" by George Gamov, or in "Quantum Reality: Beyond the new physics" by Nick Herbert, to overwhelm readers and then introduce his "Zheng" (or however it is called) thinking. In fact, the recent trend of Westerner trying to entertain themselves with the "Oriental" exotic idea of "Zheng" or Tao is just a joke in our, Chinese or Oriental people's, eyes. In fact Zheng and Tao are surely topics, not gimmicks, worth comtemplating, but not in such a superficial way. Especially not in a way which uses illogical phrases or poems. And absolutely not in a way which authors keep propaganding ideas like "Zheng cannot be talked of", while the very same person keeps talking about.

I'm Sorry, What?
What a wonderful read this was for the first 8 chapters. The amazing mysteries of quantum mechanics are well covered, if somewhat more deeply than necessary. What makes it unique though, is that it is interwoven with a concurrent story about a long-dead lover and the inherent questions that death entails. This made for some really gripping, moving reading. It's quite well written, and I was excited that the author seemed to be approaching the questions raised by quantum mechanics in exactly the same way that I had approached them myself. Then, in chapter 9, BAM - a left turn into Zen Buddhism. Not just a left turn into Zen Buddhism, which I understand has some well respected philosophical underpinnings, but a left turn into Zen Buddhism that presupposes that the reader, like the author, accepts that Zen is The Way To Enlightenment. Note this sentence at the beginning of chapter 9: "It was not until recently that I found Zen Buddhism, timeless and sparkling, hidden amid its oriental foil." Timeless and sparkling? Says who? Buddhism, like all religion/philosophy, is the product of the mind of man, and if the reader is to look at it as anything more, the reader should come to it on his own, not have it thrust upon him as if it just simply were so. This whole chapter has this air of presupposition, as if the author realizes that his audience probably knew all this about Zen Buddhism long before he did, and he is now, at long last, agreeing with them. It was so distasteful to me I was unable to finish the book. What a shame. Perhaps I will skim through it at a later date so I can find out more about Meryl. ... Read more

Book Description

Why do we believe in the soul? Does it actually exist? If so, what is it? Does it differ from the self? Is it part of the material world? Does it survive the body after death?

In THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE, Fred Alan Wolf brings the most modern perspective of quantum physics to the most ancient questions of religion and philosophy. Taking the reader on a fascinating tour of both Western and Eastern thought, Wolf explains the differing view of the soul in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and St. Thomas; the ancient Egyptian’s believe in the nine forms of the soul; the Qabalistic idea of the soul acting in secret to bring spiritual order to a chaotic universe of matter and energy; and the Buddhist vision of a “nonsoul.” And, Wolf mounts a defense of the soul against its modern critics who see it as nothing more than the physical body. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Getting lost in the techno-speak
I have thoroughly enjoyed Fred Alan Wolf's other books, yet this one is not one I would recommend. Dr Wolf goes off a bit too much on an academic journey in attempt to lay a foundation that proves the human soul exists. I would suggest one does not need to trace back all theoretical philosophical treatise on the subject in order to prove that the human mind is separate and distinct from the human brain, and the soul of a person is yet again distinct from both of those entities. One only has to see the smile of a child when first discovering a puppy or remember back to the first time you kissed you first true love to prove the soul exits... This becomes too academic and technical for even the most advanced spiritual reader to get much value. Sorry, Dr. Wolf, but I think you missed the boat on this one.

How Many Angels Dance on the Head of a Pin?
The arrogance of many theoretical physicists is that experiments don't matter: The arrogance is that they know philosophy better than philosophers. Modern Philosophy knows God cannot be proven theoretically. And science requires experimental proof. Faith is debased by self-affirming delusions of proof, no matter how eloquent the author, and Dr. Wolf is very eloquent. And science is debased by being misconstrued and marginalized. (Why spoil a good idea with the empirical evidence!) Faith has NO logical proof and needs NO scientific evidence. As Stephen Jay Gould has said: Religion and Science are Non-Overlapping Magisteria (NOMA). One cannot measure one with the other.

Ya Like It or You Don't !!
Quite a spread in the ratings, eh? Since I am currently in the process of slowly digesting this mind-bending book, it is apparent to me exactly who amongst the reviewers above simply didn't understand what they had read. The book would earn five stars were in not that I feel Dr. Wolf frequently fails to explain his concepts adequately and in the most lucid manner. I therefore find myself re-reading sentences and even pages frequently and thoroughly and stretching my intellect to the limit to grasp the proper insights. Highly recommended.

Dr. Wolf's shot at the soul
I was disappointed in this book. After reading most of Dr. Wolf's other works, I found this one wondering and burdensome. Although writing about a proof of the human soul is no lite matter, I would like to have seen a more imagineable work. I didn't need the copious amount of historical thought about the soul...I wanted to know more "straight forward" what Fred thought about the topic. Not being a phsicist or educated in deep theoretical thinking, I wasn't able to grasp a lot of the concepts presented (trouble I haven't had with Dr. Wolf's other works).

I admire anyone who would tackle this task, but I didn't find the work one of his better efforts.

The Self As Illusion -- The Physics of Faith
This engaging book describes how there is actually only one soul... and how the illusion that many souls seem to exist came about. Wolf sets out to show how the self is fundamentally an illusion, "arising as a reflection of the soul in matter much as a clear lake at midnight reflects the moon." Wolf begins this book with descriptions of Aristotlian and Platonic Soul Physics... and then continues the quest for knowledge of the soul through ancient Egypt and ancient Chaldea, and onward through more modern history. Wolf shares his vision of the soul as a process rather than some "thing" measurable in terms of mechanical materiality -- drawing from Qabalistic, Buddhist, and Christian wisdom as well as a thorough understanding of physics to redefine spirit, soul, matter and self. I found this entire book to be deeply thought-provoking, with Wolf's characteristic playful humor entertaining me throughout. I especially enjoyed the section of THE SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE that described the importance of secret knowledge, and why it is sacred -- thereby showing us the physics of faith. ... Read more

Book Description

Laser cooling allows one to slow atoms to roughly the speed of a mosquito and to control their motions with unprecedented precision. This elegant technique, whereby atoms, molecules, and even microscopic beads of glass, can be trapped in small regions of free space by beams of light and subsequently moved at will using other beams, has revolutionized many areas of physics. In particular, it provides a useful research tool for the study of individual atoms, for investigating the details of chemical reactions, and even for the study of atomic motion in the quantum domain. This text begins with a review of the relevant aspects of quantum mechanics; it then turns to the electromagnetic interactions involved in slowing and trapping atoms, in both magnetic and optical traps. The concluding chapters discuss a broad range of applications, including atomic clocks, studies of ultra-cold collision processes, diffraction and interference of atomic beams, optical lattices, and Bose-Einstein condensation. The book is intended for advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students who have some basic knowledge of optics and quantum mechanics. An extensive bibliography provides access to the current research literature.

FROM THE REVIEWS

THE PHYSICIST "A strong recommendation for any book in one's own field is to see it written the way you would have written it. This is certainly the case here. If you are a researcher or a teacher in laser cooling and trapping or a related field of atomic, molecular, and optical physics, then this is a "must buy" text for your bookshelf. Any buy one for your students too, because your copy will inevitably disappear."

PHYSICS TODAY "...for its intended use, which is to guide newcomers into the field of laser cooling and trapping, the book does a superb job...The book is will placed to evolve with the filed for many years to come." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great book to get a good understanding of laser cooling.
Laser cooling and trapping techniques have given researchers new tools to explore the atom's dynamics and control. The book gives a good introduction to the forces that arise when an atom interacts with a light (laser) field, and puts a lot of emphasis on giving the reader an excellent idea of what's going on when atoms and photons interact.

Rather than giving all the details of the mathematical and quantum mechanics background that is needed to understand the subject the authors concentrate on giving a clearer picture of the real physics involved.

The book starts with a review of the quantum mechanics principles used to understand laser cooling and trapping, which serves as a good remainder for a person who already has a basic grasp of it.

Although all the mathematical analysis that shows how the formulas and mathematical expressions are derived is not done in the book, the presentation is sufficient to guide the readers interested in it do the work by themselves.

The book also has an excellent reference guide that an interested person can use to get all the mathematical and experimental details on the field. ... Read more

Book Description

The use of visualization techniques greatly enhances the understanding of quantum mechanics as it allows us to depict phenomena that cannot be seen by any other means. "Visual Quantum Mechanics" uses the computer generated animations found on the accompanying CD-ROM to introduce, motivate, and illustrate the concepts explained in the book. For example, by watching QuickTime movies of the solutions of Schroedinger's equation, students will be able to develop afeeling for the behavior of quantum mechanical systems that cannot be gained by conventional means. While there are other books on the market that use Mathematica and Maple to teach quantum mechanics, this book differs in that the text describes the mathematical and physical ideas of quantum mechanics in the conventional manner, with no special emphasis on computational physics or the requirement that the reader know a symbolic computation package or Mathematica. In this book, instead, the computer is used to provide easy access to a large collection of animated illustrations, interactive pictures, and lots of supplementary materials. "Visual Quantum Mechanics" takes a mathematical rather than a physical approach to quantum mechanics, and includes results more typical in more advanced books but which are more comprehensible via visualization. Despite the presentations of advanced results, the book requires only calculus, and the book will fill the gap between classical quantum mechanics texts and mathematically advanced books. The book will have a home page at the author's institution (http://www.kfunigraz.ac.at/imawww/vqm/) which will include supplementary material, exercises and solutions, additional animations, and links to other sites with quantum mechanical visualization. This book along with its accompanying CD-ROM, which contains over 300 digital movies, form a complete introductory course on spinless particles in one and two dimensions. There is a second book in development which will cover such topics as spherical symmetry in three dimensions, the hydrogen atom, scattering theory and resonances, periodic potentials, particles with spin, an relativistic problems (the Dirac equation). ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Highly recommended!
This is the best quantum mechanics book I know! It explains quantum mechanics in a very understandable way (well, at least for a physics student). The explanations are just better than elsewhere, and its easier to follow the mathematical derivations. There are no unfair remarks like 'it is easy to see that..', etc. Now I can understand quantum mechanics much better. The movies are just great. The CD-ROM alone is worth the price (unfortunately it works only for Windows and Macintosh, not for Linux). In particular, I liked the section about one-dimensional scattering theory. Here the movies and the text fit together in an optimal way. If you can only afford one book about quantum mechanics, buy this one. Unfortunately, this book is only the first part of the story. The web site tells me that the next book will describe the hydrogen atom, the Dirac equation, and quantum information. I am growing impatient. What am I going to do until the second book appears?

it's not that complicated
This is a great combination: Many diagrams, animations and so on on the CD-ROM, which are not just to look at, but you can modify parameters and interact with some of them, which is great for understanding and the book with the theoretical background to everything you can see an the CD-ROM and more. You should be fimilar with higher mathematics (complex numbers and stuff) if you really want to understand the complicated-looking mathematical background, but the CD-ROM shows that the core of the whole Quantum-Mechanic-Thing seems to be very natural (what a surprise). This book is an excellent approach to this topic - take a glance. ... and for those, who are not interested in QM-theory: the animations are very colorful and fine to look at ;) ... Read more

Book Description

'...every page shows evidence of great mastery of the subject.' Trans. Faraday Society'this book is destined to play a major part in the future education of theoretical physicists.'Proceedings of the Physical SocietyThis edition has been completely
revised to include some 20% of new material. Important recent developments such as the theory of Regge poles are now included. Many problems with solutions have been added to those already contained in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

In The Quantum Self, Danah Zohar argues that the insights of modem physics can illuminate our understanding of everyday life -- our relationships to ourselves, to others, and to the world at large. Guiding us through the strange and fascinating workings of the subatomic realm to create a new model of human consciousness, the author addresses enduring philosophical questions. Does the new physics provide a basis by which our consciousness might continue beyond death? How does the material world (for instance, ugly inner cities) impinge upon our sense of self? Is there a subatomic wellspring from which our creativity, our empathy with others, and our feelings of unity with the inanimate world originate?

Most important, Zohar shows how the vitality of the new physics combats the alienation and fragmentation of twentieth-century life, and replaces it with a model of reality in which the universe itself may possess a type of consciousness, of which human consciousness is one expression.

Reviews (7)

Very thought-provoking
This book is highly informative and thought provoking although some of the ideas behind it are confusing. For example, as someone else mentioned, neurones don't have cell walls, because no animal cells have cell walls. And also, the author does not explain the hypothetical Bose-Einstein condensate in the brain very well, even though the idea is one of the central ideas behind the book, nor why it has to be in the brain. The "Frohlich pumped system", if it is indeed responsible for consciousness, it would only require energy, which is existent throughout the human body. Moreover, it is unclear how such a pumped system would come about in the human body, and how it would have been created in the first place through evolution.

However, these shortcomings are more than made up by revolutionary ideas (even for now, a decade later), its interpretation of "relationship", and its reasonable scientific backing. No, the real reason I gave it a 4 stars and not 5 is because the middle chapters are kind of repetitive, culminating in a rather hideous chapter "Getting beyond narcissism" which was neither relevant nor philosophically sound. But the last couple of chapters were excellent, and I'd certainly recommend this to any open-minded science buffs (not to laymen, however).

Of the many books written about the new physics, this is one of the most precise, and is apparently unafraid of skepticism, which I respect even if it means instigating more erroneous rants about "New Ageist science" is rampant and the "real science" is not from an ill-informed skeptic.

Badly misinformed science
The basis of this book is that consciousness can be explained as a Bose-Einstein condensate of atoms in the neurons. Interesting idea, sadly impossible. Bose-Einstein condensates can only exist at very low temperatures. The inside of the brain certainly doesn't qualify. The authors could've easily established the impossibility of their claim by looking up B-E condensates in any textbook on statistical mechanics.

Good Ideas, needs stronger scientific background
The idea of trying to define consciousness and understand it in a scientific context is something I'm highly interested in. This book has some great ideas which I find highly intriguing, but to be convincing the author needs a stronger foundaiton in science. For instance, she constantly refers to neurons as having "cell walls", but a freshman college science major would no that no animal cell has a cell wall, period. This leads me to wonder how informed Zohar may be on the other scientific issues, such as physics, in this book. That sais, I think she's on the right track, and thinking about the subject in the proper way. But i think we need to look for more authoritative scientific sources on the subject, such as Roger Penrose...

Tolstoy said it first . . .
Based on his awareness that consciousness was more than a chemical reaction in the brain, Tolstoy created his own theory, which the "quantum" theory, so well described in this book by Danah Zohar, is finally catching up to. In other words, as an artist he anticipated quantum theory over 100 years ago. Ridiculing both scientific materialism and dogmatic religions as "superstitions," Lev Tolstoy held that neither institutional science nor institutional religion described the human spirit. ("Belief that everything originates in 'matter' is as silly as a belief in the Trinity." -- L.T.)

Paradigm Shift
Zohar effectively breaks out of Conventional Wisdom's monologue on human consciousness with her "Quantum Self". It is sometimes a difficult task to use the language of today's thought to describe tomorrow's. It is understandable, therefore, when Zohar dips into her personal stash of religious metaphors to describe a world that is decidedly metaphysical.

A few religious references may come as an unpleasant surprise at first read, to the self-described universalist, but an open-minded reader will easily see the broader truths being espoused without marriage to a specific western or eastern point of view. It is impossible to stop an idea whose time has come. This book takes us a step closer to a unifying theory of consciousness, matter, and phases of existence. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

an adventure worth taking
Most of the reviewers have already said all the important things to be said for this book, so I will just highlight what I think prospective readers should keep in mind.
1) This book is about twice as hard as "Who is Fourier?," and for laypeople like myself, it doesn't begin to really pay off until you re-read it a few times and get truly familiar with the material. Point being, the cartoons are nice and encouraging, but sometimes they have the weird and unintended effect of making you feel stupid because these cute little drawings get it all eventually and do math really well, but, uh, the derivations are somewhat....difficult, for people.
2) The difficulty is not a drawback, per se, but for the most part a sign that these LEX fellows are trying to really get you into the heart of this material, and this material is, after all, Quantum Mechanics.
3) This book may leave your head spinning, unlike the Fourier book, and this is because the Fourier book was able to take its sweet time with pretty much one subject. Here, however, the authors faced a tough one in having to provide readers with clear info. on QM and also imparting the necesary history of physics for understanding the material. But give them credit for doing it at all. So you get swarms of equations from here and there, and then smash them all together and make the classical equal to the quantum, etc.., etc..again, not easy stuff, but manageable. (I also wanted to give the book 4.5 stars, for the same reasons as a reviewer below, that is, for occassional vagueness and under-explanation).
4) Just re-iterating, all of the above are only real drawbacks if you skim the book or read it swiftly (if you're a beginner)---it is a book that requires patience and study, and it rewards the effort. As the cute drawings say: "You can do it!"
Thats it---enjoy!

The coloring book of quantum mechanics!
Believe it or not, I actually recommend this book for my graduate quantum chemistry class in addition to a "regular" quantum text. I have probably pulled more lectures out of this book than any other source. Its pedegogy is
questionable and a cheeky. And, yes, the stupid cartoon icons are very
annoying.
Now, why do I like this book: first of all, most chemists are math-phobes and
by in large enter graduate school poorly prepared in both physics and math.
So, the icons, cartoons, etc help lower the barrier towards understanding and
utilizing the necessary mathematical tools required to study QM.
Secondly, the overview of the historical dialog and development is quite fun and puts an interesting spin on the classical and semi-classical underpinnings of quantum theory.

For certain, if you want to be serious student of QM, go to the classic texts. If
you want to have fun, read this book along side and bring your crayolas.

What a Good Book!!
This is completely a great adventure in Quantum Mechanics not just for the intrepid students of TCL but for me. I started reading this book knowing anything about the theme and once I started reading just couldn't stop. The style they use to write is very natural and easy to understand, you don't need to be a teacher to read this. I've read before "Who is Fourier?" other book of TCL and when I found this book I decided to read it thinking would be as interesting as Fourier, but I was wrong, this is better.
I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYBODY EVEN IF YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PHYSICS. I learned that Quantum Mechanics or any other topic don't have to be diffcult to understand, the secret is the way you approach to it. I'm eagerly waiting for another adventure to come. It's a book you'll enjoy from the begining to the end.

Excellent Pedagogic Book
I do not think that this book deserves a negative review despite the silly humor or childish cartoons. This is neither a comic book nor is intended to be, but just in the process of learning of qunatum mechanics things such as these help to avoid the intimidation of reader and keep him sort of hanging around into learning this stuff. This is not meant for experts who may already have patterned a mind set on this subject. This is for a beginning reader who has some background in liberal arts physics and the like and who wishes to know what is really meant by quantum mechanics and why. Experts who might read this may find that the "holes" in their understanding is filled by reading the book--a fact that may make them depressed of the idea that they may have thought that they have understood quantum mechanics prior to reading this book.

This book is simply unpretentious, historically structured and focuses on clarity as much as possible while trying to derive all steps in mathematical development--an important style of presentation necessary to enable a reader to stick to the book rather than a masterful book that author may likely to intimidate a reader while demonstrating his prowess in mathematics--I see this too common in books on quantum mechanics. Advanced QM books are often seem to be written to sort of "impress" members of the subject community that how the author has laboriously done a book masterfully or how deeply he has mastered the subject--This book is quite different from this style--It is quite readable, understandable and makes you to appreciate what teaching really is. I do not think there is any other quantum mechanics book that is as simple as this one and easy to understand in one reading, with some calculus background. This type of teaching sytle, from the roots and in a historical context is rarely employed today--I cannot think of any quantum mechanics book that builds every element of the concept from the roots like it is done in this book. When I look at text books, it is all to common to see concepts and facts presented as if they were "invented" in one fly but not developed as an evolutionary development where very bright people have contributed along the way. Although it may not be possible to present material in a historical context in every subject, this book does it admirably well in the important field of quantum mechanics--the characters including Wien, Max Planck, Bohr, Sommerfield, Born Heisenberg and Schrodinger are all part of this drama and their roles and contributions are well illustrated in cartoons, which I thought was nice. Besides, I do not think that this is entirely written by students--I think it has been greatly assisted by someone who has worked with Heisenberg (It is remarked somewhere in the text albeit indirectly).

I thought the matrix mechanics, the way it is done in this book and in showing its correspondence to Schrodinger's equation is simply awesome !

I am Professor in an engineering department in a major university and I was thrilled to find that this book has employed approches that I have been using in my own classes--teaching style and methodololgy is an wonderful art--and it needs, first, I think, a sort of fanatic attitude toward simplicity and approach based on reverence to the subject--the reader may be blessed to discover some of it when you read this book. Hopefully you may discover the ultimate teacher!

Richard Feynmann had once reportedly said to his collegue about his lectures in CalTech to freshmen, ".....I couldn't do it (a particular concept) well...not this way...I thought I can make a freshman understand this concept...I could not do it....that means I do not understand myself this concept very well...." The utter honesty of Feynmann is remarkable. Surely Feynmann would have passed a fair assessment of this book as this tries to capture some of his style in his famnous three-volume book on Feymann Lectures of Physics.

I strongly it recommend to any beginner who is really interested in understanding quantum mechanics.

An unusual attempt
I was disheartened to see all the negative reviews. I suppose if you expect a standard physics textbook, or a discriptive book for the hobbist you'd be disappointed. From an educational standpoint, it's a facinating experiment. How COULD anyone document the learning process of a more-or-less random group of people, from young children to grandparents? In terms of material difficulty level, it is sort of designed for people who have gotten through Who Is Fourier. The book bravely dives in explaining calculus concepts, and wave mechanics from scratch - sometimes with a bit of childish humor. Is that so wrong? ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents a unique approach to the fundamentals of quantum transport, and is aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students.Some of the most advanced concepts of non-equilibrium statistical mechanics are included and yet no prior acquaintance with quantum mechanics is assumed. Chapter 1 provides a description of quantum transport in elementary terms accessible to a beginner. The book then works its way from the hydrogen atom to nanostructures ending with a unified model for quantum transport along with illustrative examples showing how conductors evolve from the atomic to the ohmic regime (or from 'atom to transistor') as they get larger. Many numerical examples are used to provide concrete illustrations and the corresponding MATLAB codes are provided in the book. These codes are also available on the web along with videostreamed lectures by the author, keyed to specific sections of the book, by going to www. cambridge.org/0521631459. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Difficult book, for grad student but it rewards time spent.
This book certainly isn't for the casual reader, but it is a great book for those who want to learn Advanced quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics from a distinguished physicist from a different point of view. Sakurai interjects his own beautifully strange and humourous analogies through out the work, such as comparing the creation, anihilation and number operators to the hindu trinity of Brahma, Siva and Vishnu respectively. Again there are some people who don't get this book, yet there are others who love it.

Not the best text
Most of the graduate students in physics and chemistry here at Cal agree that this book is incomplete and glosses over too much of the details. It's also very annoying to read things like, "Proof: The proof is trivial." Anyone studying from this text will be left with the feeling that something is missing. Personally, I prefer the classic two volume "phonebook of quantum mechanics" by Cohen-Tannoudji et al.

Good for you...
If you're reading reviews on advanced QM then I'm sure you'd like this book... as for me, I'm through with physics. Undergrad stuff is a breeze but it's not worth it anymore. Don't you guys have lives other than physics? Christ, I want time to take a vacation now and then and to watch baseball games and movies and follow current events. I'd like to spend some time with members of the opposite sex every now and then also and make better money than a grad student/research professor for doing the same or less amount of work. This advanced [stuff] requires one to study as a full time job. Good book though and it's a great bridge from his basic QM graduate level text to QFT for those who enjoy studying in their free time.

Out of date, but still could be useful
This book represents to a large degree an approach to quantum field theory that is now viewed as somewhat out of date. Modern textbooks and monographs in quantum field theory emphasize functional methods, the renormalization group, the operator product expansion, and topological field configurations. In addition, this book was published before the advent of the electroweak theory, and so readers will not get an introduction to this theory, nor to quantum chromodynamics, the gauge theory of the strong interactions. The only gauge theory actually treated in the book is quantum electrodynamics, although the author does not exploit the gauge invariance of this theory to its fullest potential in the book.

For those readers who want learn quantum field theory, this book would probably not suffice, due to the above omissions. However, the book might still be used as a reference, and one that, as stated by the author, emphasizes the physics of quantum field theory. Covariant perturbation theory and Feynmam diagrams are given ample treatment. In addition, the author does not hesitate to employ symmetry considerations in the discussion of the transformation properties of the Dirac wave function and the quantized Dirac field. The spin-statistics theorem is not proven, but some plausible arguments as to its validity are given, dealing with the difficulty in constructing a quantum field theory for the electron that does not obey the Pauli exclusion principle. And, as another example of the avoidance of complicated mathematics, the author chooses to discuss the Moller interaction between two electrons using the (noncovariant) Coulomb gauge. In this strategy, the transverse part of the vector potential is treated dynamically, and the electron interaction consists of the interaction of the transverse electromagnetic field with the Dirac current and the instantaneous Coulomb interaction between charge densities. Only the transverse part of the vector potential is quantized, but interestingly, the nonphysical, longitudinal parts cancell out in the calculation of the amplitude. This approach may be distasteful from a modern gauge-invariant point of view, but it does suffice to bring out the physics of the problem, and it does serve to motivate the modern approach to the calculation of the Moller cross-section.

Thus, this might still serve to build insight into the physics of quantum field theory. Too often modern texts emphasize the mathematical formalism, the latter becoming more and more formidable as the years go on. The chapter on covariant perturbation theory is definitely worth some amount of time because of this. The reader can then move on to the magnificent fortresses built by the theoreticians of quantum field theory since this book was published. Quantum field theory is definitely still a very active subject, and there are lots of things in the theory that remain unsolved to this day.

Horribly terse
This book is great - until you try to do the problems. I'm slightly peeved, having spent upwards of 30 hours (working with other grad students!) and not 'completely' got any of the 6 assigned problems from the back of Chapter 2.

Oh, this book fills a gap between quantum and QFT to be sure. And it's one of the only books (the only?) that does it. What this means is that if you don't understand it here there aren't any other books you can look up. Gordon Baym comes close, but falls short and is out of print.

Over the past 30 (non-continuous) hours, I've come to greatly detest Sakurai's style (even more than when we were using 'Modern QM' for the beginning of this sequence). For some 'simple' problems, it's 'fun' that he doesn't fill in all the steps so you have to read the book in detail and re-derive the relevant steps. But as the problems get more involved and you still 'don't get it' after reading the chapter 4 or 5 times, the whole thing just ceases to be entertaining.

While the *mathematical* tools to do the problems are probably all in the text somewhere, Sakurai simply does not provide the 'cut through the mathematical [stuff] and get to the physics' insights that are necessary to truly understand and utilise the material. This is not to say that the treatment isn't 'physical' at times and in homeopathic quantities, but Sakurai doesn't do much to tie different ideas together andgive one the big picture.

Bottom line: Mr. Sakurai, paper is cheap. Use more words. Please. ... Read more

Book Description

Quantum mechanics is the most fundamental scientific theory known to man. It underpins modern science and technology and even provides us with a blueprint for reality itself. And yet it has been said that if you think you understand it, you quite clearly don't. But is quantum physics really so unknowable? Is reality really so strange? And just how can cats be half alive and half dead at the same time? This book untangles the weirdness of the quantum world, explains the theories, explores their consequences and presents a cutting-edge guide to the current state of the science. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The World As We Can't Imagine It!
Biologists have to a great degree ignored the strange world of quantum physics. As Chet Raymo (actually an Astronomer) observes it is difficult to see how quantum effects could really touch the scale at which we function. Raymo in fact believes that such effects may cancel each other out at our scale. I think, however, that this may be a narrow, if comfortable, view. Roger Penrose has proposed that consciousness itself may be a quantum effect and Johnjoe McFadden believes that quantum effects may very well have bearing on the evolution of life. As a biologist I am struck with the inability of scientists to actually define life, other than by the reductionist view that it is a series of chemical processes. There are in fact many chemical processes that are not life and so this does not quite satisfy.

However, this is not to get into heavy metaphysics or to take on some mystical view of life. It is, however, to acknowledge the basic weirdness of life that fits, it seems to me, into the weirdness of the quantum universe. I suspect that future scientists will discover that life has more to it than fits the conventional view. But then our view of the universe, including life, has always changed with new insights and I doubt that we have (or will ever) reach full understanding of it all.

Jim Al Khalili has caught the excitement of the old and new developments in quantum theory in "Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed." Once you get past the somewhat glitzy format, you find a solid and fascinating description of the extremely weird quantum world in which matter acts like waves and waves act like matter and in which mere observation can and does change results. The extreme weirdness of Bell's theorem and entrainment soon make the reader realize almost against their will that we live not in the neat ordered universe envisioned by Newton or even Einstein, but in the much stranger world of entrainment and "chance" events. To top it all off we discover that the brain may be a "quantum computer" that functions in ways quite different from the desk top computers that we use every day.

If you thought the universe made perfect sense read this book and be disillusioned!

Not another popular press quantum book
I must admit I bought this book for the pictures, glossy pages and arty production just to add to my collection of physicist authored books. If you can ignore the pretentious british spelling centred around colours and flavours etc etc ad nauseam, however, what you will get is a remarkably up to date and extensive exploration of what the quantum is. What I particularly liked about this book is that you don't read about the author's interpretation of the wavefunction equation but instead explore its various attributes and meanings and uses. I certainly rate this book at the top of its genre.

complex topic - wonderful book
This book is beautiful in all aspects. It is very well written, interesting and has great illustrations. The author takes a very complex and many times seemingly illogical topic and makes it both understandable and interesting. We are also given alternative views and told when the state of the art falls short of understanding. I would like to see a second edition in 10 years covering new advances in the topic. One of the best books I have seen in science in the past few years.

Best intro to quantum theory for non-specialists
I became interested in quantum theory after reading Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe" about six months ago; since then I have gone to some lengths to find a book that would explain quantum theory in a way that was non-formal enough for me to understand but not excessively simplified. Until recently, I hadn't found any thing that fit this description -- until, that is, I ran into this book at my local book store. It is BY FAR the best explanation of quantum theory for someone who is relatively (or even completely) unfamiliar with it. The author explains the theory in a step by step fashion, not leaving anything implied or unsaid, but in no way is insulting to one's intelligence. As a philosophy grad student, I especially appreciated the chapter on the various interpretations of quantum theory, including the 'many-worlds' interpretation that reminded me very much of David Lewis's metaphysical system (in which all possible worlds actually exist somewhere). I bought this book at 10:30 p.m. and had read half of it by the time I went to bed, and finished the rest of it the next day. It is that good! Highly, highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Developing a theory that seamlessly combines relativity and quantum mechanics, the most important conceptual breakthroughs in twentieth century physics, has proved to be a difficult and ongoing challenge. Thisbook details how two distinguished physicists and Nobel laureates have explored this theme in two lectures given in Cambridge, England, in 1986 to commemorate the famous British physicist Paul Dirac. Given for nonspecialists and undergraduates, the talks transcribed in Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics focus on the fundamental problems of physics and the present state of our knowledge. Professor Feynman examines the nature of antiparticles, and in particular the relationship between quantum spin and statistics. Professor Weinberg speculates on how Einstein's theory of gravitation might be reconciled with quantum theory in the final law of physics. Highly accessible, deeply thought provoking, this book will appeal to all those interested in the development of modern physics. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Feynman honours his hero, and electroweak guy pays tribute
This is a little jem of a book. The arguably two greatest living physicists of the 80s, Feynman and Weinberg, both Nobel Laureates, pay tribute to their master, the man who said that mathematical beauty is what physicists should look for in physical laws, the one and only, Paul Dirac. These memorial lectures are the best one could wish for, together with Abdus Salam's tribute a couple of years before. I derived pure delight in reading Feynman's lecture, which explains the existence of antiparticles predicted by Dirac in his equation of the electron. Weinberg however surprisingly outstands Feynman in giving a lecture on symmetry laws, etc. These lectures would have surely thrilled Dirac, without doubt. For all physicists who like to have those little precious books on their shelves, it's a very good and enjoyable buy.

Physics by two of the very best!
As usual, the best physics books are short and to the point, as is this one. The two Dirac lectures may serve as a perfectly good mini physics course all by themselves. I always enjoy a Feynman lecture, and this is no exception. He cuts to the chase without sacrificing the plot. But, I must say, in this case the Wienberg lecture is the better of the two. Weinberg's style has a particular grace & beauty about it that gently exposes the aesthetic meaning of the search for a picture of nature.

Two of the best give great insight into fundamentals.
Feynman yet again gives great insight into the laws of physics, this time exploring the reasons for existence of anti-particles, starting from the dirac equation etc.. Plus some really outstanding photographs, that fella Weinberg will be chuffed to have his name mentioned on the book cover! ... Read more