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Review
'It's hard to imagine a better way to grasp basic quantum physics.' --Booklist
'Charming. A lighthearted and amusing way for laypeople to learn about one of the strangest and most important aspects of modern science.' --William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureat in Physics
'A fast-moving and fun introduction to some of the deepest mysteries of modern physics. And Emmy is a star.' --Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time
'Charming. A lighthearted and amusing way for laypeople to learn about one of the strangest and most important aspects of modern science.' --William D. Phillips, Nobel Laureat in Physics
'A fast-moving and fun introduction to some of the deepest mysteries of modern physics. And Emmy is a star.' --Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time
Product Description
Emmy is not your ordinary dog. When adopted from the shelter by physics professor Chad Orzel, she becomes immediately fascinated by his work. Could she use quantum tunnelling to get through the neighbour's fence? How about diffracting round a tree to catch squirrels? Or using virtual particles to catch bunnies made of cheese? In this international bestseller, Orzel explains the key theories of Quantum Physics, taking Emmy's anarchic behaviour as a starting point. From quarks and gluons to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, this is a uniquely entertaining way to unlock the secrets of the universe.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
113 of 114 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm currently studying Physics for A-Level and the course covers a bit of simple quantum mechanics. Of course, quantum mechanics is something which fascinates almost everyone, and so I looked around for some books about the subject and came across this from a recommendation from my teacher. Admittedly, before reading the book I thought it would either be overly complicated (which many books on this subject are) or patronising and simple but to my surprise, from cover to cover the book kept me hooked -- it not only covers things that I've learned in class but new topics too, such as quantum tunnelling. Harder topics are introduced slowly and in a funny manner: usually with an intro from an encounter with the author's dog! Jokes are well placed and not too much, they allow the reader to have a good laugh yet still learn about the wonders of the quantum world. Well worth reading for anyone wanting to find out more!
61 of 65 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Chad Orzel is a scientist. He is also a teacher. It is therefore unsurprising that he writes in the style of a college professor. If you think a college professor lecturing you on the subject of quantum physics sounds boring, then you're wrong. By using conversations with Emmy, his pet German Shepherd dog, as cover, the author is able to speak to his readers as a pet-loving human, instead of a lab-coated geek. If you think a college professor lecturing you on the subject of quantum physics sounds complicated, then...well...I have to admit that you're right. In all modesty, I'm not an unintelligent reader, and yet a good 30% of what Orzell had to say went completely over my head, even after a second reading. Also, scientists like to explain theories by repeated demonstration and as soon as the mirrors, lenses and polarising filters came out of the physics cupboard, I was sent back, quaking in my shorts, to my school physics lab 30 years ago, and a blind panic set in!
Orzell is at his best when explaining the general concepts of quantum physics to Emmy, who incidentally is very smart and is even biligual on account of her German ancestry. I got the impression that his dog is considerably brighter than most of his physics students. Where Orzell falls down, for me, is in the mind-numbing minutiae of the explanations. At these points, not even Emmy could get a bark in. However, I'm not a scientist, so perhaps this book speaks louder to those who naturally suit lab coats.
The best chapter is the final one, which debunks a collection of quasi-scientific claims for quantum physics. It is good to know that scientists can dismiss the outlandish claims that can be made about their discoveries, and are likely to reject any publically funded adoption of them. It makes me sleep safer in my bed to know that Orzell is watchful for such nonsense, in the same way that Emmy is watchful for evil goatee-bearded squirrels (maybe you need to read the book to understand that reference!)
Orzell is at his best when explaining the general concepts of quantum physics to Emmy, who incidentally is very smart and is even biligual on account of her German ancestry. I got the impression that his dog is considerably brighter than most of his physics students. Where Orzell falls down, for me, is in the mind-numbing minutiae of the explanations. At these points, not even Emmy could get a bark in. However, I'm not a scientist, so perhaps this book speaks louder to those who naturally suit lab coats.
The best chapter is the final one, which debunks a collection of quasi-scientific claims for quantum physics. It is good to know that scientists can dismiss the outlandish claims that can be made about their discoveries, and are likely to reject any publically funded adoption of them. It makes me sleep safer in my bed to know that Orzell is watchful for such nonsense, in the same way that Emmy is watchful for evil goatee-bearded squirrels (maybe you need to read the book to understand that reference!)
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is perhaps no area of Physics that has garnered as much fascination as quantum mechanics, save perhaps the theory of relativity. Yet in a sense the weirdness associated with quantum mechanics is even more profound than that associated with relativity. Relativity deals with physics of very fast objects, and even though it challenges our normal way of thinking, it still preserves some of the basic intuitions of what does it mean to be a physical object, how we measure properties of those objects, and what those objects can and cannot do. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, puts all those basic notion to a test. We are forced to reconsider even our basic understanding of what reality is. There have been many popular accounts of Quantum Mechanics over the years, and this book is yet another attempt of bringing this arcane field to the general readership. So despite what the title may say, this is not a book about Physics in general, but just about quantum mechanics. The dog from the title is author's German shepherd, and she is used as a stand-in for all the naïve, "Newtonian" ways of thinking about the world. Each chapter in the book covers a different aspect of quantum theory, and all the discussions are motivated in a light-hearted way by author's "dialogues" with his dog. These "dialogues" are meant to provide some comic relief from the otherwise technical subject matter. As such they work fine, although I am not the biggest fan of author's attempts at humor. The explanations provided in the book are actually very good - they are very well written, accessible to the general audience, and absolutely conceptually correct. This last point should not be taken for granted, as I have seen many attempts at making Physics accessible to the general audience that don't actually do justice to the actual Physics. One thing that I in particular like about this book is that it mentions several more recent experiments that have shed important light at the foundational aspects of quantum mechanics. In that respect this popular treatment is as up-to-date as they come. As a college Physics professor myself, I appreciate all the effort that the author has put into making this material accessible. As far as introductory, non-technical books on quantum mechanics go, this one clearly hits its targeted audience.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Amusing introduction to a complex field
Since the day I rescued copies of the original "Mr Tomkins" books from a school library "discard" pile, I've always been an enthusiastic reader of books which try to explain... Read more
Published 1 month ago by A. K. Johnston
It ain't natural
I was increasingly disappointed as I read this book. By the end I was even a little cross. I bought the Kindle edition (yes, the proofing really is bad! Read more
Published 1 month ago by wotevar
Very accessible
This is the first time I have managed to read a book on quantum theory in one go, without having to re-read sentences over and over again :-) Very well written and given I have a... Read more
Published 2 months ago by SwissDad
Entertaining and enlightening book, lousy Kindle edition
The Kindle edition of this book follows the same tradition of many Kindle editions being little more than an afterthought by the publisher. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Catalin D. Voinescu
Doggone wave-functions
Well, it certainly has a unique selling point.
A quixotic quest, you would think: rendering the world of quantum physics understandable for the layman - approached... Read more
A quixotic quest, you would think: rendering the world of quantum physics understandable for the layman - approached... Read more
Published 2 months ago by O. Buxton
Amazing book! :)
I received this book yesterday and haven't been able to put it down since. An in-genius way of describing an insanely difficult theory. Very funny. Extremely well written. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kristalangley
Pure delight
20th century physics turned into a romp by the author's use of the imagined reactions of a dog as metaphor for each new concept.
Published 3 months ago by Windosil
Thoroughly enjoyable, brain mangling, and educational!
This is one of those books that I would not recommend anyone read in one sitting: maybe it's just me, but as soon as I tried to read more than one chapter at a time my brain... Read more
Published 4 months ago by tiggrie AKA Sarah
Tried to teach Bonzo
Tried to teach my girlfriend and the Dog the principles but the book didn't help.
Don't know if they're both stupid or something.
Fun, and informative for me though
Don't know if they're both stupid or something.
Fun, and informative for me though
Published 4 months ago by Paul Button
Worthy book, unforgivable Kindle errors
I have a theory about books on quantum physics, which is that their capacity to engage the lay reader is inversely proportional to the number of the page he or she is currently... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mark Hurst
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