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We Need to Talk About Kelvin: What everyday things tell us about the universe Paperback – 2 Sep 2010

by Marcus Chown (Author)

36 customer reviews

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Look around you. The reflection of your face in a window tells you that the universe is orchestrated by chance. The iron in a spot of blood on your finger tells you that somewhere out in space there is furnace at a temperature of 4.5 billion degrees. Your TV tells you that the universe had a beginning. In fact, your very existence tells you that this may not be the only universe but merely one among an infinity of others, stacked like the pages of a never-ending book.

Marcus Chown, author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You, What a Wonderful World and The Solar System, takes familiar features of the world we know and shows how they can be used to explain profound truths about the ultimate nature of reality. His new book will change the way you see the universe: with Chown as your guide, cutting-edge science is made clear and meaningful by a falling leaf, or a rose, or a starry night sky...

We Need To Talk About Kelvin: What Everyday Things Tell Us About The Universe is a hugely accessible exploration of quantum theory, relativity, cosmology, biology and chemistry. Taking our everyday experiences, Marcus Chown quickly and painlessly explains the unltimate truths of reality.

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Product details

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Faber & Faber; Main edition (2 Sept. 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0571244033
ISBN-13: 978-0571244034
Product Dimensions: 13 x 1.5 x 20 cm
Average Customer Review: 36 customer reviews
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 189,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #216 in Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Cosmology
- #578 in Books > Science & Nature > Astronomy & Cosmology > Astronomy
- #877 in Books > Science & Nature > Popular Science > Physics

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Review

A new popular science book that should be bought for its clever title alone! -- The Independent, September 16, 2009

Chown writes with ease about some of the most brain-bending of concepts. -- BBC Focus Magazine, October 2009

An elegant pop-physics pick'n'mix. -- The Guardian, October 17, 2009

Chown makes cutting-edge science clear and meaningful. His new book will literally change the way you see the world. -- Bookhugger, October 2009

For entertainment value, and driving pace, Kelvin never lets the reader down. -- www.popularscience.co.uk, October 2009 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Book Description

We Need to Talk About Kelvin, by Marcus Chown, is a hugely accessible exploration of the science of the everyday world and the universe, from the bestselling author of Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You and The Solar System.

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Quercus

Chown succeeds in explaining how the Universe works

4 December 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

We Need to Talk About Kelvin is an excellent book, extremely interesting, informative, well written and demonstrating an enviable grasp of the research and publications of the scientists on whose work Chown draws. He simplifiies complicated topics, using readily understood examples and analogies without sacrificing accuracy. He stays close to the reality which he describes and, where simplifications have been made in the main text, adds addenda to the chapters pointing out such simplifications and explaining to what extent they depart from a strict interpretation of the facts.

Having read the book straight through, understanding but perhaps not fully absorbing its contents, it was a delight to find a comprehensive index following the main text and an extensive glossary enabling the book to be used as a reference work.

The book can be thoroughly recommended to anyone with an interest in our present understanding of how the Universe works.

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Salty Sam

... Marcus Chown you which I found very interesting and easy to understand

16 November 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I bought the book Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt by Marcus Chown you which I found very interesting and easy to understand.
The need to Talk About Kelvin an E-book by Marcus Chown is again very interesting and easy to understand it idoes explain morre about the contents of the book and is up to date with the latest thinking.

If this subject interest you then I don't think you will find anything as good as these to. They are excellent..

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Khad

Expand your universe

29 April 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Bought this as my latest "bathroom" book. Just love this type of book where you can dip in and out for as little or as long as you like. I'm a sucker for trivia and this one does not disappoint. If you want to impress friends with your knowledge of trivial but fascinating facts this is for you.

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FishToys

Interesting Read

31 January 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Quite enjoyed the book but a couple of discussions I found less than convincing. I was a little surprised that about thirty percent of the book was notes and glossary.

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TONY MEREDITH

Generally good.

4 January 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It's a while since I read this, but I actually bought it for my teenage son to try and inspire him with some science reading. It worked for me, but I'm already a convert. Not sure whether it will work for him. Overall though, the book is a very good and accessible read, but I wouldn't say it is anything special.

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Molly

Arrived quickly and in great condition, really great book

13 January 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Bought it from my friend, she loves it! Arrived quickly and in great condition, really great book!

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D. Hughes

Brilliant!

22 March 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A really superb book. You must read it. It raised so many questions for me and tested the boundaries of my knowledge. I've spent weeks brushing up on things I thought I knew well only to find that things have moved on and I'm no longer current.
Enormously stimulating book. Fantastic stuff. Absolutely loved it.

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Amazon Customer

interesting but harder than his other books

5 June 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I really like Marcus Chown and have read a couple of his books, which over all I could understand relatively easily. I don't know if this is just a more abstruse subject and harder to put in Noddy and Big Ears format but it was a struggle to get through and I don't feel much the wiser. Will read it through again and see if it makes a bit more sense.

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Most recent customer reviews

janet

One Star

Didn't even bother yo read

Published on 15 February 2016

William

Five Stars

Excellent

Published on 4 December 2015

Mrs. Gillian Gabel

Five Stars

Chown is always brilliant. Can turn Englih Lit adults like me into science literates.

Published on 8 April 2015

Emma

Marcus Chown's best

This is my favorite of Marcus Chown's popular physics books.

Published on 10 October 2014

Richard Powell

not as simple or interesting as the author claims. worthy effort. tho I still can't impress my mates down the pub after reading

not as simple or interesting as the author claims. worthy effort. old adage true that the more we know the more we see how little we know.Read more

Published on 12 July 2014

N. Dyne

A good intro to quantum mechanics and cosmology

Gets v complex ideas over well and in the end goes for some big thoughts that we can all have. Enjoyed it and can now explain quantum mechanics to my son.

Published on 2 June 2014

Amazon Customer

A good read but short!

Very good attempt at explaining some tricky concepts, and full of joyous tidbits. However just as you start to get into it - it finishes...

Published on 26 May 2014

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We Need to Talk About Kelvin: What everyday things tell us about the universe Paperback – 2 Sep 2010

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