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Book Review of Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide

Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide
abaisse avatar reviewed on + 21 more book reviews


To be honest, I only got through about fifty pages of this book. I find physics fascinating and wanted a better grasp of quantum physics, but this might be the most boring book I've ever attempted to read. The author's bio reveals that he's written bestselling TEXTBOOKS, which might explain why this book is so dry. I was hoping for simple, clear, Dawkins-like explanations, but this book gives the opposite. Furthermore, it would be better titled "A Moron's Guide," since that's what the author seems to think of his readers. The entire introduction is one long reassurance that the book will include almost no math, and that what little math it does show will be only the simplest algebra, and it will be isolated in little side boxes so you can skip it if you prefer. If an explanation requires more difficult math, the author assures us, you will simply have to take his word for it. After all that, the very first equation in the book contains a TYPO. Yes, a typo. I checked and double-checked it, and my math skills go far beyond basic algebra, so I can say it with certainty. The most impressive thing about this book was that the author took a topic I normally find delightful and managed to make it torturous.