Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

Written by Carlo Rovelli

Narrated by Carlo Rovelli

The New York Times bestseller from the author of The Order of Time and Reality Is Not What It Seems, Helgoland, and Anaximander

“One of the year’s most entrancing books about science.”—The Wall Street Journal

“Clear, elegant...a whirlwind tour of some of the biggest ideas in physics.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
This playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics briskly explains Einstein's general relativity, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, gravity, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, and the role humans play in this weird and wonderful world. Carlo Rovelli, a renowned theoretical physicist, is a delightfully poetic and philosophical scientific guide. He takes us to the frontiers of our knowledge: to the most minute reaches of the fabric of space, back to the origins of the cosmos, and into the workings of our minds. The book celebrates the joy of discovery.  “Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world,” Rovelli writes. “And it’s breathtaking.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9780399567384

Carlo Rovelli

Carlo Rovelli (Verona, 1956) es físico teórico, y uno de los fundadores de la llamada «gravedad cuántica de bucles». Es miembro del Instituto Universitario de Francia y de la Academia Internacional de Filosofía de la Ciencia. Responsable del equipo de gravedad cuántica del Centro de Física Teórica de la Universidad de Aix-Marsella, es autor de numerosos trabajos científicos aparecidos en las revistas más importantes de su ámbito y de dos monografías sobre la gravedad cuántica de bucles, así como de múltiples libros de divulgación, publicados en varios países. En Anagrama se han editado Siete breves lecciones de física y El orden del tiempo. Colabora con frecuencia en la prensa italiana, especialmente en Il Sole 24 Ore y La Repubblica.

Reviews for Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

[rena613 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My older kids, ages 17 and 14 love physics so I got this for them at the library. It's a quick read and they enjoyed it a lot.

[vguy_6 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Masterpiece. Slim volume summarising the achievements in the principal fields of science. In a simple brief manner he tells the non-specialist what science has achieved and where it is heading. The style borders on poetic; sometimes brought me to near to tears – humility? Wonder? Pride in human achievement?

[jim53_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A pleasant and informative surface-level view of various aspects of modern physics. He tries to be both clear and a bit mystical at the same time, and succeeds some of the time. A very interesting read; I would have liked about 50% more material on each topic.

[tommcgreevy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As the title suggests, a well written short review of contemporary physics. Well worth the read.

[datrappert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rovelli is a talented writer--or has a talented English translator, and these basic lectures on physics are engaging and the speculative content is well gauged. What isn't well-gauged is having the audiobook read by Rovelli. It takes a while to get use to his heavily accented English and his tendency to pronounce the "ed" on the end of words as a separate syllable. Still, it does give you a sense of the author's personality you would otherwise miss, and at less than two hours, you don't have to put up with it for too long.

[quickpint · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No more than a pamphlet - seven brief newspaper articles collected together - and thus extremely short, such that publishing it is a book is really a bit of a push. But very good for all that, and perhaps because of it. It's brevity is the real accomplishment, the quality of the writing is incidental, the lack of footnotes and sources inevitable.

[jcvogan1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read Hawking instead. Same material mostly but Hawking goes into just a bit more detail.

[steve02476 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read second time, for book club. Still enjoyed.

[ennuiprayer · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Because I listened to the audiobook, my attention kept going in and out. I'll probably have to read the book.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too brief introduction to some aspects of physics, my favorite parts were how heat and time are interrelated and the last section about the human mind and the probability that we as a species are doomed like all the other mammals that have marched to extinction before us. .


EDIT** reread
Spent the summer watching the World Science Festival on youtube and wanted a fast refresher of the most important topics in physics. Best part this time around was how our universe may have come from a bubble in another universe.

[Maestrat72 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very brief book that introduces you in an accessible way (although I must admit there are paragraphs that I had to read twice) to a world that, if it weren't for the fact that I know it's science, I would think is the product of some author's wild imagination. From the immensity of the cosmos, through the enigmas of black holes, and down to the smallest things, elementary particles, this book is like entering another dimension. You must be prepared and have a very open mind because, as is always said, reality far exceeds fiction.
In short, a very good introduction to topics that are quite opaque in themselves and designed for laypeople in the subject. (Translated from Spanish)

[libroazul · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is very useful if you want to reinforce topics in physics that you may have seen in school and/or if you want to expand your knowledge in that field. It is really brief and easy to read. You could read it over a calm weekend. It doesn't require any prior knowledge because the author explains everything.✌ (Translated from Spanish)

[gwendydd · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As the title says, this book is very brief - the first 6 lessons can be read in about 5 minutes each. They do a good job of explaining basic concepts of modern physics, especially quantum mechanics. But more than that, they do a good job of explaining why someone would care about physics - they convey the wonder and joy of exploring the basic mysteries of how the world works. The final essay is a deep exploration of what it means to be a human existing in a world where physics exists.

I didn't necessarily walk away from this book with a deeper understanding of physics than I had before (as someone who reads a lot of science fiction and general nerdy stuff), but I did enjoy reading it nonetheless - Rovelli's writing is very good, and there's a lot of food for thought here.

[philipjhunt · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Brilliant. Accessible. Reality altering.

[Day · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book that invites the reader to love science. (Translated from Spanish)

[JEF · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well, a short and concise book that explains physics in a brief and understandable way for everyone. The author, like every theoretical physicist, ends up promoting his own ideas at the end of the book. After presenting the theories of gravity, general relativity, and quantum mechanics, he emphasizes loop quantum gravity theory, just as Professor Michio Kaku does in his works with string theory. But apart from that, as I said, a good book that explains physics in a morning. (Translated from Spanish)

[Pamela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the reading; the way of narrating makes physics something magical, fulfilling the objective of a work of popular science by awakening interest and the desire to know more. I wish I had come across something like this when I was in school. ? (Translated from Spanish)

[lisamorr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The introduction of this slim books says it was written for those who know little or nothing about modern science. While that may be true, others will get something out of this book as well. I'm not a scientist, but as a chemical engineer I studied college-level physics and I definitely enjoyed this little book and learned some things. Also, written with some beautiful passages, I found it lovely. At 81 pages, it's definitely worth your time.

[Guayo Guara · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Highly recommended. You don't need to have any knowledge of science or much less physics. But you will be entertained, you will enjoy it, and you will learn a lot. Plus, you'll be able to show off to your friends about the curvature of spacetime. (Translated from Spanish)

[melireinhold · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved it! I had no idea about physics, but the book was engaging, easy to read, and understand. (Translated from Spanish)

[johnm1958 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lovely translation of fluid and inspiring prose ideas outlining complicated and sophisticated ideas clearly. I think some of the other reviews are a bit harsh although I agree it's not a beginners guide to Physics. I don't think it's meant to be either.

[alanteder · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Poetic view of the Universe

Carlo Rovelli conveys the beauty of the universe and our often feeble attempts to quantify it into formulae which nevertheless still have a mathematical grace to them. You won't completely understand concepts such as the General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics from this slim volume, but you will at least begin to appreciate some of the mystery behind them and why others devote their lives to exploring them.

#ThereIsAlwaysOne
13th edition (my reading copy) of this book and publisher Riverhead Books still hasn't fixed this typo at the bottom of page 28?
"And in every direction in which we look, this it what happens."

[randymetcalfe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

These elegantly written brief essays are both illuminating and inspiring. If you weren't fully aware of how remarkable Einstein was, you will find out. Likewise with Bohr and others. Physicists are remarkable even when their physics is less than clear to the likes of me.

My favourite lesson was the very first one on the astounding elegance of Einstein's equations. The lesson in which I learned the most was the sixth on probability, time, and the heat of black holes. Who knew the explanation for heat and heat transfer could be so important? The final essay, alas, goes beyond physics per se and weakens markedly as it drifts away from the rough ground of physics. But six fine essays out of seven makes this still an easy book to recommend.

[razinha-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The Wikipedia article on this book says it sold more in Italy than 50 Shades. Certainly not so in America, where people seem to prefer IQ destroying mental Novocain to something, anything, of substance. Even this short book that is light on substance. Mixed thoughts...good that he wrote it, but, short as it is, the author manages necessarily to not really say a lot. There are better books by say, Brian Greene, with a little more tooth, on the subject. Apologists might argue "At least he got people reading about physics...", but I think that a hollow victory. Regardless, it's still orders of magnitude better than 50, and doesn't cut your IQ in half.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Incredibly brief - but also a wonderful introduction to contemporary physics and the scientific problems it wrestles with. I really wish I had read this when I was taking my college astronomy class - some of the black hole lessons might have made a lot more sense! I applaud the author on making this complex subject accessible to lay readers and I particularly enjoyed the final concluding discussion, which admitted was more philosophy than science, but still fascinating.

[nbmars · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Carlo Rovelli, an Italian theoretical physicist, is one of the founders of a theory known as loop quantum gravity. His very short (81 pages) book, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, is a compilation of columns that appeared first in the culture section of an Italian newspaper. It represents an effort to popularize abstruse scientific concepts such as general relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, and thermodynamics for the benefit of nonscientists.

Rovelli’s passion and enthusiasm for his subject matter shines through clearly in every chapter. The English translation of his writing is clear, if a little florid. To cover so much in so little space, he must over simplify at times, but he is quite effective in his scathing criticism of climate change deniers [Are you listening, Mr. Trump?].

He sometimes suffers from reading too much into equations. For example, he notes that all physical laws seem to apply equally both forward and backward in time except for one—the second law of thermodynamics. From this he infers that “there is a detectable difference between past and future only when there is the flow or heat.” Huh!? I find Richard Muller’s characterization of the flow of time in his book Now as the leading edge of the expansion of the fourth dimension (i.e. time) more to my liking.

Rovelli can wax poetic on issues that pique his interest. Speaking about the self, he writes, “Amidst the infinite arabesques of forms which constitute reality we are merely a flourish among innumerably many such flourishes.” I wonder what that sentence sounds like in the original Italian.

The book should be read as a physicist’s semi-poetic apology for modern science and its ability to expand our imaginations. It won’t get you through M.I.T., but it is a pleasant diversion.

(JAB)

[neftzger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a nicely put together summary of some of the most ground breaking theories in physics. Whether you want a quick review of topics you studied in college or if you['re new to the subject and simply want to learn enough to handle a conversation intelligently, this is a great read. If you've been diving in depth into these theories the book may appear simplistic, but I don't think it was meant for that group of individuals. The writing is elegant and Rovelli explains complexity with ease, making the topics accessible for the average person. A great cursory introduction to the field.

[widsith_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Engaging but over-slight summary of a few foundational concepts of modern physics, including special relativity, quantum theory, the standard model, as well as some leading hypothetical ideas like loop quantum gravity.

It's always welcome to read someone who's working from the conviction that these ideas should be accessible to everyone, not just a coterie of science graduates, and Rovelli certainly has an appealing turn of phrase. For instance: talking about Hawking radiation in the context of competing descriptions of the universe, he writes that

The heat of black holes is like the Rosetta Stone of physics, written in a combination of three languages – Quantum, Gravitational and Thermodynamic – still awaiting decipherment in order to reveal the true nature of time.

The problem is that these chapters are so brief – they began as a series of weekly columns for Il Sole 24 Ore – that they are only really of use to someone who has had no exposure to these concepts whatsoever. There is no room to touch on any but the most preliminary of introductory points. It's like scanning the headlines. The ‘lessons’ are fine, they're nicely written, they're suitably curious and awe-struck – but they're somehow unsatisfying.

And at times, he can perhaps be a little disingenuous. To illustrate the concept of loop quantum gravity, he talks about a hypothetical entity called a Planck star, something whose existence, as far as I know, has only ever been proposed by one C. Rovelli….

But overall, you're left with the impression that you just spent half an hour chatting with a particularly engaging lecturer at a party, without getting the chance to hear him actually lecture. Oh – and his wide-eyed, cheerful demeanour makes it all the more sobering when he sums up the prospects for our immediate future as follows:

We belong to a short-lived genus of species. All of our cousins are already extinct. What's more, we do damage. The brutal climate and environmental changes which we have triggered are unlikely to spare us. For the Earth they may turn out to be a small irrelevant blip, but I do not think that we will outlast them unscathed – especially since public and political opinion prefers to ignore the dangers which we are running, hiding our heads in the sand. We are perhaps the only species on Earth to be conscious of the inevitability of our individual mortality. I fear that soon we shall also have to become the only species that will knowingly watch the coming of its own collective demise, or at least the demise of its civilization.

[dlmorrese · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is what the title says, a brief lesson. It's only about 100 pages, so there are no details or nuances. It's just a broad brush overview of what we currently understand of the physics of time and space, which is still pretty mind-bending. Because it's so brief, it glosses over the problems and controversies, making the advancements that have been made appear more straightforward than they were, but I still found it a good (if overpriced) introduction of the subject.

[5hrdrive · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Remarkable, yet all too brief book that beautifully describes the state of physics and our knowledge of the universe as it stands today. Spends a little too much time on history and not enough on actual science, but still manages to concisely describe some pretty heavy concepts. I really enjoyed the last chapter. Well worth the hour or two that it takes to read.