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Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity Kindle Edition

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,402 ratings

“The man who makes physics sexy . . . the scientist they’re calling the next Stephen Hawking.” The Times Magazine

From the
New York Times–bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, Helgoland, and Anaximander, a closer look at the mind-bending nature of the universe.

What are the elementary ingredients of the world? Do time and space exist? And what exactly is reality? Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has spent his life exploring these questions. He tells us how our understanding of reality has changed over the centuries and how physicists think about the structure of the universe today.

In elegant and accessible prose, Rovelli takes us on a wondrous journey from Democritus to Albert Einstein, from Michael Faraday to gravitational waves, and from classical physics to his own work in quantum gravity. As he shows us how the idea of reality has evolved over time, Rovelli offers deeper explanations of the theories he introduced so concisely in
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

This book culminates in a lucid overview of quantum gravity, the field of research that explores the quantum nature of space and time, seeking to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. Rovelli invites us to imagine a marvelous world where space breaks up into tiny grains, time disappears at the smallest scales, and black holes are waiting to explode—a vast universe still largely undiscovered.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Some physicists, mind you, not many of them, are physicist-poets. They see the world or, more adequately, physical reality, as a lyrical narrative written in some hidden code that the human mind can decipher. Carlo Rovelli, the Italian physicist and author, is one of them…Rovelli's book is a gem. It's a pleasure to read, full of wonderful analogies and imagery and, last but not least, a celebration of the human spirit.”—NPR Cosmos & Culture
 
“If your desire to be awestruck by the universe we inhabit needs refreshing, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli…is up to the task.”
Elle

“[
Reality Is Not What It Seems] is simultaneously aimed at the curious layperson while also useful to the modern scientist… Rovelli lets us nibble or gorge ourselves, depending on our appetites, on several scrumptious equations. He doesn’t expect everyone to be a master of the equations or even possess much mathematical acumen, but the equations serve as appetizers for those inclined to get their fill, so to speak.”—Raleigh News & Observer

“With its warm, enthusiastic language and tone, [
Seven Brief Lessons on Physics] is also deeply humanistic in approach, using words like elegant and beauty about a subject…that can seem impenetrably dense and abstract…Reality Is Not What It Seems takes much the same approach.”New York Magazine

“Rovelli writes beautiful prose while walking the reader through the history and concept of 'reality' and what it all means for the yet to be discovered universe and thus our own lives.”
—Pasadena Star-News

“Rovelli writes with elegance, clarity and charm. . . . A joy to read, as well as being an intellectual feast.”
—New Statesman

“Rovelli offers vast, complex ideas beyond most of our imagining—‘quanta,’ ‘grains of space,’ ‘time and the heat of black holes’—and condenses them into spare, beautiful words that render them newly explicable and moving.”
On Being with Krista Tippett

“Rovelli’s lyrical language, clarity of thought, and passion for science and its history make the title a pleasure to read (albeit slowly), and his diagrams and footnotes will allow readers to understand the material better and tackle a more expert level of insight.”
—Booklist

“Rovelli smoothly conveys the differences between belief and proof. . . his excitement is contagious and he delights in the possibilities of human understanding.”—
Publishers Weekly

“Science buffs will admire Rovelli's lucid writing…Cutting-edge theoretical physics for a popular audience that obeys the rules (little math, plenty of drawings), but it's not for the faint of heart.”—
Kirkus Reviews

“A fascinating adventure into the outer limits of space and into the smallest atom…Rovelli manages to break down complex, proven ideas into smaller, easily assimilated concepts so those with little to no scientific background can understand the fundamental ideas…Rovelli's infectious enthusiasm and excitement for his subject help carry readers over the more difficult aspects, allowing one to let the imagination soar…An exciting description of the evolution of physics takes readers to the edge of human knowledge of the universe.”—Shelf Awareness

“Rovelli draws deep physics into the light with rather greater success... He wears a broad erudition lightly, casually and clearly explaining.”
—Read It Forward

About the Author

Carlo Rovelli, an Italian theoretical physicist, is the head of the Quantum Gravity group at the Centre de Physique Théorique of Aix-Marseille University. He is one of the founders of the loop quantum gravity theory and the author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, an international bestseller translated into over forty languages, and the forthcoming The Order of Time. Rovelli lives in Marseille, France.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01FEY5E3O
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Riverhead Books (January 24, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 24, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14699 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 283 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,402 ratings

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4.5 out of 5 stars
4,402 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book accessible and well-written. They appreciate the historical content and clear explanations of complex concepts like quantum physics and relativity. The book is described as engaging and entertaining, leaving readers with a sense of wonder. Readers appreciate the good introduction to the subject with plenty of analogies and examples. Overall, they describe the pacing as not pretentious and the book ties together other books on the topic.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

229 customers mention "Readability"205 positive24 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They appreciate the clear explanations and good overview of physics evolution. The book is described as entertaining, with engaging topics and descriptions of physical phenomena. Readers praise the author's writing style as masterful and well worth their time.

"...According to the author, the pieces of the puzzle are simpler: general relativity, quantum mechanics, and the standard model...." Read more

"...That is it reaffirms the scientific method, doesn't delve too much into political history of science, cuts right to the matter, and explains the..." Read more

"...If I am right, and this is what the professor is saying, then what a great book since it made something quite clear to me that I had not understood..." Read more

"...It is a thoroughly accessible book that is brimming with enthusiasm for the topic, a quality that I have always found pleasing in its own right but..." Read more

94 customers mention "Historical content"94 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's historical content fascinating and enlightening. They say it sheds light on the profundity of the universe as we are coming to understand it. The book is described as an accessible read that is brimming with enthusiasm for the topic and propels their thinking into the future.

"...and how an important number of ideas turned out to be effective in understanding the world...." Read more

"...In a kind of odd sense it's almost a heartwarming book by presenting science as a work based effort that required some imagination to accept where..." Read more

"...It is a thoroughly accessible book that is brimming with enthusiasm for the topic, a quality that I have always found pleasing in its own right but..." Read more

"Carlo Rovelli's REALITY IS NOT WHAT IT SEEMS is a wonderful exploration of the history of the concept of the atom/quanta, the evolution of how..." Read more

57 customers mention "Explanation"54 positive3 negative

Customers find the book provides clear explanations of quantum physics and relativity. They say it provides a unique way of explaining complex theories in an understandable way. The book provides insight into basic physical concepts like everything being a wave.

"...the pieces of the puzzle are simpler: general relativity, quantum mechanics, and the standard model...." Read more

"...So quanta is more fundamental than space. The quanta is a node that can connect to another node or quanta by links or field lines...." Read more

"...Not only have my nagging questions about space, time and gravity been answered, I now understand why the physical world is the way it is, and how..." Read more

"...but they configure according to the warped, curved, four-dimensional morphology of space-time...." Read more

52 customers mention "Enjoyment"52 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They describe it as a fascinating journey through history that leaves them with a sense of wonder and excitement. The writing is clear and understandable, providing great insight into the strange but marvelous descriptions of the universe.

"...This is an interesting chapter, albeit difficult to comprehend for me, nevertheless absolutely fascinating...." Read more

"...It was a pleasurable read, which is a science writing achievement for a very unintuitive theory requiring you to do away with space time...." Read more

"...are not professional scientists, with a really cool, easy to read, fun to read, summation of quantum gravity...." Read more

"...It is a pleasure to read, which is not the norm in books that try to explain physics to non-specialists; God help the guy who tries to read the..." Read more

18 customers mention "Introduction"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides a good introduction to quantum gravity. They appreciate the analogies and examples, as well as the fascinating people and concepts introduced. The author is described as interesting and easy to follow, with links to philosophy and biographical references.

"...scientific understanding of the structure of our world, introducing fascinating characters that I had never heard of (Georges Lemaître, for one) and..." Read more

"...this is a good introduction to the subject." Read more

"...It is very interesting and educational. I keep reading it so I understand as well as possible...." Read more

"...The devil is the details. Also, I enjoyed his plenty of analogies and examples. As I wanted to give the book 5 stars but something was amiss...." Read more

8 customers mention "Pacing"6 positive2 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging and the language clear. They appreciate the author's ability to connect various books on the subject without condescension or self-aggrandizement. The book nicely ties together the author's wanderings and helps readers understand the big picture and how to combine it.

"...is a wonderfully written exploration of the big and small and how to meld the two...." Read more

"...And he does it without condescension or self-aggrandizement. This is a jewel of a book for anyone who ponders the nature of reality itself." Read more

"...More to the point, they are not held together by gravity because they are not “held together” at all...." Read more

"...This makes everyday life seem trivial when thinking about the big picture described by this book ." Read more

17 customers mention "Physics"11 positive6 negative

Customers have different views on the physics in the book. Some find it unique and the best theory of everything, while others say there's not enough actual physics, it can be difficult, and the author misstates some general relativity content.

"...gravity, the graviton, and how at a very basic and fundamental level the universe actually works. Thank goodness...." Read more

"...Some of the physics is quite good: for instance Rovelli gives a simple explanation based on Heisenberg's uncertainty principle for illustrating why..." Read more

"...The stuff of the universe is not strictly determined in terms of how things interact and the results of any given intervention in it...." Read more

"...They both work well individually when used in the context for which they were originally conceived..." Read more

15 customers mention "Language quality"5 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the language quality. Some find it well-written and translated, with a command of concepts, terminology, and historical details. Others feel the explanations are flawed, not intellectually fair, and superficial. They also mention that some abstract and hard-to-understand concepts are mentioned.

"...The ideas that he discusses on this book are sometimes incredibly abstract and hard to grasp. What I liked: -..." Read more

"...why I give the book less than five stars is because it is big on the language but relatively uneven on the physics...." Read more

"...about entropy is very confusing and sometimes the author contradicts his former assertions...." Read more

"...people who did Relativity and Quantum physics , but very superficial treatment of the subjects ...." Read more

Good read... simplistic and interesting
4 out of 5 stars
Good read... simplistic and interesting
I like that this book takes a historical approach to tracing physics from its beginnings to modern day. I feel it was easier to follow the ideas presented in quantum physics this way. If the author started with Einstein, I would have been completely lost. Starting from antiquity, I was able to grasp complex ideas in their simplicity and also understand why some concepts no longer worked or needed to be expanded upon. The author also includes diagrams that visually explains space, time, fields, and particles, which is helpful because I learn better this way. The only thing I didn't like is that it felt like too much name dropping in the beginning. I got lost trying to remember who was who and most of them felt irrelevant. He did include some equations, but if you're new to this the math will fly way over your head. All in all, this was a good starter book. By the end you will get a better sense of quantum physics in layman's terms. If you so choose to expand your studies, Rovelli included enough information to steer you in the right direction.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2019
    According to the author, this book “gives an account of the current state of the search for our new image of the world” as he understands it today. It is the reply to the question, “So, what do you think is the true nature of things?”

    We start with history. We are going back to Miletus about 26 centuries ago. It is important to start with the roots, and how an important number of ideas turned out to be effective in understanding the world. We are introduced to a number of important people and their contributions to human thinking. One of the greatest was Anaximander. In fact, the entire scientific and philosophical tradition has a crucial root in the speculations of the thinkers of Miletus. Two other innovative thinkers were Leucippus and Democritus. An intense humanist, rationalist, and materialist thought emerges from what we know of the work of these thinkers. Unfortunately, their original books have vanished, or perhaps destroyed by monotheistic cultures. Later Plato and Aristotle actually fought against their ideas, publishing new ideas, some of which actually created obstacles to the growth of knowledge. Incredibly, Democritus had arrived at the idea that everything is made of indivisible particles. We see this verified by Einstein, a long, long time later, in something called Brownian motion. But, before Einstein, we have the works of Galileo and Newton, which the author elaborates on. Later on, we have the works of Faraday and Maxwell, which have enhanced our understanding of electromagnetism and light.

    In the section on quanta, the author delves into a strange physics. He discusses in depth three aspects of reality: granularity, indeterminism, and relationality. First, through discoveries such as Brownian motion, we see the granular structure of matter, the energy of the electrons in the atom, and even light itself. Through the work of Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Paul Dirac, we are enlightened of the strangeness of quantum mechanics. Strangely, particle’s properties (position, velocity, etc.) acquire reality only when they interact with another object. No variable is defined between interactions! “The relational aspect of the theory becomes universal,” according to the author. The work of these Giants leads us to something called “quantum field theory.” This is the general form of quantum theory compatible with special relativity. We see the progression from Newton to quantum mechanics defining fields and particles and then just quantum fields whose elementary events happen in spacetime. The author makes a startling claim that “Quantum mechanics does not describe objects: it describes processes and events that are junction points between processes.” It is all quite fascinating, and this author always leaves me with a profound understanding of nature.

    From Part Three on, which talks about quantum space and relational time, things get a bit more difficult to understand. This is really a strange, strange world. The author asks what is quantum space, and what is quantum time? This is, in fact, the problem we call quantum gravity. We learn that there is a limit to the divisibility of space. Below a certain scale, nothing is accessible, or as the author puts it, “More precisely, nothing exists there.” At this scale, space and time change their nature, becoming quantum space and time. Understanding what this means is the problem. A theory is being erected to understand this; it is called loop quantum gravity. In explaining this, the author invokes “spin networks.” You’ll just have to read it yourself rather than me attempting to elaborate any further. The next chapter discusses time, where we learn that at a fundamental level, there is not time. This is an interesting chapter, albeit difficult to comprehend for me, nevertheless absolutely fascinating. And here we are introduced to another concept called “spinfoam.” We see, space has disappeared, time has disappeared, classic particles have disappeared, and classic fields have as well. The author has shown us how the understanding of nature changed from Newton, to Faraday and Maxell, to Einstein in 1905, to Einstein in 1925, to quantum mechanics, and finally to quantum gravity. What is left is something called “covariant quantum fields.” What we have is “discrete elementary entities not in space and time, but weaving space and time with their relations.”

    So we don’t need all the new fields, strange particles, extra dimensions, various symmetries, parallel universes, strings, etc. According to the author, the pieces of the puzzle are simpler: general relativity, quantum mechanics, and the standard model. The loop quantum gravity community just needs to figure out how to combine them in the correct manner. In the final chapter, the author leaves us with an important thought: “The centuries in which people had faith in what they believed were the centuries in which little new was learned.” We need to keep learning, accepting that what we think we know may turn out to be wrong. “Science is born from this act of humility.”
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2023
    This book offers an exceptionally clear presentation of Loop Quantum Gravity(LQG) by one of its founding proponent Carlo Rovelli. It is written in Hawking style of lucid and engaging prose. It was a pleasurable read, which is a science writing achievement for a very unintuitive theory requiring you to do away with space time. The idea of doing away with space and time is probably the hardest thing for the reader to comprehend, but Rovelli did a stellar job of leading his readers through.

    Similar to many science books that explains a new theory, the author recaps a history of physics that has bearing to his project. Rovelli begins with Anaximander, Democritus, Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes to Newton and Einstein in part one of the  book. It is delightful reading. But if you don't want to get through all that history again, you can start from part II beginning with general relativity and quantum mechanics. It is advisable to read through his relational view of Quantum mechanics because his LQG uses a relational view of reality. Rovelli sees quantum mechanics as describing quantum states of "interacting particles" (only a relationship,  not as strong as entanglement). Quantum state arises from particle interacting with each other. He also sees information of quantum states as finite.

    The presentation of LQG is between chapter 5 to 7. LQG suggests space is made up of quanta of gravitational field. So quanta is more fundamental than space. The quanta is a node that can connect to another node or quanta by links or field lines. In LQG, space is replaced by  quanta of gravitational field in a granular structure. A graph which represents how the quantas of gravitational field are connected is a spin network. This spin network is what space consists in.

    Not only is space is replaced. Time is also replaced by variables of activity such as heart beat, pulse, or pendulum swing. The notion of time flows by itself is less useful than noticing passage of activities such as beat or pendulum swing instantiating in the real world. Activities in the universe is more direct measure of the passage of reality.

    Using quanta of gravity and variables of activity, LQG presents a new representation of reality using gravity and quantum mechanics to replace space-time. When quantum mechanics is involved, events instantiate under probability and actual quantum event fluctuations. Reality is hence once again contingent upon relation of activities.
    Rovelli further presents the application of LQG by using it to study black holes. Heat dissipated in Hawking Radiation can be studied by the spin network that describes the gravitational field on the horizon of the black hole. Another use of LQG is to assess the black hole collapse. Quantum fluctuation and repulsion prevent collapsing to infinite pressure but offers it to bounce out. This approach is brought over to modeling the Big Bang suggesting that the initial explosion to be a big bounce from quantum fluctuation, not unlike the negative potential of Linde and Vilenkin inflation model.

    This book brings the reader through a journey to reconceptialise their reality in quanta of gravity, spin network and spin foam. It is conceptually challenging but Rovelli's lucid and engaging narrative made it fun and worthwhile.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kitty Cane Harry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read!
    Reviewed in Canada on August 31, 2024
    I thought this book was very well written. I still have no clue about quantum physics or gravity but loved reading this book regardless.
  • Binu v.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Quantum gravity.... A subject yet to be evolved to it's fullest
    Reviewed in India on April 11, 2024
    I am an ardent reader of physics subjects, I have read many books on physics ,but only a few of them imparted a satisfactory outlook so that a person with basic awareness of physics can understand it's content, but this one is a amazingly special for the simple reason that a person with general awareness about physics can understand. It covered almost every topics of main theories of classical, relativistic and quantum mechanics with such brevity and simplicity... Thanks to the author who tried his level best to come to the strata of an average physics enthusiast. After reading this book I got immense satisfaction which no other books of the same sort could provide... This is a must read book and I assure that you will get something very special which you will experience later...
  • Mike Walters
    5.0 out of 5 stars The new Einstein of the 21st century.
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 1, 2021
    There is a solution. And Carlo Rovelli brings this solution by showing in a simple and impressive way that quantum mechanics and general relativity can ultimately be unified by a loop theory of a granular quantum structure of space. A new Einstein of the 21st century is born!
  • Luca
    5.0 out of 5 stars imparare a convivere con l’ignoto
    Reviewed in Italy on December 10, 2022
    Carlo Rovelli presenta come si è evoluta la visione del mondo per arrivare attraverso la quantum gravity ad un tentativo di coniugare l’indeterminazione della teoria quantistica con la granularità delle cose della relatività generale. Ci si è riusciti? Le due teorie oggi sopravvissute string e loop sono ancora divise pure se quest’ultima sta raccogliendo indizi a suo favore. A fronte della mancanza di certezza rimane lo spirito della scienza che dubita di ogni certezza e che trova il suo valore nel dare le risposte che servono consapevole che domani queste cambieranno. Un libro molto bello da leggere.
  • Olaf van Kooten
    5.0 out of 5 stars It is really not what it seems
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on September 29, 2022
    Mind bogelling, not easy but gratifying to read. The way reality is experienced through the lens of quantum gravity comes very close to what Buddhist philosophy claims as seeing nirvana in samsara.

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