My Goodreads Review
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Quantum physics is notoriously for crushing the enthusiasm of many a young physics student with a massive iron club of mathematics but this is a surprisingly gentle introduction that doesn’t sacrifice the theory.
Quantum theory grew out of investigations into atoms and the basic approach of this book parallels that historical development, tracing quantum theory through the study of atoms, molecules, solids, and nuclei. Many other books simply toss chuck wave functions at you and hope that you learn to juggle quickly. Now, I’m a man who likes my theory but some motivation and links to observable effects are always refreshing. Unlike many quantum books, there are plenty of references to experiments and natural phenomena, including nice explanations of lasers, superconductors, semiconductor devices, and more.
The drawback to this abundance of explanations is that much of the mathematics gets swept under the rug. If you require a thorough derivation of every equation presented to you, expect frustration. The author’s approach is to introduce many of the ideas of quantum theory, but not always provide a rigorous mathematical background (some is hidden in the wealth of appendices but much is simply not included). That said, this is a great starting point for understanding quantum theory but definitely not comprehensive.
The book also includes two sections on particle physics. Studying particle physics is already like visiting the zoo but doing so with this book is like visiting the zoo on a train. The authors fly through the material so quickly, trying to pack a massive amount of information into the final 100 pages of the book its almost unreadable at points. I’d recommend skipping it and saving yourself the confusion.
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