An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

The Holographic Universe; Leonard Susskind -James Lindesay, 27 Jul 2006
It's a really great little book. I got half-way through and realized I wasn't understanding the mathematics involved. I was not surprised by this as I am an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.I have had little opportunity to learn the terms and concepts involved. So I stopped reading this book and read Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality". It is an excellent book from which I was able to learn about the mathematics, and a whole lot more. I then read Susskind's Holographic Universe without much trouble, understanding quite well what he is getting at. I would rate it as "terribly interesting".

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

The Holographic Universe; Leonard Susskind -James Lindesay, 27 Jul 2006
It's a really great little book. I got half-way through and realized I wasn't understanding the mathematics involved. I was not surprised by this as I am an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.I have had little opportunity to learn the terms and concepts involved. So I stopped reading this book and read Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality". It is an excellent book from which I was able to learn about the mathematics, and a whole lot more. I then read Susskind's Holographic Universe without much trouble, understanding quite well what he is getting at. I would rate it as "terribly interesting".

An excellent update to a classic introduction to modern phys, 19 Sep 2004
My introduction to the world of the mild-mannered bank clerk with an interest in modern Physics came through copies of the original 1940s books rescued from a school library "disposal" pile. Unlike the school librarian I treasured those books, which presented hard science in a humorous, accessible way, and learned a lot from them.

George Gamow brought his original material up to date for "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" shortly before his death in 1968. However, since then Physics has moved on still further, and a new update was appropriate. Russell Stannard took on the challenge, and has done a superb job.

The new version brings both the science and the charming human back story fully up to date, and also addresses some inconsistencies in the earlier text and illustrations caused by their derivation from a group of separate magazine articles.

The books tackles all the main areas of modern Physics, from relativity to particle physics. Each topic is presented by both a serious (but straightforward) lecture text, and also by analogies in a dream experienced by one off the main characters. The two reinforce one another, and should leave the reader with a good basic understanding of all the key concepts. Familiarity with basic arithmetic and elementary concepts of classical physics are the only prerequisites, but the text should also be enjoyable for those with greater background knowledge.

I am very glad to see this classic developed for a new generation, and thoroughly recommend it.

Excellent, but just a new edition of the first Mr Tompkins, 24 Nov 2001
I bought this book thinking that it was different from the previous Mr Tompkins book, where in fact it is nothing more than a new edition. Still a great book, but surely a bit of a rip-off. Why didn't they just call it a new edition?

The easiest way to understand Physics, 26 Jan 2001
From the outset this book tries to portray the often complex world of Physics in a easy to understand way. Many books have attempted this but have failed, this is truly one of the best Physics books I have read for my age group. This book was one of the major contributing factor in me passing PHO2. This is one of the greatest rewriting of a book I have ever read. And pays much due respect to Gamov for his inventive way of teaching physics, to both physicists and the average person alike. And that is why I have given it 4 stars.

An modern update of the classic, 17 Sep 2000
George Gamow's classic introduction to a number of modern physics has been updated by Russell Stannard. Why? Well, despite it being an excellent introduction for young and old to the frankly bizarre concepts and affects of relativity and quantum physics, the original text was becoming somewhat dated. Telling a young girl to 'run along' as physics did not concern her, or talking about a 'tiger shoot' in todays modern climate, could distract the more sensitive away from the ideals of the book. What Stannard has done is modernise the text and analogies, provide more consistent stories and explanations, added some recent developments in modern physics, and updated the illustrations, all with the approval of Gamow's family. The result is a more accessable book that is still fun and thought-provoking. Buy it for yourself or your kids!

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

The Holographic Universe; Leonard Susskind -James Lindesay, 27 Jul 2006
It's a really great little book. I got half-way through and realized I wasn't understanding the mathematics involved. I was not surprised by this as I am an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.I have had little opportunity to learn the terms and concepts involved. So I stopped reading this book and read Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality". It is an excellent book from which I was able to learn about the mathematics, and a whole lot more. I then read Susskind's Holographic Universe without much trouble, understanding quite well what he is getting at. I would rate it as "terribly interesting".

An excellent update to a classic introduction to modern phys, 19 Sep 2004
My introduction to the world of the mild-mannered bank clerk with an interest in modern Physics came through copies of the original 1940s books rescued from a school library "disposal" pile. Unlike the school librarian I treasured those books, which presented hard science in a humorous, accessible way, and learned a lot from them.

George Gamow brought his original material up to date for "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" shortly before his death in 1968. However, since then Physics has moved on still further, and a new update was appropriate. Russell Stannard took on the challenge, and has done a superb job.

The new version brings both the science and the charming human back story fully up to date, and also addresses some inconsistencies in the earlier text and illustrations caused by their derivation from a group of separate magazine articles.

The books tackles all the main areas of modern Physics, from relativity to particle physics. Each topic is presented by both a serious (but straightforward) lecture text, and also by analogies in a dream experienced by one off the main characters. The two reinforce one another, and should leave the reader with a good basic understanding of all the key concepts. Familiarity with basic arithmetic and elementary concepts of classical physics are the only prerequisites, but the text should also be enjoyable for those with greater background knowledge.

I am very glad to see this classic developed for a new generation, and thoroughly recommend it.

Excellent, but just a new edition of the first Mr Tompkins, 24 Nov 2001
I bought this book thinking that it was different from the previous Mr Tompkins book, where in fact it is nothing more than a new edition. Still a great book, but surely a bit of a rip-off. Why didn't they just call it a new edition?

The easiest way to understand Physics, 26 Jan 2001
From the outset this book tries to portray the often complex world of Physics in a easy to understand way. Many books have attempted this but have failed, this is truly one of the best Physics books I have read for my age group. This book was one of the major contributing factor in me passing PHO2. This is one of the greatest rewriting of a book I have ever read. And pays much due respect to Gamov for his inventive way of teaching physics, to both physicists and the average person alike. And that is why I have given it 4 stars.

An modern update of the classic, 17 Sep 2000
George Gamow's classic introduction to a number of modern physics has been updated by Russell Stannard. Why? Well, despite it being an excellent introduction for young and old to the frankly bizarre concepts and affects of relativity and quantum physics, the original text was becoming somewhat dated. Telling a young girl to 'run along' as physics did not concern her, or talking about a 'tiger shoot' in todays modern climate, could distract the more sensitive away from the ideals of the book. What Stannard has done is modernise the text and analogies, provide more consistent stories and explanations, added some recent developments in modern physics, and updated the illustrations, all with the approval of Gamow's family. The result is a more accessable book that is still fun and thought-provoking. Buy it for yourself or your kids!

A pearl!, 17 Sep 2003
A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A popular science classic, 06 Nov 2002
Gamow wrote this book out of some articles he published over 50 years ago. The basic facts of modern physics are presented through the explanations that an Einstein-looking old professor gives to a bank clerk. The dreams, nightmares and reveries of this clerk introduce you in the realms of the relativity or take you to a wild journey among quantum creatures.

There is also a revised version (The New World of Mr Tompkins) that incorporates discoveries made since the original work was published.

Easily readable by the general public this though-provoking book remains fresh and enjoyable.

A classic returns, 11 Jul 2000
I read this first while doing a Physics degree in the 70's. I was impressed that such a great scientist as George Gamow could translate the complex and inside out worlds of relativity and quantum mechanics to Joe Public in such a clear and humorous way. By slowing down the speed of light to about 100 mph, he shows what would happen to the travellers and viewers of people who ride bikes and trains, and how that by living in such a weird place the uncommon becomes a way of life. Moving on to tunnelling ( a field in which Gamow achieve Nobel status) he agian shows that the seemingly impossible only remains so to those who refuse to see. Thanks George!

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

The Holographic Universe; Leonard Susskind -James Lindesay, 27 Jul 2006
It's a really great little book. I got half-way through and realized I wasn't understanding the mathematics involved. I was not surprised by this as I am an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.I have had little opportunity to learn the terms and concepts involved. So I stopped reading this book and read Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality". It is an excellent book from which I was able to learn about the mathematics, and a whole lot more. I then read Susskind's Holographic Universe without much trouble, understanding quite well what he is getting at. I would rate it as "terribly interesting".

An excellent update to a classic introduction to modern phys, 19 Sep 2004
My introduction to the world of the mild-mannered bank clerk with an interest in modern Physics came through copies of the original 1940s books rescued from a school library "disposal" pile. Unlike the school librarian I treasured those books, which presented hard science in a humorous, accessible way, and learned a lot from them.

George Gamow brought his original material up to date for "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" shortly before his death in 1968. However, since then Physics has moved on still further, and a new update was appropriate. Russell Stannard took on the challenge, and has done a superb job.

The new version brings both the science and the charming human back story fully up to date, and also addresses some inconsistencies in the earlier text and illustrations caused by their derivation from a group of separate magazine articles.

The books tackles all the main areas of modern Physics, from relativity to particle physics. Each topic is presented by both a serious (but straightforward) lecture text, and also by analogies in a dream experienced by one off the main characters. The two reinforce one another, and should leave the reader with a good basic understanding of all the key concepts. Familiarity with basic arithmetic and elementary concepts of classical physics are the only prerequisites, but the text should also be enjoyable for those with greater background knowledge.

I am very glad to see this classic developed for a new generation, and thoroughly recommend it.

Excellent, but just a new edition of the first Mr Tompkins, 24 Nov 2001
I bought this book thinking that it was different from the previous Mr Tompkins book, where in fact it is nothing more than a new edition. Still a great book, but surely a bit of a rip-off. Why didn't they just call it a new edition?

The easiest way to understand Physics, 26 Jan 2001
From the outset this book tries to portray the often complex world of Physics in a easy to understand way. Many books have attempted this but have failed, this is truly one of the best Physics books I have read for my age group. This book was one of the major contributing factor in me passing PHO2. This is one of the greatest rewriting of a book I have ever read. And pays much due respect to Gamov for his inventive way of teaching physics, to both physicists and the average person alike. And that is why I have given it 4 stars.

An modern update of the classic, 17 Sep 2000
George Gamow's classic introduction to a number of modern physics has been updated by Russell Stannard. Why? Well, despite it being an excellent introduction for young and old to the frankly bizarre concepts and affects of relativity and quantum physics, the original text was becoming somewhat dated. Telling a young girl to 'run along' as physics did not concern her, or talking about a 'tiger shoot' in todays modern climate, could distract the more sensitive away from the ideals of the book. What Stannard has done is modernise the text and analogies, provide more consistent stories and explanations, added some recent developments in modern physics, and updated the illustrations, all with the approval of Gamow's family. The result is a more accessable book that is still fun and thought-provoking. Buy it for yourself or your kids!

A pearl!, 17 Sep 2003
A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus named after him! The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!

A popular science classic, 06 Nov 2002
Gamow wrote this book out of some articles he published over 50 years ago. The basic facts of modern physics are presented through the explanations that an Einstein-looking old professor gives to a bank clerk. The dreams, nightmares and reveries of this clerk introduce you in the realms of the relativity or take you to a wild journey among quantum creatures.

There is also a revised version (The New World of Mr Tompkins) that incorporates discoveries made since the original work was published.

Easily readable by the general public this though-provoking book remains fresh and enjoyable.

A classic returns, 11 Jul 2000
I read this first while doing a Physics degree in the 70's. I was impressed that such a great scientist as George Gamow could translate the complex and inside out worlds of relativity and quantum mechanics to Joe Public in such a clear and humorous way. By slowing down the speed of light to about 100 mph, he shows what would happen to the travellers and viewers of people who ride bikes and trains, and how that by living in such a weird place the uncommon becomes a way of life. Moving on to tunnelling ( a field in which Gamow achieve Nobel status) he agian shows that the seemingly impossible only remains so to those who refuse to see. Thanks George!

A great book for begginers., 17 May 1999
This book covers many interesting topics in molecular simulation, both Monte Carlo and M.D. It focuses on understanding the main ideas rather than giving long codes. It's a good place to start, but it also covers some ideas not found in many other books. When I try to extend my molecular dynamics program I always check what Frenkel and Smit have to say about it.

An excellent book, 29 Sep 2004
An excellent introduction into this fascinating subject. Starting with basic principles (such as what is matter, its constituents, what we mean by energy, and which are the physical forces in the universe), it leads the reader into the latest experiments of particle physics. This transition is done very smoothly, without confusing the reader. The book does not contain unecessary complicated information or mathematics. It is aimed at the non-specialist who has an interest in the subject and wants to comprehend a few things quickly and easily. I found this book very interesting and well written. I highly recommend it.

Wonderful book, 27 Mar 2008
For a layperson like myself who has no knowledge of the subject of Atomic physics (or any other science subject) and yet was gripped by the BBC series 'Atom', this book was the perfect partner to the series. Piers Bizony has made this mind-boggling subject understandable (almost) and very, very enjoyable.A wonderful book which I read at one sitting and I'm now eager for more.

Excellent stuff!!, 29 Jan 2008
It can be difficult for a layman to find material on Atomic physics which is entertaining, stimulating and which also has enough depth to enable you to walk away and say 'Oh - now I understand!'. Al-Khalili's book is deep enough to enable you to understand the gradual build-up of theory and how everything fit into everything that went before it. The biographies of the lead scientists enable the reader to see how a theory was part of a place and time and how new propositions were made on the basis of the thinking at the time. More importantly there is that sense of wonder, good humour and genuine reflective insight that make the best science books highly accessible but also highly informative. Certainly an excellent choice for the layman (me) and I would expect for those students who feel their lecturers suppose everyone to have walked in the door with ten years previous research experience!

Disappointing, 28 Jan 2008
No justice with the subject.We find more of short biographies of various scientists than the subject itself.A book far below expectation.

Atom....begin with basic building blocks!, 13 Oct 2007
I was hooked on the T.V series, which this book accompanies, and enthralled by the book, which I could not put down.My only disappointment was that the book did not cover the latter parts of the the T.V progamme in its foray into string theory and the cutting edge of contempoary physics. Having an interest in quantum physics, and the philosophy of science, (but not an education in physics to support it)I found that this book offers a coherent and comprehensible history of the development of ideas about the nature of the atom, which serves as an invaluable set of building blocks,from which to fashion a foundation of a better grasp of contemporary theory.I will certainly be buying the book by the same author on Quantum Theory.

A very poor book, 15 Oct 2008
After reading the other reviews I was coming to terms with all the typos when I came across the definition of a vector space. In this author's version, a vector space contains a vector I such that I |a> = |a> for all |a> in V.

Now, I had never met this axiom before, so I was interested to see the examples to see what this might be. Unfortunately, the examples did not enlighten me any further.

The exposition is in general muddled and muddling. For instance, the explanation of the difference between a quantum state and a statistical mix of quantum states is more confusing than if it had been omitted. One section is called The Conservation of Probability, but all it does is arbitrarily define a probability current j(x,t) (incorrectly!) without any explanation of its relevance.

This is certainly not a good first book. Try Griffiths instead.

Delightfully tasty reading, 19 Sep 2007
This is an excellent book: well writen, easy to understand-but it could do with more examples.More explanations are needed as to the applications of certain formulae. Being a gifted Mahematician I taught myself from this book age 15 and i found it truly amazing though the learning curve gets steep. I would recommend to math/physics undergrads who are interested in applied math/physics.

Quantum physics demystified, 07 Sep 2007
Buyers beware that this is not a popular science book but rather one for the already mathematically competant. The title and zany cover could be misleading.

Errors demystified, 15 Dec 2006
Cons: The book lacks mathematical rigor. Too many important formulas and concepts are not derived from first principle. Also, the number of errors/typos in this book largely outnumber the cumulative of errors/typos in all my undergraduate books. I often found the emphasis was not done on the right things, mostly when it came to solve mathematical problems. The author solves them line by line but gives way too much details on simple algebra while rarely providing a detailed analysis of the result itself.

Pros: good for quick review or to initiate yourself to the subject. Provides answers to many typical quantum mechanical problems. I would definitely recommend using a reference book along with "Quantum Physics Demystified".

Excellent hands on practise in QM, 10 Nov 2006
Despite the large number of typographical errors ( which could be off putting for some) this is the first blow-by-blow hands on theory-example-solution(fully worked) approach to learning QM and I thoroughly recommend it for self study or as preparation for a more detailed study from the 'standard' texts on QM.
I really think this is a significant addition to texts on QM and if you do all the problems yourself before reading the solutions it could serve as a very powerful learning tool in this otherwise very challenging subject. For more on the full physical significance I guess further reading would be necessary as it has predominantly a mathematical approach. Great stuff......
I'd like more in this series!



Very Instructive!!!!!!!!!, 15 Dec 2004
The text gives a good technical overview of the main aspects of the hot big band model. It goes significantly beyond what's covered in the numerous popular science books in the same domain. Overall you get to realize the logic/rationale behind the theory of the big bang. Liddle's main good idea is to give a starting technical outlook to the description of the Universe as a whole. Liddle describes the core ideas and then requires his/her reader to carry out some relatively simple mathematical demonstrations (requiring calculus). Thanks to this approach, you get a good qualitative and some quantitative feel about the main aspects of cosmology.
I only give 4 stars because the book has (for clarity's sake) avoided explaining some important key physical points. Instead there are briefly introduced at the start of the book and they are used later when developing cosmological ideas. This is obviously a conscious choice from Liddle.
The author however mentions that there is a significant gap between his book and other more serious undergrad/postgrad textbooks. In my view, it would be nice if a later edition could attempt to bridge this gap by adding some more experimental evidence and fundamental physics.
All in all a good addition to my personal library.

It does exactly what is says on the tin!, 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout.

It does exactly what it says on the tin., 30 May 2002
I just read this book cover to cover about three times for my Physics course, and its a great little book.

Its one of the few text books i would recommend to a non Physicist (Though you do need a decent level of mathematical knowledge.)

It covers all of cosmology and the bigbang theory without resorting to Relativity and as such allows you to get to grasps with the concepts behind the universe with ease.

It allows the reader to understand the nature of the universe quite deeply for it size, and keeps you entertained throughout. It would be a great addition to anybody studying the subject as it wont overload you with hugh reams of text. The ideas are presently quickly and explained well.

The best recommendation i can give it, is that after a years studying its the only one i'll read again for entertainment.

The Holographic Universe; Leonard Susskind -James Lindesay, 27 Jul 2006
It's a really great little book. I got half-way through and realized I wasn't understanding the mathematics involved. I was not surprised by this as I am an artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.I have had little opportunity to learn the terms and concepts involved. So I stopped reading this book and read Roger Penrose's "Road to Reality". It is an excellent book from which I was able to learn about the mathematics, and a whole lot more. I then read Susskind's Holographic Universe without much trouble, understanding quite well what he is getting at. I would rate it as "terribly interesting".

An excellent update to a classic introduction to modern phys, 19 Sep 2004
My introduction to the world of the mild-mannered bank clerk with an interest in modern Physics came through copies of the original 1940s books rescued from a school library "disposal" pile. Unlike the school librarian I treasured those books, which presented hard science in a humorous, accessible way, and learned a lot from them.

George Gamow brought his original material up to date for "Mr Tompkins in Paperback" shortly before his death in 1968. However, since then Physics has moved on still further, and a new update was appropriate. Russell Stannard took on the challenge, and has done a superb job.

The new version brings both the science and the charming human back story fully up to date, and also addresses some inconsistencies in the earlier text and illustrations caused by their derivation from a group of separate magazine articles.

The books tackles all the main areas of modern Physics, from relativity to particle physics. Each topic is presented by both a serious (but straightforward) lecture text, and also by analogies in a dream experienced by one off the main characters. The two reinforce one another, and should leave the reader with a good basic understanding of all the key concepts. Familiarity with basic arithmetic and elementary concepts of classical physics are the only prerequisites, but the text should also be enjoyable for those with greater background knowledge.

I am very glad to see this classic developed for a new generation, and thoroughly recommend it.

Excellent, but just a new edition of the first Mr Tompkins, 24 Nov 2001
I bought this book thinking that it was different from the previous Mr Tompkins book, where in fact it is nothing more than a new edition. Still a great book, but surely a bit of a rip-off. Why didn't they just call it a new edition?

The easiest way to understand Physics, 26 Jan 2001
From the outset this book tries to portray the often complex world of Physics in a easy to understand way. Many books have attempted this but have failed, this is truly one of the best Physics books I have read for my age group. This book was one of the major contributing factor in me passing PHO2. This is one of the greatest rewriting of a book I have ever read. And pays much due respect to Gamov for his inventive way of teaching physics, to both physicists and the average person alike. And that is why I have given it 4 stars.

An modern update of the classic, 17 Sep 2000
George Gamow's classic introduction to a number of modern physics has been updated by Russell Stannard. Why? Well, despite it being an excellent introduction for young and old to the frankly bizarre concepts and affects of relativity and quantum physics, the original text was becoming somewhat dated. Telling a young girl to 'run along' as physics did not concern her, or talking about a 'tiger shoot' in todays modern climate, could distract the more sensitive away from the ideals of the book. What Stannard has done is modernise the text and analogies, provide more consistent stories and explanations, added some recent developments in modern physics, and updated the illustrations, all with the approval of Gamow's family. The result is a more accessable book that is still fun and thought-provoking. Buy it for yourself or your kids!

A pearl!, 17 Sep 2003
A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Phys