Quantum Physics sounds, looks, and is intimidating. Its mere mention may conjure up images of incomprehensible, long equations with more letters than numbers (apart from the iconic Schrödinger’s cat experiment- which surprisingly was proposed by Schrödinger to DISPUTE the Copenhagen interpretation of the quantum theory, and not because Schrödinger was a psychopath hating cats as most people think). Now, imagine opening a book where, instead of feeling lost, you’re guided gently through the history and heart of quantum physics, with each page dissolving your previous doubts (and maybe creating more doubts, but that’s another story) and unraveling mysteries as effortlessly as if you were reading a bedtime story. Fundamental by Tim James does just that.

 

Tim James possesses a unique talent: He makes quantum mechanics—the topic that confounds even the most brilliant thinkers—accessible and inviting as if he were conversing with you over coffee. With perfectly suited analogies* and thought-provoking examples, he transforms this typically arid subject into one filled with vitality. You’ll catch yourself nodding in agreement, laughing, and truly eager to discover where each idea will take you.

 

Tim James assumes no prior knowledge of quantum principles, so this book is a great opportunity for everyone who wants to delve into quantum physics for the first time. I have read countless so-called introductory books to Quantum Physics, and I doubt there are better ones than this. 

 

If you ask me what bothered me the most about all the other Quantum Physics introductory books, it is that they mostly seem like history books written in the context of Quantum Physics, with some complex equations here and there. They dive into dates, places, and famous names but often leave out the heart of it all (tell me another book that talks about how, when during WW2, Heisenberg promoted the work of the Jewish physicist Albert Einstein, avoided serious trouble because his mother, Mrs Heisenberg, was a close friend to the mother of Heinrich Himmler, head of SS, and phoned Mrs Himmler telling her “Tell your son to leave mine alone!”? Or about when, during his doctoral interview, when asked to explain how a battery works, Heisenberg said he didn’t know- which gave me hopes, to tell you the truth- ?), —the actual ideas, the excitement, and the bold thinking that drove these scientists to question reality as we know it. What makes Fundamental different is that it captures the discoveries and how these scientists thought, dreamed, and occasionally stumbled on the path to understanding. It brings the ideas themselves to the forefront, where they belong, in the most humorous way possible!