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Carlo Rovelli

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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Kindle Edition

by Carlo Rovelli (Author), Erica Segre (Translator), Simon Carnell (Translator) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 13,166 ratings

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THE PHENOMENAL BESTSELLER

'Honestly I cannot recommend it too strongly... one of the fastest selling science titles of all time because it is so clear' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2

'There's a book I've been carrying around like a small Bible, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics' - Benedict Cumberbatch

Everything you need to know about modern physics, the universe and your place in the world in seven enlightening lessons

These seven short lessons guide us, with simplicity and clarity, through the scientific revolution that shook physics in the twentieth century and still continues to shake us today. In this beautiful and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Carlo Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind. In under eighty pages, readers will understand the most transformative scientific discoveries of the twentieth century and what they mean for us.

Not since Richard Feynman's celebrated best-seller Six Easy Pieces has physics been so vividly, intelligently and entertainingly revealed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In clear, elegant prose, Rovelli guides the reader through a whirlwind tour of some of the biggest ideas in physics. His passion for his chosen field is evident on every page… One can easily imagine perusing these essays while comfortably ensconced in an overstuffed chair by the fire, a snifter of cognac in hand… The reader will come away…with a deeper understanding of how modern physics has brought us closer to an ultimate understanding of reality.”—The New York Times Book Review

“A startling and illustrative distillation of centuries of science.”—The Economist

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

“Lean, lucid and enchanting.”—New Scientist

“The essays in Seven Brief Lessons on Physics arrive like shots of espresso, which you can consume the way the Italians do, quickly and while standing up. As slim as a volume of poetry, Mr. Rovelli’s book also has that tantalizing quality that good books of poems have; it artfully hints at meanings beyond its immediate scope... [H]is book is a roll call of the scientists who have taken us so far, from Einstein and Niels Bohr through Werner Heisenberg and Stephen Hawking... The lessons in Mr. Rovelli’s book, as elegiac as they are incisive, do them justice.”—The New York Times

“Delightful. . . . The metaphors are vivid, the visions dramatic.”—Nature

“A very slim volume that contains multitudes... Italian theoretical physicist and writer Carlo Rovelli uses a conversational tone to untangle the most complicated yet most beautiful advances in science in modern history... You'll feel a whole lot smarter for having read this elegant, straightforward little book.”—Esquire, The Best Books of 2016 (So Far)

“The writing is elegant and poetic, and Carlo's explanatory clarity is compelling. He organized this short book into seven lessons that introduce the non-specialized reader to the most fascinating questions about the universe, including how we learn about it.”—NPR

“Rovelli has a rare knack for conveying the top line of scientific theories in clear and compelling terms without succumbing to the lure of elaborate footnotes... a breath of fresh air.”—The Guardian

“Brief but eloquent... The slim volume is stereotypically the province of poetry, but this beautifully designed little book shows that science, with its curiosity, its intense engagement with what there really is, its readiness to jettison received ways of seeing, is a kind of poetry too”—Financial Times

“[Carlo Rovelli’s] concise and comprehensible writing makes sense of intricate notions such as general relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology and thermodynamics. Rovelli's enthusiastic and poetic descriptions communicate the essence of these topics without getting bogged down in details.”—Scientific American

“[A] quick, engaging read…fun and insightful…you wouldn’t go wrong taking [it] to the beach this summer.”—Forbes

“Fascinating on every level.”—Daily Herald

“This beautiful little volume playfully introduces its readers to several basic principles of physics in an easy-to-grasp style that will surprise and delight you.”—San Francisco Chronicle

“Few writers have dared to compress the knowledge of a century’s worth of physics into less than 80 pages. Even fewer have succeeded with a touch of Carlo Rovelli’s clarity and verve…A sweeping presentation of the great ideas and discoveries of 20th century physics, aimed at readers with no scientific background whatsoever. It’s a joy to read.”—Gizmodo

“A slim poetic meditation... Rovelli belongs to a great Italian tradition of one-culture science writing that encompasses the Roman poet Lucretius, Galileo, Primo Levi and Italo Calvino. The physics here is comprehensible and limpid, and Rovelli gives it an edge through his clear-eyed humanistic interpretations.”—The Independent

“Slim and stimulating…Wonderfully poetic.”—Brain Pickings

“Written to be accessible and to appeal to the imagination of the liberal arts major…Rovelli highlights the beauty of theories of gravity, time, and consciousness.”—The Curious Wavefunction

“Rovelli's offering is a marvelous feast which should ignite a renewed sense of inspiration regarding the reach and beauty of science even in hardened veterans.”—The Millions

“In a world where the public is interested in science, Rovelli is a great ambassador whose passion can be found in Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.”—International Business Times

"It was eye-opening for me and truly changed how I will go forward in reading and learning about science."—Amy Poehler's Smart Girls

“For the curious reader ready to plunge into theoretical physics, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli is a short accessible introduction. The chapters are manageable chunks of famous theories, most recognizable even to those of us who don’t happen to have a Ph.D... Mr. Rovelli shows how scientists can not only accept [contradictions between theories] but also revel in its infuriating layers.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Ultimately, Rovelli portrays the universe as a strange place where space-time, the present, the past and the future are illusions, and his unfolding of the mystery and the beauty of the universe is breathtaking.”—Raleigh News & Observer

“An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“This enchanting book…looks at physics as a continually changing quest for understanding our universe, instead of immutable laws of nature... The essays are a joyous celebration of scientific wonder.”—Publishers Weekly

“Rovelli's enthusiasm for his subject is evident throughout, and his conversational tone brings an often dry subject to vibrant life. For those curious about the natural world and who wonder what actually exists outside Earth's atmosphere, Rovelli's explanations will intrigue and delight.”—Shelf Awareness

“Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is a science book that reads like a poem, and resonates like one, too.”—Bookpage

“Rovelli does a masterful job breaking down complex subjects, like Einstein's theory of relativity and gravitational waves, into simple, easy-to-understand concepts.”—Law 360

“In Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Carlo Rovelli delivers physics lessons in a most untraditional way, inspiring readers to think differently, to get excited about discovery, to open their minds, to see beauty in the strange... Exquisite... If you love nonfiction and science as much as you love literary fiction, this is a must-read.”—Lovely Bookshelf

“If you want to understand what gets physicists out of bed in the morning, there is no better guide than Rovelli... Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is an absorbing, lovely book... This is physics as romantic poetry and, by God, it’s beguiling”—New Statesman

“Bite-sized but big on ideas: Carlo Rovelli’s Seven Brief Lessons on Physics … makes the mysteries of the universe almost comprehensible.”—Evening Standard

“Carlo Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons on Physics has turned relativity and quantum physics into best-selling material.”—la Repubblica

“Physics has always been popularized, but professor Rovelli’s book is something else: his prose stands out as pristine and seductive at the same time, with all the substance that arouses a real interest in his readers.”—Corriere della Sera

“Plain words can be utterly beautiful when they tell a thrilling story. Carlo Rovelli's words take us on a great adventure as the human mind reaches out to understand the universe. The book is a joy.”—Alan Alda

“Wonderfully clear and vivid. Carlo Rovelli manages to convey the mystery of very large things and very small things with brilliant effect.”—Philip Pullman, author of theHis Dark Materials trilogy

“Rovelli has found a new way to talk about science, simple and keen. His seven lessons are as graceful, terse and dreamy as only poetry can sometimes be.”—Paolo Giordano, author ofThe Solitude of Prime Numbers

“This brief and beautiful introduction to a few key discoveries of modern physics reminds us that the roots of science are curiosity and wonder.”—Lee Smolin, physicist and author, Time Reborn and The Trouble with Physics

“No one should hold office unless they have read Carlo Rovelli's Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.”—Nick Harkaway, author of The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker

“This is a beautiful and moving book that will make you see the world with different eyes. It is soulfully human and yet full of the wonder of the natural universe. Rovelli somehow conveys the scope and depth of modern physics in everyday language without losing the poetry of the mathematical equations.”—Jenann Ismael, professor of philosophy at University of Arizona

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 Université. He is one of the founders of the loop quantum gravity theory. Rovelli lives in Marseille, France.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From the First Lesson: The Most Beautiful of Theories

In his youth Albert Einstein spent a year loafing aimlessly. You don’t get anywhere by not “wasting” time—something, unfortunately, that the parents of teenagers tend frequently to forget. He was in Pavia. He had joined his family, having abandoned his studies in Germany, unable to endure the rigors of his high school there. It was the beginning of the twentieth century, and in Italy the beginning of its industrial revolution. His father, an engineer, was installing the first electricitygenerating power plants in the Paduan plains. Albert was reading Kant and attending occasional lectures at the University of Pavia: for pleasure, without being registered there or having to think about exams. It is thus that serious scientists are made.

After this he registered at the University of Zurich and immersed himself in the study of physics. A few years later, in 1905, he sent three articles to the most prestigious scientific journal of the period, the Annalen der Physik. Each of these is worthy of a Nobel Prize. The first shows that atoms really exist. The second lays the first foundation for quantum mechanics, which I will discuss in the next lesson. The third presents his first theory of relativity (known today as “special relativity”), the theory that elucidates how time does not pass identically for everyone: two identical twins find that they are different in age if one of them has traveled at speed.

Einstein became a renowned scientist overnight and received offers of employment from various universities. But something disturbed him: despite its immediate acclaim, his theory of relativity does not fit with what we know about gravity, namely, with how things fall. He came to realize this when writing an article summarizing his theory and began to wonder if the law of “universal gravity” as formulated by the father of physics himself, Isaac Newton, was in need of revision in order to make it compatible with the new concept of relativity. He immersed himself in the problem. It would take ten years to resolve. Ten years of frenzied studies, attempts, errors, confusion, mistaken articles, brilliant ideas, misconceived ideas.

Finally, in November 1915, he committed to print an article giving the complete solution: a new theory of gravity, which he called “The General Theory of Relativity,” his masterpiece and the “most beautiful of theories,” according to the great Russian physicist Lev Landau.

There are absolute masterpieces that move us intensely: Mozart’s Requiem, Homer’s Odyssey, the Sistine Chapel, King Lear. To fully appreciate their brilliance may require a long apprenticeship, but the reward is sheer beauty—and not only this, but the opening of our eyes to a new perspective upon the world. Einstein’s jewel, the general theory of relativity, is a masterpiece of this order.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B012UTQ6CY
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; 1st edition (September 24, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 24, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5662 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 83 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0141981725

Best Sellers Rank: #389,300 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #63 in Two-Hour Science & Math Short Reads
- #178 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Kindle Store)
- #715 in Astrophysics & Space Science (Books)

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4.3 13,166 ratings

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Robert P Gelms

Rovelli prints just to show you what it looks like. It’s not very famous unless you are already ...

Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2016

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It’s Not What You Think
By Bob Gelms

I have two science books that, over the years, have become my favorites, The Elegant Universe and The Field. I have just found a third, Carlo Rovelli’s Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. Keep reading, it’s not what you think.

First of all I have to tell you that there isn’t any math in the book. There is one equation that Mr. Rovelli prints just to show you what it looks like. It’s not very famous unless you are already a physicist. In the preface he states, “These lessons were written for those who know little or nothing about modern science. Together they provide a rapid overview of the most fascinating aspects of the great revolution that has occurred in physics in the twentieth and twenty first century…”

In the spirit of Mr. Rovelli’s book, physics is the concrete explanation of the magic of the universe. It is the search for the truth about how everything in the universe operates interdependently on a grand scale (galaxies) and on the minute scale (electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks, gluons, etc.) This search, at times, has been fraught with the real danger of losing your life. Galileo was almost burned at the stake, commuted to life imprisoned under house arrest, for simply saying that the Earth revolved around the Sun. Scientists in the twentieth century are a little better off.

The book is very short. If you have the print version, it’s 81 pages long, with only seven chapters called lessons. It starts at the beginning of the twentieth century with, next to Isaac Newton, the most important physicist in all of history, Albert Einstein. Einstein’s theories are simply and elegantly explained in plain non-scientific language. The culmination of his work is called A General Theory of Relativity, in addition to three or four other papers that were glossed over and initially laughed at.

Once the scientific community caught up with Einstein’s brain they were struck dumb with the beauty and simplicity of his vision for the operation of the universe. It has always struck me curious that when he won the Nobel Prize it wasn’t for relativity (E=MC2). It was for one of those glossed over papers on the nature of light. He did all of his work on relativity and the photoelectric effect in 1905, when he was 26 years old. Over the years, he became a towering giant in the history of science while remaining a gentle and kind man.

The second lesson covers the exact opposite of Einstein’s theories. Planck, Bohr, and Heisenberg all contributed in some degree to the theory of the littlest “things” in the universe, which came to be called quantum mechanics. It deals with atoms and the particles that make them up, showing how they interact with the ever-changing landscape around and in them. Then all hell broke loose.

It seems that the rules and regs that describe perfectly Einstein’s big universe of galaxies, stars, solar systems and planets do not work if you apply those rules and regs to the little world of quantum mechanics. Conversely if you take the rules and regs of the little universe of quantum mechanics and apply them to Einstein’s big universe you will find that they don’t work. WELL. Both theories contradict one another and they shouldn’t because they both work perfectly in their own space and time. The big prize in physics these days is to find the link between the two because it is inherent in both theories that there be something that draws them together. Einstein called it the unified field theory and he tried to find it his whole life. He failed.

Lessons One, Two and Seven are the far and away the most interesting and most important in the book. The other essays cover more popular topics like time, black holes, probability, particles, and a lesson called Grains of Space which is a brief explanation of a theory founded by Mr. Rovell, himself a theoretical physicist. In it, he attempts, I think, to reconcile the big with the small worlds of physics. It is called loop quantum gravity and it’s where general relativity meets quantum mechanics.

In many ways the most interesting of all the essays is the last one. It’s simply called Ourselves. This is where Mr. Rovelli attempts to equate us, homo sapiens, to the interworking of the universe. We are all made of stardust put together using the immutable laws of nature. Our bodies conform to how the atoms we are made of obey quantum mechanics and the way in which we pass through time and space. It is utterly fascinating. I had an “oh wow” moment.

I’d like to close with Mr. Rovelli’s words. “Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world. And it’s breathtaking.”

187 people found this helpful

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Phred

Quick .Mostly easy. Mind expanding.

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2024

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Many years ago, I was required to take a physics course. Being what they called a “Bull Major”, this version was called Physics for poets. A rather interesting formula for those who think human have no choice but to see the beauty in the world or its mechanics. That duality is silly. Much later, I would come home from dating (My then date is now The Wife) and watch a televised class in physics. Amazing what a huge budget for animations and demonstrations do to make the subject fascinating.

Somewhere along the line I got interested in reading into Quantum physics. All the while clinging to the famous quote to the effect that if you think you understand Quantum, you don’t.

And so, to this slim gem of a book. Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli. It is a nice companion book for the not even amateur reader like myself and a lovely intro for one barely willing to read its 80 pages. Please read it, it is very nearly poetic and written to the intelligence of the most casual reader.
For me, there was little new for about 3 chapters. These were fun because he gave me another way to think about and understand things, I had struggled to take in.

Then he steps int what is more nearly poetry than science, and is entirely science. What we are asked to consider is that the universe is driven by probability. The outcome of every interaction is never more than a probability. Enven heat flows one way because that way is the more likely. For that matter, try this for contemplation. Time is (probably) heat flow.

The past is gone, the future does not exist yet, but we are all certain of the right now. Why? What does ‘now’ mean? How do you express it as a formula? Great questions. Follow these thoughts where Rovelli takes you then launch out into your own directions.

2 people found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

A wonderful journey in physics for poets

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024

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I learned so much from Rovelli's gentle prose and brilliant examples for non-physicists like me. I already recommended this book to my smart brother and will keep passing it on.

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024

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A simply explained and understandable description of physics approach to explain and promote further thinking in the areas of unknown!

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Randall Harris

Fair presentation of highlights, would not recommend

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2023

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This would presented a fair, summary (albeit very sketchy on many details) of key modern physics concepts. I was actually somewhat offended - from the perspective of a mathematician - at the condescending presentation of one particular equation in the 1st lesson, as well as the denigration of our species and civilization in the final chapter. The "simple" equation is described by him as one which he declares we would almost certainly find undecipherable. Why would he presume to make such an assumption? We may not all be geniuses, but this comes across as insulting to the reader. A substantial percentage of his readers may indeed be familiar with basic differential and integral calculus, and could use a short paragraph describing the variables and significance of this equation. In the last chapter of the book, Rovelli asserts his belief that our species, and all the more so our global civilization, will likely soon end. This extreme pessimism, and even to a degree denigration of our species - inclusive of the author by extension - is disturbing. Such a perspective would seem to throw into the question the very purpose of scientific advancement. Is not the purpose of science to improve the condition of the human race? If we are about to die - as a species as well as individually, as he emphasizes - why not just "Eat, drink, and be merry," and forget about striving for improvement? For these reasons, I would recommend other scientist authors - Michio Kaku, Carl Sagan, David Brin, Isaac Asimov - are far preferable from the vantage point of simultaneously recognizing humanity's collective dangers and striving to unite and utilize science to overcome these.

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HSBurney

Written perfectly for the layperson

Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2023

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I loved this book as someone without a science background. Esoteric ideas are presented simply and are easy to understand. The book is short enough to distill essential ideas but leaves you wanting to read and learn more. Recommend!

ivanio branco

Interesting

Reviewed in Brazil on March 20, 2022

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A very good summary of the current stage of Physics, with some personal inputs from the author.

Diego

Buen libro de Física para gente que desconoce Física

Reviewed in Mexico on September 21, 2021

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El libro contiene 7 lecciones de física que posiblemente hoy en día sean de las más relevantes sobre la física. Está escrito de tal manera que cualquiera pueda leerlo. Sin embargo, si ya conoces de física: relatividad, teoría cuántica, el modelo estándar y termodinámica, entonces probablemente ya conozcas los contenidos del libro.

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Alexander Cherinko

An absolutely enlightening book that everyone should read

Reviewed in Germany on March 2, 2024

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Written in an easy to understand manner (not for scientists, but for common people), this book sheds light on the some of the most fascinating aspects of the universe that surrounds us. Funny (and upsetting at the same time) thing is that the vast majority of people never get to comprehend these matters, being bogged down in their everyday routine...

Ramses

extraordinaire de clarté et concision

Reviewed in France on May 22, 2022

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J'ai lu des tas de livres sur ce sujet, ai travaillé au CERN, et ce livre sort du lot par sa clarté exprimée en peu de mots et quelques figures. Je compte le recommander à mon entourage car c'est de loin l'exposé le plus facile à lire que j'ai lu sur ces sujets complexes. Chapeau bas à l'auteur, vraiment!! Je vais lire le reste de ses livres sans aucun doute! A lire absolument!

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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics Kindle Edition

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