Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5664 in Books
• Published on: 1985-02-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 318 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Part history book and part remedial physics text for those who lost interest when the equations started getting unintuitive, In Search of Schrödinger's Cat explains quantum physics in a way that's not only clear, but also enjoyable.

Gribbin opens with the subjects that most physics professors have just started to examine by the end of term: the mysterious character of light; the valence concept in Nils Bohr's atomic model; radioactive decay; and the physics of life-defining DNA all get clear, comprehensive and witty coverage. This book reveals the beauty and mystery that underlies everything in the universe.

Does this book claim to explain quantum physics without maths? No. Maths is too central to physics to be bypassed. But if you can do basic algebra, you can understand the equations in In Search of Schrödinger's Cat. Gribbin is the physics teacher everyone should have in high school or college: kind without being a pushover, knowledgeable without being condescending, and clearly expressive without being boring. Gribbin's book belongs on the shelf of every pre-calculus student. It also deserves a place in the library of everyone who was scared away from advanced physics prematurely.

From the Back Cover
Quantum theory is so shocking that Einstein could not bring himself to accept it. It is so important that it provides the fundamental underpinning of all modern sciences. Without it, we'd have no nuclear power or nuclear weapons, no TV, no computers, no science of molecular biology, no understanding of DNA, no genetic engineering.

In Search of Schrödinger's Cat tells the complete story of quantum mechanics, a truth stranger than any fiction. John Gribbin takes us step by step into an ever more bizarre and fascinating place, requiring only that we approach it with an open mind. He introduces the scientists who developed quantum theory. He investigates the atom, radiation, time travel, the birth of the universe, superconductors and life itself. And in a world full of its own delights, mysteries and surprises, he searches for Schrödinger's Cat - a search for quantum reality - as he brings every reader to a clear understanding of the most important area of scientific study today - quantum physics.

In Search of Schrödinger's Cat is a fascinating and delightful introduction to the strange world of the quantum - an essential element in understanding today's world.

About the Author
John Gribbin
John Gribbin's books include The Hole in the Sky, a survey of the destruction of the ozone layer, and Hothouse Earth, a study of the greenhouse effect. He has written regularly for The Times and the Guardian, and is physics consultant for the New Scientist. He also broadcasts for the BBC World Service and is occasionally adviser for television documentaries. John Gribbin lives in Sussex with his wife and their two sons.

Customer Reviews

It's not you, it's the book!
I obtained a good degree in physics twenty years ago, and I hoped to get a reasonable understanding of the main interpretations of quantum mechanics from this book. Some hope. I, especially, found the account of the Copenhagen interpretation disjointed and unclear. On the plus side, there are clear accounts of the "Many World's" interpretation, and the early history of Quantum Mechanics. But this doesn't gain it more than a star. The last few chapters certainly lose stars through trying to explain too many areas of quantum exotica in too few pages. These chapters lost me, but at least I had enough knowledge to know it was the book's fault and not mine! I pity the lay reader confronted with these chapters, and his (non-)explanation of the Copenhagen interpretation. If you're looking for a simple, clear, unbiased account of the interpretations of quantum mechanics, keep looking.

A great basic text
By its very nature physics is a a complex subject and I am always a little dubious of any review that claims to take the uninitiated from ignorance to a full understanding of the universe in less than 300 pages.
In this respect I dont think John Gribbin entirely succeeds either but In search of Scrodingers cat certainly takes a good stab at it. I defy anyone to read even half the book and not come away with a very different view of how the world or indeed worlds work. I would certainly recomend this book to any student about to embark on a Physics degree - Much lighter reading than the standard texts but at the same time provides powerful (and more importantly memorable) illustrations of all the basic principles.

Tough going
Yes, this is probably a good buy when you want to discover what quantum physics is about (though I've heard that Taking the Quantum Leap: The New Physics for Non-Scientists by Fred Alan Wolf is a strong competitor). Even so, as Gribbin took me further and further into the quantum thicket, I'm afraid I did lose track.
Maybe it's me. Or maybe the book's not quite what it's cracked up to be. Still, I feel it was worth the try. And I must grant the author this: at every step, he's very clear about what he's doing and where's he's leading you.