Category Archives: Book Reviews

The Number of the Heavens

Posted on September 18, 2019 by woit

Multiverse mania seems to have been dying down recently, with this only the third entry in that category here so far this year, after 10 in 2018, 13 in 2017, 10 in 2016, 17 in 2015, 18 in 2014, 12 … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Multiverse Mania | 10 Comments

Something Deeply Hidden

Posted on August 20, 2019 by woit

Sean Carroll’s new (available in stores early September) book, Something Deeply Hidden, is a quite good introduction to issues in the understanding of quantum mechanics, unfortunately wrapped in a book cover and promotional campaign of utter nonsense. Most people won’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Multiverse Mania | 76 Comments

Not So Spooky Action at a Distance

Posted on June 11, 2019 by woit

I’ve recently read another new popular book about quantum mechanics, Quantum Strangeness by George Greenstein. Before getting to saying something about the book, I need to get something off my chest: what’s all this nonsense about Bell’s theorem and supposed … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Quantum Mechanics | 62 Comments

The Universe Speaks in Numbers

Posted on May 24, 2019 by woit

Graham Farmelo’s new book The Universe Speaks in Numbers has recently been published in the UK, US publication is next week. The topic of the book is one close to my heart, the relationship of mathematics and physics. I’m very … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 45 Comments

The Scientific Attitude

Posted on April 29, 2019 by woit

Just when I thought I was done for now with the “falsifiability” business, in our local book store I found a new book, The Scientific Attitude: Defending Science from Denial, Fraud and Pseudoscience, by Lee McIntyre. This won’t be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 16 Comments

Why Trust a Theory?

Posted on April 5, 2019 by woit

I noticed today that Cambridge University Press has recently published Why Trust a Theory?, a volume of articles based on a December 2015 conference held in Munich. The book is available online here (if your university is paying for it…), … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 26 Comments

The Shape of a Life

Posted on March 23, 2019 by woit

I just finished reading The Shape of a Life, which is the great geometer Shing-Tung Yau’s autobiography, co-authored with Steve Nadis. It’s quite fascinating, and an essential read for anyone interested in the history of modern mathematics. Yau has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 7 Comments

Three Short Book Reviews

Posted on January 29, 2019 by woit

Unfortunately I don’t have time now to write about the three following books at the length that they deserve, but here are some quick comments on three books worth your attention: A carefully produced detailed write-up of Sidney Coleman’s Harvard … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 11 Comments

Various and Sundry

Posted on September 28, 2018 by woit

First, news related in some way to Australia: This summer the Sydney Morning Herald published a nice profile of Geordie Williamson. By the way, the ICM plenary lectures are finally available on video, with Williamson’s among those worth watching. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized | 30 Comments

Beyond Weird

Posted on September 5, 2018 by woit

Philip Ball’s Beyond Weird is the best popular survey I’ve seen of the contemporary state of discussions about the “interpretation” of quantum mechanics. It appeared earlier this year in a British edition (which I just read a copy of), with … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | 14 Comments