Seven brief lessons on physics (Carlo Rovelli)

 

Do you want to understand the basics of what has been found in the world of physics lately? 

Carlo Rovelli manages to guide the common reader through a maze of outwardly complicated physical theories and concepts that have shaped the way we perceive the universe in the last century, in a short and concise 1-hour read. The chapters are very short and cover huge chunks of 20th century physics in each of them (lesson one covers Special and General Relativity theory in 10 pages, second lesson Quantum Physics in 9, and so forth). But what's special about this read is its simplicity. You do not get in-depth understanding of the matters, but Rovelli's paints you the gist and summarises big topics in easy relatable terms. It supplies you with food for thought. And it is beautifully written. And inspiring.

"Every so often I would raise my eyes from the book and look at the glittering sea: it seemed to me that I was actually seeing the curvature of space and time imagined by Einstein. As if by magic: as if a friend was whispering into my ear an extraordinary hidden truth, suddenly raising the veil of reality to disclose a simpler, deeper order. Ever since we discovered that the Earth is round and turns like a mad spinning-top we have understood that reality is not as it appears to us: every time we glimpse a new aspect of it, it is a deeply emotional experience. Another veil has fallen." (First Lesson, pg. 4)