Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics

Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics

A brief and whimsical tour of quantum physics

I read this book as a junior in high school and loved it. It's a wonderful introduction to quantum physics for those whose interests are pique but just simply don't know much about the topic. It isn't meant for those who already know the basic nor those who analyze every word of a text; it is meant to be a very basic beginner's book. As that, I think it works very well. It's witty while trying to explain difficult topics. It doesn't talk down to you. Overall, a good book.

Whimsical but confusing

I bought Alice in Quantumland for my bright soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter. She's very interested in quantum physics, but I'm afraid this book will be daunting for her. The writing style is generally good -- smart but accessible and witty. My main complaint is that all of the complicated points are explained purely through words, in fact, through long blocks of text. Even most adult-oriented books on quantum physics that I've seen in the past come with plenty of diagrams to explain concepts like interference, uncertainty, etc. This book features some amusing (and well-drawn) illustrations of the characters, but the absence of explanatory diagrams is a major weakness. The concepts explained here are paradoxical and difficult. The narrative helps make them a little easier to understand, but the lack of visual aids keeps this book from being truly great. Suggestion to the author and publisher: Add some simple diagrams of quantum phenomena in the next edition!

To busy to go through a physics textbook?

This book is an excellent guide for understanding the quantum theories that abound. The allegory provides an amusing and interesting perspective which both the casual reader of physics and the advanced student could perhaps profit from. Well worth the money.

Confusing and Funny

Alice in Quantumland is an entertaining novel that is sure to get the basics of quantum physics across to its readers. Gilmore teaches his readers the basics of complex concepts through lovable characters that are sure to hook his readers. While the concepts are hard to grasp without formal teaching Gilmore presents them in a way that makes it easier to understand. Characters such as the kind and lovable Quantum Mechanic or even the Classics Mechanic help to keep the readers entertained while teaching them new concepts. However, if you have never taken any type of physics course and have no background in chemistry, this book may come across as very confusing. The concepts can be very difficult to grasp. It is hard to understand how someone can be in six different places at once without having a physicist standing behind you explaining quantum physics while you read about Alice's adventures. As Gilmore explains in the Preface, "Neils Bohr, the father figure of quantum mechanics in its early days is said to have remarked that anyone who did not feel dizzy when thinking about quantum theory had not understood it." Yet, once the concepts are understood there is an underlying bit of humor that makes the book amusing. There are characters such as the ugly duckling, the little mermaid, and even the emperor with new clothes. Bad puns and old storybook characters appear in this book making the adventures of Alice rather humorous. As a junior in high school with two older siblings majoring in physics I recommend reading this book (provided you have some physics knowledge or siblings that can explain quantum mechanics). If you are able to understand the concepts of quantum mechanics the book is hilarious and will call you back to read it again and again.

Big Time let down

I was really excited by the idea behind this book- making learning about quantum physics interesting and entertaining. The problem was, the analogies were just too imprecise and seemed to muddle things up. I got incredibly bored with the book as things were never explained properly. The best part of the book is the little blurbs and notes at the end which actually explain what is going on. The actual content of the book just seems to confuse rather than explain.

Keyword : quantum+physic