um...- i read this book- i didn't read this book- i read this book and didn't read this book- i read this book in one universe and didn't in another- this book didn't exist until i read it gribbin's great because he won't dumb down but genuinely wants you to understand this stuff. and b/c he believes in time travel. yay!

This must be the 10th time I have re-read this book. I met the author way back when I was a kid and have always been fascinated with solving the quantum mysteries and physics. This book and others from Gribbin were exceedingly well written in language that didn't require a PhD. It was spellbinding and quite enjoyable to re-read.

The cat a) exists in a superimposed state of dead and aliveb) is dead in one universe, and alive in anotherc) what cat? The cat doesn't even exist unless observed.Read this book for mysteries of quantum physics.

this book is f******n awesome.i read it in highschool and then again in college - because while you're reading it it's like having a really good teacher who holds your attention and makes you understand unusual ideas but as soon as you finish and put it down you're like "wait, how does that work again?" so for me at least, i have to be reading it to maintain that state of enlightenment. maybe after a certain number of reads it will stick - because i am not naturally good at this sort of subject. this book explains generally the perplexing, mind-boggling, paradoxical principles of quantum physics while relating the history of discoveries leading up to and through it, including the discovery of the X-Ray.I think this book is meant for laypeople, you don't need to understand any equations, but even for an expert, I think having the history laid out like this, and told in such a personable voice, must be interesting and helpful.this book also led me to read other books about heisenberg and einstein.it definitely make you think. yeah, it definitely makes you think.

I'm reading this again after a few years so that when I give it to my girlfriend to read and EXPAND HER MIND I will be able to help guide her through it. So far, it has been a great intro to quantum mechanics. It's supposed to be for the layman, and it appears fairly basic, but I have some background, so it's hard for me to judge that.EDIT:Well, it wasn't as good as I remember it. Maybe it was the passage of time and the advancement of science, maybe it was my own further studies in the field, maybe it was own growth and change in preferences, or maybe I just things didn't notice the first time. Don't get me wrong; it's still good, and I don't regret having read through it, but Gribbin is certainly not the best writer out there on these subjects. I would recommend Brian Greene, but he always wants to throw a plug in for the wonders of string theory and how it will solve EVERY SCIENTIFIC PROBLEM EVER; IT WILL EVEN CURE CANCER AND OBESITY!!!! Even so, Greene's description of the basic science is unparalleled. If you want an introduction on these matters read the opening two-thirds of either of his books (The Elegant Universe or The Fabric of the Cosmos). As for Gribbin, he has trouble pacing and keeping his writing consistent. He'll meander aimlessly and point out important subjects he'll describe later. Worst, his level of detail and required scientific background is horribly inconsistent. From a relatively simple, easy to follow, and well-suited for the layman explanation of the structure of the atom to his absurdly obtuse description of the most important experiment to confirm the predictions of quantum mechanics, he leaves the reader fighting to piece together his point. The book does show its age at parts but his amazement at PCs and LASERs does not change the fact that they are awesome and stem from the study of quantum mechanics. A larger flaw is his matter-of-fact presentation of certain controversial theories as "yeah, that's the way it is; don't bother investigating further." This book does have a lot of good information and does explain some aspects of quantum mechanics very well for someone with little experience, but he kind of unravels at the end.