As a STEM teacher, I found this to be the perfect book to explore further concepts on my own. It was easy to follow and was broken down into different concepts. It was not boring and tedious, but did a good enough job of summarizing and helping explain those concepts that maybe were over someone's head previously.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead.

I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings.

Anything requested and approved will be read and a decent quality review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Quantum physics is fascinating if you can find a suitable medium to explain it. I feel this book does an excellent job of conveying the message.
Several different ideas are presented as chapters in Quantum Physics, which is great because anything less than a chapter is probably not enough. From atoms and their voids to the problem with time, this is a consistently interesting book.
I think the ideas presented in Quantum Physics are wonderful and should be pondered more. This book is going to be great for those that are curious or those that have had issues understanding physics in the past, as it is well-written, but not so much that you'd rather fall asleep in a puddle of your own drool.

"The theory would literally have to create spacetime out of even more primitive ingredients that may not look anything like space or time."

Quantum physics! What's that all about, right? That's what I keep thinking, but I'm having a hard time finding a good book that provides an overview to someone who is bad at grasping physics in general. That someone is me!

This book isn't that book, though. You really need to go slo-o-ow with me - I'm not stupid, but quantum physics makes theoretical jumps that I find hard to follow. And that's the point where I realise I need visual aids - I literally need it drawn out before me. Just having one theory described after another will only confuse me, and that's kind of what happens in this book. It becomes a kind of poetry.

This is probably a fine introduction for people who have a good understanding of basic physics, just not for a novice like myself.

I'm an idiot when it comes to some of the sciences, but do enjoy a good read about them on occasion. This book breaks it down pretty well and made the reading of the various concepts mostly understandable, and when they weren't, intriging enough to look up for more information. Quantum Physics is pretty intimidating (any physics in my experience is,,,) I wish it had been this enjoyable in college! Read a chapter time and gace myself time to mull over.
Arm chair science geeks and Big Bang fans will likely enjoy this book!

this was very fun and approachable even if you don't know that much about quantum physics which i didn't. so glad i read this and will definitely be picking up more from the author

Knowledge in a Nutshell: Quantum Physics, by Stan Odenwald, is a concise, midrange exploration of its title subject. by “midrange”, I mean it falls in the middle between highly accessible popular science books that do away with any math and use of symbols and try to reduce field terminology as much as possible and those less accessible but still not for academics popular science books that will give you sometimes lengthy equations and assume you know what at least some of the terminology/names refer to. As such, while it’s a mostly lucid guide to the fascinating field, I’d say it’s better suited for someone who has read a few of the easier books on the topic so as to have a solid foundation. This book is not inaccessible by any means, but readers coming to it cold may struggle a bit or at least have to work harder at it. And certainly anyone will need to give it attention; this is not the book to read while you’re watching TV and checking your phone every five or ten minutes.

Those who pick it up and persevere will find a lucid, mostly clear at first read and always clear with some rereading, overview of the field’s history, major discoveries/tenets, and it’s modern findings and open questions (of which there are many and none of them insignificant). Odenwald does a good job of keep the reader grounded vis various methods, such as connecting abstract theory to practical applications in the real world — things the reader will be more familiar with. Overall, a good, up to date book for those interested in the topic (and who wouldn’t be?), though some prior (basic) familiarity would be a good idea. Recommended.

Nicely done. While the content does require some thought, the author does a good job of explaining complex ideas. In many ways, it's a starter book, since those that already know this topic should move on, and for others this may prompt a deeper dive.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

I was terrified of this book before I started, convinced I was not gonna be able to read it at all or understand anything. And don't get me wrong, I haven't by any means become an expert of the basics of quantum physics after reading it. However, it was strangely accessible for someone that studied art since high school and didn't even have math after 9th grade.

Here's what this book did for me:
-Made me search concepts I didn't know before;
-Made me re-read things over and over and really think about them;
-Made me less afraid of reading on the subject because even if I haven't just absorved all these concepts I now have some familiarity with them, so I don't feel so lost on the concept;
-Made me want to read more science books.

I'm sure there is a big lot this book left unsaid. I will confess the chapters with more equations did get a bit lost on me but I would love to keep reading on the subject and would recommend this book for beginners like me. Just don't get scared by the big (small???) numbers.

I found this book both fascinating and easy to follow. It's a subject that has interested me over time so it's good to find a book with explanations for the non-Physicist.

The subject itself is rather complex, but the chapters progress from very simple to harder to grasp, each one providing grounding to deal with the next level.

It's probably the best book on the subject I'll ever see and I'm very tempted to get a hard copy to keep on my shelf for reference.

Thought I’d give this a go as the subject seems to be quite current. The book is set out well and the subject is covered comprehensively but at a level a layman can comprehend. I would recommend this to anyone who has an interest in getting a basic grounding in the subject. Unfortunately for me it made my brain hurt! An excellent starting point which I will revisit again.

Okay, first, prepare yourself. And what I mean by that is find a quiet place to read, somewhere with zero distractions because you'll need to concentrate. Make sure your mind is clear and able to focus before reading. Now, this isn't A technical text book; it's laid out in layman's terms but it's diving into things that are overly complex. I mean, really. These subjects will literally alter your reality. So, as I said, jyst be prepared.

This was well written. It didn't gloss over as most layman texts on the subject do but it doesn't dive into the deep end either. It's a great half way point that felt interesting and informative. No matter what, some concepts of quantum physics and the quantum realm will be to difficult to absorb. But this, at least, made it all chewable.

A very well informed science non-fiction. I appreciate how each chapter build upon the last to address more complex problems. It did read like a textbook at times but, considering the subject matter, it was acceptable.

Quantum Physics by Dr. Sten Odenwald is a layman accessible overview over some concepts in physics and how they relate to the "real world" and advances in science and technology. Released 1st Feb 2022 by Arcturus, it's 279 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function. The interactive format in this case rendered the read much more accessible and comprehensible for me. Special concepts and references are hyperlinked in the text making it simple to click back and forth without losing one's place.

This is a good general concepts survey of quantum physics related by an experienced science-educator. In the physics books (and to a lesser degree mathematics) which I've read and reviewed, there seems to be a deep divide between books which are highly technical and written for academic studies in the field and those written for laypeople and which struggle (and often fail) to explain complex material to readers who don't have essential context. This book seems to be something of a unicorn. It manages to explain some difficult concepts and theory without presupposing extensive background knowledge on the part of the reader.

The author has done a good job of presenting information in small understandable portions; special points are presented in highlighted text boxes along with salient (and comprehensible) diagrams and illustrations. This book is a part of the Arcturus Fundamentals series which purport to be layman accessible introductions to non-fiction subjects such as mathematics, physics, neuroscience, and the like.

This is *not* to imply that it's a particularly easy read. There are complex and baffling concepts contained here, and readers who don't have a background in mathematics and physics must expect to expend some effort. The effort is well rewarded however and the author managed to do what my university physics professors couldn't: namely explain Heisenberg's uncertainty principle clearly and simply and how it relates to electron states in a manner which I could understand.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Thanks to Netgalley and Arcturus Publishing for the ARC of this!

I am trying to read more non-fiction and the cover drew me in, but my brain did not want to cooperate on this one. I might’ve just not had enough base knowledge- a math degree and some intro physics courses, or it could be my current mental health because the writing didn’t *seem* like it would be too complicated but I struggled 😂 I don’t feel like I got much out of it, but someone else totally might!

This is probably the best book on quantum physics I've read. It's both comprehensive and comprehensible. The author seems to take the stance that Max Born did—that quantum physics only seems mystifying because we don't have the language to explain it: it's not like anything that exists in our Newtonian world. If you're looking for a thorough overview of the subject, this book is a good choice.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.