*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Really good read, print copy would be easier to read tho

It's hard to go wrong with a DK book. They're always informative and wonderfully illustrated. In "Simply Quantum Physics," DK give us bite-sized (quark-sized?) bits about a complex subject. Most of the easily-grasped concepts take only a page, and build on each other, in a very readable format.

The only quibble I have, and it's a minor one, is the ordering of some of the snippets. For example, they state a couple of times that you can't know momentum and direction both with accuracy, but don't discuss the Uncertainty Principle until several pages later.

This book serves as a great refresher for anyone who has taken some advanced science courses, or for someone who wants a taste of what's out there after getting some basic science classes under their belt. It's also a nice reference for someone who runs into a concept while reading, say, a SF novel, and wants just a brief blurb about it.

Recommended.

I received a free advance copy from DK and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Honestly, I didn't find this book simple at all. Perhaps I misunderstood the title and it meant "only quantum physics" which is a good description. I ended up feeling frustrated and dumb, to be honest, so this isn't a book I'll be recommending to my audience. It is probably well suited to people who already have a basic understanding of quantum physics and want help clarifying things, for which it would probably be very useful.

Good look at quantum mechanics without the math

I enjoyed reading this book. Quantum mechanics is inherently confusing without the extensive use of math, but in this book, the explanations were as clear as possible without the use of a lot of math. There were a few reasons I liked the book. The explanation of wave functions was better than in other books I’ve read. The illustrations were excellent and helped clarify the text. . I especially enjoyed the parts about the applications of quantum mechanics. I would have enjoyed the book more had there been more historical context, for example, how scientists built on the works of each other and some information on the experiments. The latter point was covered well in “Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide” and found that book more satisfying than “Simply Quantum”. While both books are worth reading, I recommend “Introducing Quantum Theory: A Graphic Guide”. Thank you to NetGalley and DK for the advance reader copy.

Opinions: "Clear, simple, and graphic-led" are the best words to describe Simply Quantum Physics. Expanding on this, the narrative is clear, the writing style is simple, and every single page is dotted with graphs and diagrams to demonstrate the science being discussed. Without a doubt, this book is perfect for all readers! Whether you're a high schooler with a passion for physics or an adult who needs to catch up on the basics, the easy-to-read style and footnotes have got you covered. Complimenting this, the author maintained a healthy balance between nitty-gritty science and vibrant images, meaning all readers will remain engaged and not be discouraged by a too-difficult or too-childish display. That said, despite the colorful writing style, there is a minimum age required to read this book due to the level of background knowledge needed to understand any of what is taught in Simply Quantum Physics. If you haven't studied atoms, magnetism, light and sound waves, ionic bonding, and the basics of nuclear physics in your own time, you'll need to wait until high school for this book to resonate with its full potential. But who knows? Maybe Simply Quantum Physics will spark the same joy for science in you as it did in me. I fully recommend this book and I sincerely hope you give it a go.

My Favourite Thing: I adored the content of Simply Quantum Physics! It provided insight into dozens of intriguing topics I'd barely touched on in school and even introduced some new subjects that deepened my appreciation for science. Furthering this, Simply Quantum Physics didn't only talk about physics! It linked chemistry, earth sciences, and biology together to create a single realm of intelligible knowledge and a believable relationship between random mutations in the structure of DNA, The Standard Model of elementary particles, and quantum teleportation. I can't be the only one who didn't think there was a relationship between these things, right? I proudly stand corrected!

My Least Favourite Thing: My only "complaint" is that Simply Quantum Physics is so short! I could've used a hundred more pages of information in this style. However, I'm thrilled to have read what is actually available.

Recommended For and Similar Reads: I fully recommend Simply Quantum Physics to any and all readers who want to expand their knowledge but don't know where to start. Similar reads are Relativity: The Special and General Theory by Albert Einstein, How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel, The Theory of Everything by Stephen Hawking, and Quantum: A Guide for the Perplexed by Jim Al-Khalili.

"Simply Quantum Physics" provides an overview of various quantum physics ideas using graphics and a brief text aimed at beginners. The book started out by describing the makeup of an atom and described some of the various particles that make up everything else. This was similar to the material I'd studied in college, so I was able to follow it. However, while they did a good job of trying to describe the ideas of quantum physics, it seemed like the further I read into the book, the less the people studying the phenomenon even understood what they were trying to describe. The book was a quick read and informative, but it's really only a basic overview. I would have enjoyed a little more detail about how quantum physics is used in current devices. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a basic understanding of quantum physics.

This book has been a real help in my understanding of quantum physics, this is a subject I have trouble understanding and this has been a huge help.

I’ve long been a fan of DK’s non-fiction books, which are mostly aimed at young readers but are also a great resource for adults as starter points or refreshers. That holds true for one of their newest offerings with the somewhat oxymoronic title Simply Quantum Physics.

The book is separated into several sections:
• “The Quantum World”: basic information on particles and forces
• “Pre-Quantum Puzzles”: early physics problems solved by quantum physics
• “The Wave Function”: unsurprisingly, an explanation of wave functions
• “Interpretations of Quantum Physics”: various theories behind the weird results of quantum experiments
• “Quantum Phenomena”: basic behaviors in the quantum world such as tunneling, exclusion, etc.
• “Quantum Technology”: application of quantum theory/behavior
• “Quantum Information”: quantum computing
• “Nuclear Physics”: how fission and fusion work
• “Particle Physics”: a deeper dive into the particles theorized in the Standard Model and Field Theory
• Quantum Gravity: attempts to end the conflicts between quantum theory and relativity (gravity)
• Quantum Biology: a relative new field exploring quantum physics in the realm of the living

This is one of the most difficult topics to simplify, but DK does as good a job as possible I’d say. This is not, though, for kids, as the terminology assumes some basic scientific knowledge and vocabulary. Basic, but still some. The text is always lucid and concise. DK always makes excellent use of visuals, and this book is another example of their strength in this area. Especially in this realm, visuals go a long way toward making things much more comprehensible, and nearly ever section is greatly enhanced by the visuals employed. The text is also nicely up to date, including discussion of the Higgs Boson and gravitons (though not the recent discovery of gravity waves). If I had to offer a minor suggestion for how it could have been improved, it might have been more liberal use of metaphors, which often help make the near-incomprehensible more understandable. Otherwise, this is yet another excellent entry in DK’s long list of stellar non-fiction works (I plan on sending it to my college son not so much for learning physics – he is taking a class after all—but so he can have an easy to grab, easy to visualize refresher of his more complex coursework.

Simply Quantum Physics is a concise survey course in quantum mechanics and allied concepts in physics collected and curated by the DK editorial group. Due out 23rd Feb 2021 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The book is arranged in categories with numerous short capsule entries covering diverse related points. The editors have grouped the material around broad categories: the quantum world (motion, particles, force), the genesis of quantum physics as an attempt to explain and codify different phenomena (ideal bodies, energy quantization, energy states, electron orbitals), wave function, quantum phenomena, technology applications, and many more.

The text is clearly written in fairly accessible language which can be understood by the average reader. Despite being very short (most are 1 page long), they provide some surprisingly subtle insights into physics concepts and schools of thought (with a little history). The short subject pages are enhanced with graphics and illustrations to help the information be more easily retained by the reader.

This volume won't obviate the need for a textbook for studying physics, obviously, but it will provide a good intro to some concepts in language which can be understood by most readers. This would be a good choice for students looking for a supplementary text, adult readers who want a condensed and concise broad survey of concepts and terminology used, and readers who are curious about physics for whom a short introduction is sufficient. The book does include a short cross referenced index, but no bibliography or links for further reading.

Four stars.

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