Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics [Hardcover]

Robert Gilmore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 1995

In this cleverly conceived book, physicist Robert Gilmore makes accessible some complex concepts in quantum mechanics by sending Alice to Quantumland-a whole new Wonderland, smaller than an atom, where each attraction demonstrates a different aspect of quantum theory. Alice unusual encounters, enhanced by illustrations by Gilmore himself, make the Uncertainty Principle, wave functions, the Pauli Principle, and other elusive concepts easier to grasp.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

My eyes tend to glaze over when I encounter YAPBAQPs (Yet Another Popular Book About Quantum Physics). But this volume captured my attention, and imagination. Told in the same way as Alice in Wonderland (with many of the original passages re-tooled to their new purpose) and a hint of Flatland, Gilmore guides us through the principles of Quantum mechanics in a truly lively and fun way. I suspect it may even be a good read for teens or extremely bright children.

Review

It (..) includes characters like the uncertain accountant and the state agent who shows Alice how items can be two places at once. -- The Vancouver Sun

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Copernicus; 1 edition (July 21, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387914951
• ISBN-13: 978-0387914954
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #122,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #94 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Physics > Quantum Theory

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Readers in Wonderland!, February 26, 2000

By 

D. Roberts "Hadrian12" (Battle Creek, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics (Hardcover)

I found this book very readable & an excellent introduction to QM. The other really good intro that I would recommend would be Fred Alan Wolf's "Taking The Quantum Leap." Some of the ideas of this fascinating subject I found to be clearer in Gilmore's book....others I thought were said with less verbosity in Wolf's book. As Gilmore's book is told in the style of Lewis Carrol's allegory, it is a touch more pleasant to read.....but not much. I would recommend reading them both for a complete intro to the wonderful world of theoretical physics. Afterwards, I would recommend "In Search Of Schroedinger's Cat" by John Gribbin and "Parallel Universes" (also by Fred Alan Wolf).

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun introduction, January 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics (Hardcover)

The Alice in Wonderland metaphor fits the subject perfectly and Gilmore does a fantastic job of catching the tone and feel of the original. He manages to make many subtle concepts understandable in an entertaining manner. Everyone in our family has read it and enjoyed it, even those who don't normally like science texts. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an overview of Quantum Physics!

49 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your money on this one, September 23, 1999

By 

W. Truppel "el-trup" (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Alice in Quantumland: An Allegory of Quantum Physics (Hardcover)

Like a previous reviewer, I can appreciate the author's efforts. Being a physicist, I am well aware of how difficult it is to explain even the simplest concepts of quantum mechanics. Unfortunately, I find the book to be extremely boring if you happen already to know something of QM, and extremely confusing if you are trying to learn something about it. I'd highly recommend George Gamow's Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland, instead, which I read for the first time in my junior year in college 17 years ago, and several times more since then, always with great joy.