Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics [Hardcover]

J. S. Bell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521334950 | ISBN-13: 978-0521334952 | Publication Date: November 27, 1987 | Edition: 1

This book includes the entire collection of published and unpublished papers on the conceptual and philosophical problems of quantum mechanics written by John Bell, the leading expositor and interpreter of the modern quantum theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is lovely and thoughtful, and it should be read by everyone interested in fundamental questions of nature." American Journal of Physics

Book Description

John Bell, FRS was one of the leading expositors and interpreters of modern quantum theory. His work played a major role in the development of our current understanding of the profound nature of quantum concepts. This book includes all of John Bell's published and unpublished papers in the field, including two papers that appeared after the first edition was published. The book includes a Preface written for the first edition, and an introduction by Alain Aspect that puts into context Bell's enormous contribution to the quantum philosophy debate. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (November 27, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521334950
• ISBN-13: 978-0521334952
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,446,591 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear and Thought-Provoking Gems from QM Master!, February 7, 2006

By 

Gregory Bravo (Buffalo, NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics: Collected Papers on Quantum Philosophy (Paperback)

I am SO glad to see that this book has been given a second printing!!! Bravo, Cambridge University Press!

This book is not destined to become a classic-- because It IS a classic ALREADY!! It is just one that hasn't been widely recognized yet.

That's only a matter of time.

Nowadays everyone and their uncle seems to be talking about Quantum Communication this and Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen that-- and I guess with good reason, for we are now starting to see practical applications of this most esoteric of physics subfields.

However, it seems that the more non-intuitve and interesting a topic is, the more obfuscation (both intended and accidental) is written about it. (I'm not just talking about laymen and mystics, but physicists too!) Or, said another way, the more people talk, the less they really understand.

Forget all the rest of the junk out there. Cut to chase. Read about the ESSENTIALS of what QUANTUM MECAHNICS really MEANS from one of the Masters of the field in about 15 short, lucid, crystal-clear essays.

There is some math here, but not much. That is the beauty and the danger of Quantum Mechanics-- because calculations are not that difficult in this field, people are lulled into thinking they really understand what it is they are calculating.

Well, most don't.

If you really want to get a grasp as to what it all MEANS-- forgetting the calculations for a moment--- you must read this book.

Feynman said that nobody really understood Quantum Mechanics.

That may be so...

But John Stuart Bell came the closest.

You can't meet him at a conference anymore (he died in 1990,) but you CAN have him tutor you personally in this short, brilliant masterpiece.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Original Papers; The Real Deal, December 14, 2006

By 

D. Chapman (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics: Collected Papers on Quantum Philosophy (Paperback)

After reading lots of commentaries on Bell's Theorem, this book
is where you finally get to read the actual paper. Worth it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, and no caveat...., July 13, 2006

By 

Dan (St Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics: Collected Papers on Quantum Philosophy (Paperback)

You can see from the other reviews here that this is a fascinating book. Many of the essays discuss 'unorthodox' interpretations of QM like Bohmian mechanics and wave-collapse models. The introduction by Alain Aspect was very interesting as well, and discussed the experimental advances in what he calls the "second quantum revolution." If you are buying an older edition of this book you may not get this introduction.

The previous review "Small Caveat" is a little misleading. Bell does explain that if the spaceships are accelerating slowly enough, the tension in the string will cause the system to contract as a whole, and the string will not break. But if the spaceships maintain a constant distance apart in the frame of the observer, the string will most certainly break. If you don't accept Bell's main argument that the electric fields between the atoms contract, transform to the accelerated frame of one of the ships and you will find the other ship receding away.

But don't listen to me, read the essays yourself! Even if you don't agree with the arguments, you will not be sorry for the thought provoking experience.