Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

By: Carlo Rovelli

Narrated by: Carlo Rovelli

Length: 1 hr and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best seller from the author of The Order of Time, Reality Is Not What It Seems and Helgoland.

This playful, entertaining, and mind-bending introduction to modern physics briskly explains Einstein's general relativity, quantum mechanics, elementary particles, gravity, black holes, the complex architecture of the Universe, and the role humans play in this weird and wonderful world. Carlo Rovelli, a renowned theoretical physicist, is a delightfully poetic and philosophical scientific guide. He takes us to the frontiers of our knowledge: To the most minute reaches of the fabric of space, back to the origins of the cosmos, and into the workings of our minds. The audiobook celebrates the joy of discovery.

“Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world", Rovelli writes. “And it’s breathtaking”.

©2016 Carlo Rovelli (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“One of the year’s most entrancing books about science.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“Clear, elegant...a whirlwind tour of some of the biggest ideas in physics.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“The writing is elegant and poetic, and Carlo's explanatory clarity is compelling. He organized this short book into seven lessons that introduce the non-specialized reader to the most fascinating questions about the universe, including how we learn about it.” (NPR)

Clear and concise

A clear & digestible summation of major physics theories spoken in layman's terms. A brief and thought-provoking refresher for those interested in the studies of physics without needing to be a professional in the field to comprehend the concepts presented.

It's understandable; it's physics

It is mind blowing. It is clear and concise. Read by the author, it is a distinct pleasure. I know English is not his native tongue, so the way he speaks is so concise and charming. He is thought-provoking yet he gets the concepts across clearly. It made me really think about physics, life, and being human.

Excellent

Extraordinary, excellent, enjoyed every sentence. while listening most of the time I had smile of joy on my lips....

Almost there.

Still in Plato's cave, but the chains loosen. When we are finally able to turn around the rest of the story will be obvious.

Hey most remarkable book

What can I say but it was marvelous to hear Carlo Ravelli. It took me back to my college days in the 50s when I realized that my prof in physics made the most sense of any of my teachers.

A fresh perspective!

The content was great and had some new perspectives that I had yet to encounter up to this point, having already read most of the works by physicists such as Hawking, Tyson, Dirac, Carroll, Einstein, and others. The only downside to this audio book is that Rovelli's accent made it somewhat hard to understand the narration when I was listening during work. This was most likely due to the untreated rooms I was working in (bad acoustics/lots of reverb and echo) and the fact that I was giving the book maybe 75% of my attention. However I've been listening to a few other audio books in the same environment and the same way without these issues. Overall it is a great book and has earned a spot in my hardback collection!

I was loaded wit fear & horror as approaching her

He was a bit overbearing but who wouldn't be if they've had 2carr y their own body home like 12 times. I'd like 2keep it very quiet!!!!!!

Interesting Lessons

Not being a scientist, I found this most interesting explanation and lessons of Physics, and why certain phenomenon are observed and occur.

Carlo strikes again

Carlo has a unique gift and ability to bring complex topics closer to reach for the average reader/listener. His skill in explaining scientific topics is honestly addictive.

So, why does he have to ruin all this by trying too hard to fit his lessons as chapters in a book on the “answer to life, the universe and everything”? Chapters 1-7 are interesting and a great read. Last chapter, he ruins it all and loses all credibility, often contradicting himself.

Just read the first 6-7 chapters. Avoid the chaotic rambling in the last one.

Hard to understand narrator

What did you like best about Seven Brief Lessons on Physics? What did you like least?

I liked the book, but it was difficult to understand the narrator, who is also the author. He has a heavy accent which made understanding technical terms and people's names problematic. This really got in the way for me to the point where I would not recommend the audio version of this book. If you want to read it, get the actual book or Kindle download.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Carlo Rovelli?

Someone with a native American accent.

Do you think Seven Brief Lessons on Physics needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

n/a

Any additional comments?

I get it that authors want to narrate their own book, but they should realize that, while they may be good writers, they probably aren't the best choice as a narrator. In this case, Rovelli's accent was a huge ongoing distraction. I've had other cases where the author didn't have an accent but it was still a bad choice. There are thousands of graduates from film, acting and theater schools who have learned how to speak clearly, with the right pace and emotion... book companies should use them. It doesn't make any more sense for an author to read his book than it does for a playwright to play the lead in his play. And if a book is aimed at an American audience, the reader should have an American accent, IMHO.