Entanglement

The Greatest Mystery in Physics

By: Amir D. Aczel

Narrated by: Henry Levya

Can two particles become inextricably linked, so that a change in one is instantly reflected in its counterpart, even if a universe separates them? Albert Einstein's work suggested it was possible, but it was too bizarre, and too contrary to how we then understood space and time, for him to prove. No one could. Until now.

Entanglement tells the astounding story of the scientists who set out to complete Einstein's work. With accesible language and a highly entertaining tone, Amir Aczel shows us a world where the improbable—from unbreakable codes to teleportation—becomes possible.Executive Producer: Jacob Bronstein
Producer: John Wager
Jacket design by Archie Ferguson
©2002 Amir D. Aczel
(P)2002 Random House, Inc.

Hard to follow

What's good about this book is that it gives a great history of quantum physics, with interesting biographies of key figures in the field. I can see that the history of how thought evolved around quantum physics is important to understand how it lead up to the idea of entanglement, but I expected more explanation of entanglement itself. I don't have a strong background in math or physics, but I expected to grasp more of this book, since I do have a strong background in the biomedical sciences. I have enjoyed books on the subject "dumbed down" for lay people, like the Stephen Hawking books, which I was more or less able to follow--at least enough so to get a reasonable grasp of what he was talking about. In the case of this book, I was able to get some grasp of what the author of this book was talking about, but I would have liked a bit more explanation with less hard-core math and physics. I someone with an undergraduate degree in physics or better might find this book would be readily accessible, and probably very enjoyable, too.

Not Bad, But Guilder's book is better

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The lower score is due to the lack of illustrations.

If you’ve listened to books by Amir D. Aczel before, how does this one compare?

Yes. Not as god ast his others. But OK

What about Henry Leyva’s performance did you like?

Excellent performance. Very clear and easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

My biggest complaint is not about the book itself, but the publisher. Non-fiction books should have available for download somehwere a pdf with the pictures and drawings that suppor the book. They never include the maps with history books or the illustrations with science books.With this topic you REALLY need those aids.

Excellent from start to finish!

An easily understood look at the history of modern physics! The narration is equally great, with Leyva's smooth voice is as rich and dtetailed at Aczel's text.

God *does* throw dice. In fact He's good at it.

Where does Entanglement rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

First.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Entanglement?

Actually, one can determine either the memorable moments, or the locations of Entanglement, but not both. (My apologies.) The passages on Einstein's stubborn insistence that quantum mechanics formulae had to follow classic formula rules, as E=MC^2 did, reveal his human side. Einstein behaved just as his own few detractors had when they opposed his special and general relativity ideas.

What does Henry Leyva bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

An engaging and understandable style. Also, he slows down a bit when narrating formulae and downright wierd passages, just as I would do if reading the book myself.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, the last time I cried over quantum mechanics was during my college physics final. My professor did all the laughing.

Any additional comments?

I was an English major, with electives in entry level physics and descriptive astronomy. I dropped out of calculus. Even so I had little trouble following Aczel. It helps to stop listening and write down some of the more complex formulae. You can observe the formula on paper as you listen on. He is as easy to follow as Feinman and much easier to follow than Hawking.

Entanglement

Dr. Aczel is a master storyteller and a superb teacher. He has a wonderful knack for making the most obscure elements of science and mathematics not only understandable, but also interesting and entertaining. I have read several of his many books and have never put one down without finishing it. “Entanglement” did not disappoint. It gives a very understandable account of what entanglement is, in the context of the stories of all the people involved in its discovery. Importantly, Dr. Aczel goes through the experiments that where performed in the 35 years prior to the book’s publication, explaining them in sufficient detail to make them understandable to a layperson. It becomes very clear that the phenomenon is quite real, even if deeply mysterious. I highly recommend “Entanglement” and all of Dr. Aczel’s other books.