Reality Is Not What It Seems

The Journey to Quantum Gravity

By: Carlo Rovelli, Simon Carnell - translator, Erica Segre - translator

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

“The man who makes physics sexy . . . the scientist they’re calling the next Stephen Hawking.” —The Times Magazine

From the New York Times–bestselling author of Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, The Order of Time, Helgoland, and Anaximander, a closer look at the mind-bending nature of the universe.

What are the elementary ingredients of the world? Do time and space exist? And what exactly is reality? Theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli has spent his life exploring these questions. He tells us how our understanding of reality has changed over the centuries and how physicists think about the structure of the universe today.

In elegant and accessible prose, Rovelli takes us on a wondrous journey from Democritus to Albert Einstein, from Michael Faraday to gravitational waves, and from classical physics to his own work in quantum gravity. As he shows us how the idea of reality has evolved over time, Rovelli offers deeper explanations of the theories he introduced so concisely in Seven Brief Lessons on Physics.

This book culminates in a lucid overview of quantum gravity, the field of research that explores the quantum nature of space and time, seeking to unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. Rovelli invites us to imagine a marvelous world where space breaks up into tiny grains, time disappears at the smallest scales, and black holes are waiting to explode—a vast universe still largely undiscovered.

Amazing and wonderful journey... Wow!

I've got most books exploring reality and wtf's going on and this is among the best... A thoroughly enjoyable and deliciously understandable journey from the beginning to where we are now.

I learned a lot about Loop Quantum Gravity

The author, Carlo Rovelli, is one of the leading physicists who is studying Loop Quantum Gravity. Loop Quantum Gravity is a theory that integrates Quantum Mechanics with General Relativity, creating a so-called "Theory of Everything." Loop Quantum Gravity is exciting but with some pretty wild results. It's reassuring that the book is written by somebody who knows what he's talking about.

I've listened to the heart of this book about six times now. That's how long it's taken me to understand it--even though Rovelli does a remarkable job of clearly explaining. It's just that the theory is so different from our everyday understanding of reality. I have studied many books about Quantum Mechanics and a little about General Relativity. But always from a layperson's viewpoint--not the mathematics of either field. Without this background, I wouldn't have had a chance of any in-depth understanding of the book.

My one complaint is Rovelli's rants about Christianity. Yes, they're couched in the gentile language of a scientist. But they're rants, nevertheless, and somewhat boring. Especially, when hearing them for the sixth time! I learned to fast forward through them. Rovelli puts up a straw-man-view of religion and seems to barely restrain himself from kicking it. For example, he puts the blame for the Dark Ages squarely on the shoulders of the Catholic Church, seeming to have forgotten the little matter of the invasion and destruction of Rome by the Germanic Tribes.That is, Rovelli seems to have forgotten that the Dark Ages resulted from the Fall of the Roman Empire.

Aside from this idiosyncrasy, the book is a gift to us. Rovelli has managed to explain Loop Quantum Gravity with great clarity. I find the theory extremely explanatory and appealing. I look forward to learning more about it and reading more from Rovelli.

Quantum Theory Accessible w/o Math

Deep understandings of the Universe, Quantum Theory, Relativity, Entropy able to be grasped by non-scientists.

The Seams of Reality

A tapestry of the fabric of spacetime and quantum fields sown together to reveal the treads of reality.

Rovelli is a gifted quantum interpreter

After reading this book for the third time and there’s always something new I can glean from it. Ultimately, Carlo Rovelli is a gifted storyteller that helps make complex ideas both entertaining and graspable. His fascination for the beauty and elegance of nature is infectious.