Author:Lee Smolin
'Quantum mechanics is perhaps the most successful theory ever formulated. The only problem with it, argues Lee Smolin, is that it is wrong ... a fount of provocative ideas ... lucid, upbeat and, finally, optimistic' Graham Farmelo, Nature
Human beings, says Lee Smolin, author of The Trouble With Physics, have always had a problem with the boundary between reality and fantasy, confusing our representations of the world with the world itself. Nowhere is this more evident than in quantum physics, which forms the basis for our understanding of everything from elementary particles to the behaviour of materials.
While quantum mechanics is currently our best theory of nature at an atomic scale, it has many puzzling qualities - qualities that preclude realism and therefore give an incomplete description of nature. Rather than question this version of quantum mechanics, however, whole groups of physicists have embraced it as correct and rejected realism. Subscribing to a kind of magical thinking, they believe that what is real is far beyond the world we perceive: indeed, that the 'true' world is hidden from our perception.
Back in the 1920s Einstein, both a realist and a physicist, believed that it was necessary to go beyond quantum mechanics to discover what was missing from a true theory of the atoms. This was Einstein's unfinished mission, and it is Lee Smolin's too.
Not only will this new model of quantum physics form the basis of solutions to many of the outstanding problems of physics, but, crucially, it is a theory that is realist in nature. At a time when science is under attack, and with it the belief in a real world in which facts are either true or false, never has the importance of building science on the correct foundations been more urgent.
A masterful exposition on the state of quantum physics ... spellbinding
—— Financial TimesQuantum mechanics is perhaps the most successful theory ever formulated. The only problem with it, argues Lee Smolin, is that it is wrong. He attempts to examine other options for a theory of the atomic world ... a fount of provocative ideas ... lucid, upbeat and, finally, optimistic
—— Graham Farmelo , NatureAn inventive and provocative thinker, as well as an engaging writer ... lucid, searingly honest, impassioned, inspiring
—— Philip Ball , Physics WorldFull of extraordinary ideas ... a new theory of everything ... Smolin's promised solution, when it comes, is just comprehensible enough for us to see that it's beautiful
—— Stephen Bleach , The TimesA superb and sweeping book ... masterful
—— Stuart Kauffman, author of At Home in the UniverseAs the latest entry into the conversation, Smolin's book feels the most immediate and personal. Here is no detached narrator, but an active participant in the fray who perceives the debate over the nature of reality in personal terms. . . While the way forward remains elusive, Smolin and others who seek to illuminate how physics got to where it is today are at least making the quest for answers a bit less costly
—— Globe and MailSmolin is an extremely creative thinker who has been a leader in theoretical physics for many years. He is also a gifted writer who manages to translate his own insights about how science works into engaging language and compelling stories . . . Smolin's description of how quantum mechanics works is both elegant and accessible
—— NPRThe best explanation yet of what has yet to be explained.
—— George Dyson, author of Turing’s CathedralIn an age of echo chambers and multiple narratives, there is a lot of noise going on but very little listening. In this insightful, cogently reasoned book, Murphy extols the myriad virtues of this underused skill... A thoughtful, eloquent volume that could transform not just your relationships but your own worldview as well.
—— Waterstones Best Non-fiction Books for 2020If you’re like most people, you don’t listen as often or as well as you’d like. There’s no one better qualified than a talented journalist to introduce you to the right mindset and skillset - and this book does it with science and humour.
—— Adam Grant , #1 New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and TakeIn this powerful and potentially life-changing book… the US journalist and author argues that in this age of technology and political division, actually just listening is more important than ever... Part expose, part rousing call to action, and part manual of practical advice... The book looks to be to listening what Susan Cain’s Quiet was to introversion.
—— Caroline Sanderson , BooksellerI was instantly hooked by Kate Murphy's simple but profound argument--that although listening is the foundation of communication, innovation, growth, and love, few of us really know how to do it properly, or where to even start. You're Not Listening is a captivating and enlightening book that provides readers with a road map on how to listen and why it is so important to how we connect, work, and live.
—— Kim Scott , New York Times bestselling author of Radical CandorAn essential book for our times. How well we listen determines how we love, learn, and connect with one another, and in this moment when we need to hear and be heard more than ever, this thought-provoking and engaging book shows us how.
—— Lori Gottlieb , New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneWide ranging, deeply researched, readable and persuasive. Ms Murphy, we hear you!
—— Rose Shepherd , Saga Magazine, *Books to Look Our For in 2020*Full of fascinating insights and advice on the art of listening... a deeply researched and thought-provoking read… [that] feels timely and necessary
—— Eastern Daily Press, *Book of the Week*A thoroughly researched piece of long-form journalism… An interesting read.
—— Natalie Bowen , UK Press SyndicationMurphy offers a timely reminder of how we could enrich out lives and relationships if we redouble our efforts to listen to opposing views.
—— Lucy Popescu , TabletIn an age when technology has made it easier than ever before to talk with each other, we've paradoxically become worse at listening. Fortunately, we have Kate Murphy to teach us how to reclaim this crucial skill. This book changed the way I think about communicating with the people who matter to me.
—— Cal Newport , New York Times bestselling author of Deep Work and Digital MinimalismA timely intervention
—— Niki Seth-Smith , New HumanistWarn, earnest, gently beseeching... Carefully read, Murphy's book might help us all pay more great compliments to the ones we love
—— M. M. Owen , Times Literary SupplementJaw-dropping… This book is a snapshot of the dangers of a world designed to fit a minority
—— Barbara Speed , iPlain, detailed and almost overwhelming prose… There is no anger in Criado Perez's pages – she is too busy with evidence for that
—— Tanya Gold , UnHerdBook that did most to change the way I thought? Caroline Criado Perez's Invisible Women... Perez has delivered a much needed correction: full of persuasive examples and analysis of areas from public policy, medicine, economics and elsewhere in which data have been gathered in such a way as to obscure or omit matters of most concern to women. I learned a lot
—— Tim HarfordInvisible Women… is a book that changes the way you see the world
—— Allan Massie , Sunday TimesThe book’s force doesn’t derive from the power of its rhetoric – instead it’s the steady, unrelenting accumulation of evidence, the sheer weight of her argument’
—— Sophie McBain , New StatesmanCaroline Criado Perez brilliantly exposes the appalling gender bias that underpins the collection of data and how it’s used. From medical treatments that fail to take female biology into account, to car safety features that are designed for the male body, women are the invisible 51%. This deeply researched and passionate book is the most important contribution to gender equality in years.
—— Amanda ForemanIn Invisible Women…Caroline Criado Perez expounds the far-reaching consequences of the “default male” mode… She urges a realignment of priorities… [a] call to action
—— Mia Levitin , Times Literary SupplementEnding the biases she [Perez] exposes wouldn’t just reduce inequality; it would, in some cases, save actual lives
—— The Week, *Book of the Week*Invisible Women is an essential handbook in the fight to build a more equal world. It’s based on enough data to satisfy even the fussiest scientist and will make you look at the world in a new light. However, the style is light enough that it doesn’t feel like hard work. Read it for yourself, then lend it to all your friends, of any gender
—— Chemistry WorldPerez’s analysis is wide-ranging and compelling… one of the most powerful takeaways from Perez’s book is the extent to which so much of this [gendered] bias is unconscious, such that we are all infected by it. Feminism is the process of unlearning this, but it’s an ongoing process, for all of us
—— ConversationAn impeccably researched, determined and passionate demand for change
—— Sian Norris , ProspectThe depth and scope of this book will shock you… Invisible Women is an essential handbook in the fight to build a more equal world… Read it for yourself, then lend it to all your friends, of any gender
—— Philippa Matthews , Chemistry WorldAn extraordinary book
—— Anthony Reuben , Big IssueOne of the most compelling books I’ve read in years
—— Josie Cox , Independent[An] astounding book
—— Dominic Browne , HighwaysA strong case for change
—— Sarah Shaffi , StylistInvisible Women makes excellent points about how biased data are hidden and have pervasive negative impacts on the lives of women and girls
—— Margaret McCartney , LancetCriado Perez’s devastating indictment is a worthy bestseller
—— Guardain, *Summer Reads of 2019*This book is a wake-up call for us all
—— Church Times, *Summer Reads of 2019*Overwhelmingly powerful
—— Kistina Rapacki , DisegnoFew books this year are as important as activist Criado-Perez’s data crunch into the inequalities between men and women. She finds something to engage and enrage on every page
—— Sarah Hughes , i, *Best books of 2019*A fascinating look at the gender biases affecting our everyday lives
—— Women's RunningThis book is comprehensive, well researched and thoroughly referenced with copious endnotes… [it] made me…shift my perspective
—— Toni Sekinah , DataIQThought-provoking, eye-opening
—— Iona Grey , HeatNot only a gripping but an important book… It’s funny when it’s not horrifying, deeply researched and done with real verve
—— Sam Leith , Spectator, *Books of the Year*Few books really change the way you look at the world. Invisible Women is one of those rarities
—— Robbie Millen , The Times, *Books of the Year*What makes Invisible Women so compelling is the mountain of data she draws on… a brilliant exposé
—— Ian Sample , Guardian, *Books of the Year*Every man should read this book… [Invisible Women] chats, in page after steely, meticulous page, precisely how the world…is designed around men, and how this puts women at an impossible disadvantage
—— James McConnachie , Sunday Times, *Books of the Year*Funny, exasperating and anger-inducing, there is something for everyone
—— Eleanor Parsons , New ScientistThe essential book of the year, mayhap the decade
—— Marina Vaizey , Tablet, *Books of the Year*A staggering expose of design prejudice and an impassioned call to action
—— ListPerez takes the truism that ours is a world designed for men and backs it with evidence. Impressively collating vast amounts of research
—— Prospect, *Books of the Year*A must-read for men and women alike
—— Hannah Beckerman , Sunday ExpressThis calm, dispassionate, hilarious, entertaining, maddening, infuriating narrative is a highly readable manifesto for real change
—— Marina Vaizey , The Arts Desk, *Books of the Year*This well-researched book turns everything we accept as normal on its head…[Invisible Women] succeeds in making a powerful case for change in a non-preachy, educative style… It is not entertainment; it is a thesis – and a powerful one at that
—— Alison Herbert and Dr Phyl Hughes , Law Society GazetteThis incredibly well-researched and engaging book highlights how the lack of gender-focused data results in the needs of more than half of the population being ignored. The numerous examples cited by Criado-Perez – ranging from infrastructure to healthcare – are shocking and sobering… Invisible Women offers valuable insight into the transformative power of diversity and equality to drive better economic outcomes
—— Christie Guimond , BriefingSuch an insightful book and a good read for everyone
—— Julie Stewart , Business TimesIncredibly topical and relevant in a rapidly changing world, Criado Perez’s multi-award-winning exposé on data bias has seen her become an authority on modern day inequalities
—— CapacityInvisible Women...is already a classic, but I can't recommend it enough
—— Sarah Pedersen , Times Higher EducationA powerful, insightful book
—— Tim Harford , WeekCompelling... revelatory... Criado Perez provides bountiful evidence of her thesis
—— Mariel McKone Leonard , London School of EconomicsA huge eye-opener
—— Jojo de Noronha , GrocerA witty, furious page-turner
—— Emma Donoghue , WeekInvisible Women is highly recommended to both men and women as an incredibly readable piece of journalism... Many of you will also find you cannot put down this passionate and informative book until you've finished it... illuminating and engaging
—— Platinum Business MagazineCompelling
—— Dr Mariel McKone Leonard , London School of EconomicsFilled with hair raising facts and figures, [Invisible Women] investigates the jarring matter of discrepancy and representation in our modern world... make no mistake, once you begin reading, it's hard to stop
—— Reilly Dufresne , Glasgow Guardian, *Christmas Gift Guide 2020*A deeply important and useful book... Fast, funny, angry and vital... A proper game-changer.
—— Caitlin Moran , Foyles, *Author Picks for Christmas*Criado Perez keeps the gobsmacking revelations flowing in a conversational manner, making the reader feel like she’s having lunch with a funny, knowledgeable and passionate friend
—— Science News