Fear of Physics

By: Lawrence M. Krauss

Narrated by: David Smalley, Lawrence M. Krauss

Length: 7 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Fear of Physics is a lively, irreverent, and informative look at everything from the physics of boiling water to cutting-edge research at the observable limits of the universe. Rich with anecdotes and accessible examples, it nimbly ranges over the tools and thought behind the world of modern physics, taking the mystery out of what is essentially a very human intellectual endeavor.

©2007 Lawrence M. Krauss (P)2014 Dogma Debate, LLC

Even introductions can be difficult

I am fascinated by physics. I don’t understand physics, but I am fascinated by it. So I tend to pick up at least one introduction to physics book a year and I tend to ultimately realize that I am not designed for high level physics.

Fear of Physics is a well reviewed introduction used in a number of college settings. I listened to the audiobook that I picked up on sale. I am not sure that audiobook was the best format for this book. There was nothing wrong with the narrator, but the content occasionally would have been better in print instead of audio.

The two chapters I enjoyed most (and I think I understood most) were about how physicists understand math differently than mathematicians and how physicists ‘creatively plagiarize’ previous work until it becomes something new. The math chapters basically help describe how physics has understood very large and very small numbers and used approximation as a tentative placeholder until better measurement technology becomes available. Some of the insights into math surprised me as basic math place value discussions that are now taught in early common core math. (This book was originally written in 1993 and updated in 2007).

The chapter on ‘creative plagiarization’ discusses the scientific method and how part of that method is to take what you know and apply it to other things to see if that thing you know about A also applies to B. Or that things you theorize about A but haven’t figured out how to measure yet, might give insight into how the measurement of B might happen either now or later based on the technology available.

There were times when I would have stopped if I were reading a print book and the audiobook just kept pulling me a long. There were also times when I had a hard time visualizing what the audiobook was saying and wished I had the print book. This is a book that would have benefited from being able to flip back and forth between the audio and the print. But this is an example where I wish the discounts would go both ways (instead of only getting a discount, if one is available, when you purchase the Kindle edition first, and then the audiobook as an add on.)

Ready is terrible. Slurs his words. So boring!!!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

No. The reader is boring. As I listen I often find that my mind has wandered...his tone is so monotonous! He also slurs his words. I really wanted to hear and understand. I have gone through many books on Physics and such and I am making it through this one only because of my personal desire to finish what I started. It is too hard for what is gained.

What could Lawrence M. Krauss have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Have a professional reader. Did he read it himself to save money? Poor choice, if that is the case. If it is David smalley reading, I have no idea what to say.

Would you be willing to try another one of David Smalley and Lawrence M. Krauss ’s performances?

No.

Did Fear of Physics inspire you to do anything?

I can't mention it on this public forum!

Any additional comments?

No.

A nobility and a beauty to the search

"To be scientifically illiterate is to remain essentially uncultured. And the chief virtue of a cultural activity--be it art, music, literature, or science--is the way it enriches our lives."
― Lawrence M. Krauss, Fear of Physics: A Guide for the Perplexed

One of my great loves is reading about physics and science. Richard Feynman, Niels Bohr, Newton, Einstein, etc., are my lower-case "g" gods. While my math and science background is just enough to get me in trouble, it is also enough to keep me coming back.

A couple years ago I decided that I would drop my subscription to 'The Economist' for a year and instead subscribe to 'Science'. Every week I would read. It was like launching myself into an intellectual sphere that got more and more dense toward the center. I would jam easily with THIS WEEK IN SCIENCE and even IN BRIEF, but once I hit RESEARCH ARTICLES and the REPORTS I was usually forced to just dance around the abstract. But I loved it. It was like New York Times crossword puzzles. I found the more often I could finish a Wednesday the more answers I could find without help to the Thursday puzzles.

That, I believe is the essence of what Krauss is trying to communicate in this book. Life is a joy. The search for answers is a thrill. Knowing how science works and where science IS deepens our understanding of our brief moment on this round rock in space. I love literature, but often GOOD literature tries to translate truths found in science. Just look at how closely Cormac McCarthy and Thomas Pynchon and Don DeLillo follow the discoveries of science. Knowledge is constantly bleeding between science, philosophy, and art. There is a nobility and a beauty to the search, the discovery, and understanding. If we aren't curious and aren't engaged, we might as well be dead or slaves.

good. not his best though.

the performance or read, felt rushed. the book is still excellent and worth reading I think.

Sloppy Narrative

Hard to listen to the narrator which distracts from the content. Couldn't get past but a few chapters.

Still a great book

I think I enjoyed hearing him read this more than I enjoyed reading it myself. This is still a relevant book and the topics discussed are just as timely now as they were when it was written. You can't always say that about science related literature. I view this book as a foundational book for anyone interested in understanding physics better. I use the examples found here to help explain these concepts to my children and many other people who have a tenuous grasp on science in the world around them. I would recommend this book to just about anyone.

I understand how physicists think

While all the concepts were not easily understood, and I think I will actually have to actually read this book to fully understand, I understand how physicists think.

That is the creative application of existing concepts. Which is a valuable lesson.

Thank you

twice in succession

I listened to this book twice in succession, as it was not easy to grasp first time round. Most informative, and more enjoyable the second time around. I'm a huge fan of Lawrence Krauss. great book, highly recommended.

Great book...terrible voice performance

Great book if you can understand the reader. He speaks quietly to make his voice sound more basey. Even with the bass turned all the way down on my radio, I don't find the intelligibility to be at a professional level.

Friendly and Inviting Tone for Physics

Who was your favorite character and why?

Spherical Cow

What about David Smalley and Lawrence M. Krauss ’s performance did you like?

The author, Lawrence Krauss, did a great job reading his work. His inflections help make a subject matter that can be confusing more manageable. He also adds an excitement that I found contagious.

Any additional comments?

Very good book for someone who is interested in physics but doesn't necessarily want to make that their concentration. Or if they do, it's a wonderful starting point.