Knocking On Heavens Door: How Physics And Scientific Thinking Illuminate The Universe And The Modern World

Knocking On Heavens Door: How Physics And Scientific Thinking Illuminate The Universe And The Modern World

Product Description Science has a battle for hearts and minds on its hands.How good it feels to have Lisa Randalls unusual blend of top flight science, clarity, and charm on our side.Richard Dawkins Dazzling ideas.Read this book today to understand the science of tomorrow.Steven Pinker The bestselling author of Warped Passages, one of Time magazines 100 Most Influential People in the World, and one of Esquires 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century, Lisa Randall gives us an exhilarating overview of the latest ideas in physics and offers a rousing defense of the role of science in our lives. Featuring fascinating insights into our scientific future born from the authors provocative conversations with Nate Silver, David Chang, and Scott Derrickson, Knocking on Heavens Door is eminently readable, one of the most important popular science books of this or any year. It is a necessary volume for all who admire the work of Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku, Brian Greene, Simon Singh, and Carl Sagan; for anyone curious about the workings and aims of the Large Hadron Collider, the biggest and most expensive machine ever built by mankind; for those who firmly believe in the importance of science and rational thought; and for anyone interested in how the Universe beganand how it might ultimately end. Review Written with dry wit and ice-cool clarity. A book anyone at all interested in science must read. Surely the science book of the year. -- Sunday Times (London) Startlingly honest [and] beautifully written. . . . Randalls calm authority and clarity of explanation are exemplary. . . . Like being taken behind the curtain in Oz and given a full tour by the wizard. -- NewScientist.com [Randall is] one of the more original theorists at work in the profession today. . . . She gives a fine analysis of the affinity between scientific and artistic beauty, comparing the broken symmetries of a Richard Serra sculpture to those at the core of the Standard Model. -- New York Times Book Review [A] whip-smart inquiry into the scientific work being conducted in particle physics. . . . [Randall] brings a thrumming enthusiasm to the topic, but she is unhurried and wryly humorous. . . . [ Knocking on Heavens Door] dazzles like the stars. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The general readers indispensable passport to the frontiers of science. -- Booklist (starred review) [Randalls] eloquent book details the trials and tribulations of the [Large Hadron Collider], from conception to implementation, and takes us on a grand tour of the underlying science. -- Nature Offers the reader a glimpse of the future. . . . An enlightening and exciting read. -- San Francisco Book Review Valuable and engaging. . . . Randalls generous cornucopia of ideas, her engaging style, and above all her deep excitement about physics make this a book that deserves a wide readership. -- American Scientist Full of passion and jaw-dropping facts. . . . A fascinating account of modern particle physics, both theoretical and practical. -- The Independent on Sunday Beautifully written. . . . An impressive overview of what scientists (of any kind) get up to, how they work and why science is an inherently creative endeavor. -- Times Higher Education (London) Randalls witty, accessible discussion reveals the effort and wonder at hand as scientists strive to learn who we are and where we came from. -- Publishers Weekly Randall manages to transform . . . experiments at distant and unfamiliar scales into crucial acts in a cosmic drama. -- Daily Beast An exciting read about the very edge of modern science. . . . [ Knocking on Heavens Door] inspires a sense of awe, appreciation and excitement for what the future holds. -- Daily Texan Very accessible, readable, and appealing to a broad audience. . . . Randalls passion and excitement for science and physics is infectious and welcome in our digital age. -- New Yo