Quantum Mechanics and Experience

The more science tells us about the world, the stranger it looks. Ever since physics first penetrated the atom, early in this century, what it found there has stood as a radical and unanswered challenge to many of our most cherished conceptions of nature. It has literally been called into question since then whether or not there are always objective matters of fact about the whereabouts of subatomic particles, or about the locations of tables and chairs, or even about the very contents of our thoughts. A new kind of uncertainty has become a principle of science.

This book is an original and provocative investigation of that challenge, as well as a novel attempt at writing about science in a style that is simultaneously elementary and deep. It is a lucid and self-contained introduction to the foundations of quantum mechanics, accessible to anyone with a high school mathematics education, and at the same time a rigorous discussion of the most important recent advances in our understanding of that subject, some of which are due to the author himself.

It's a book for someone looking to take the next step, once you've understood enough of basic QM on the lay level to start asking deeper philosophical questions. The author's approach is unique in asking these philosophical questions about this utterly strange QM world, but yet doing it in a way that is formal enough to be credible, as opposed to many fuzzy lay texts that leave you in a rather more than less confused state.

Mind you, despite the first innocent-looking impression, it is not an easy read. But then the really interesting books seldom are. I read it once, then I studied it again, taking notes. But at that point I got rewarded by insights unavailable elsewhere.

As to the tone of the author, it is indeed unusual, but I personally like it. The parentheses, repetitions and footnotes other reviewers complained about actually helped me a lot, by providing multiple angles on difficult concepts constantly. I'd welcome more books written in this style. Also the math-level in the book is certainly within reach of most people, if you are willing to learn while reading the book. I have no significant math background myself and yet could understand almost everything.


An excellent introduction to the details of measurement   December 10, 1999
Chris Meacham (New Brunswick, NJ United States)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

Albert's book is an excellent introduction for the lay reader. He begins by taking the reader through the basic mathematics needed, and goes on to introduce the measurement problem. He then goes on to examine the various pros and cons of proposed solutions to the problem, in a way that is wonderfully lucid. This book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn where things stand with regards to the measurement problem, regardless of ones previous knowledge of topic.


This is an elegant piece of work.   September 5, 2007
Luke Pease (San Francisco, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

This really is a wonderful book, directed at the interpretation of quantum mechanics.

Albert's elucidation of the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics is not only the essence of simplicity, but also accurate. A most unusual combination!

Albert then examines the consequences of that formalism for non-locality, the EPR experiment, Bell's inequality, the problem of measurement and the collapse of the wave function in a laid-back but precise presentation. Some other reviews have criticized the prose, but I found the writing to be friendly, modest and (and here's the punchline) understandable.

This is an elegant piece of work.


Provides a deeper understanding about quantum theory.   June 25, 1996
6 out of 8 found this review helpful

This book explores quantum theory with a slightly mathematical approach. Albert presents the information largley with respect to linear algebra and how it directly represents paradigms in quantum theory, which definatley help the average reader understand abstract concepts such as non-locality and superposition. In doing so he gives a very elementary view of linear algebra, which should make even the mathematically inclined reader to reconsider how he/she views things like vectors, spaces and probability. At times he might delve a little to deeply into the basics, but it doesn't detract from the overall idea presented in the book.


One of the best discussions on the meaning of QM   March 19, 2001
David Marcus (Somerville, MA USA)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is one of the best discussions that I have read on what Quantum Mechanics really means. He goes through the conventional interpretations and explains what is wrong with them. Read Bell's book, then read this (or the other way around).