Monday, June 20, 2011

The Lightness of Being .... Frank Wilczek


The Lightness of Being by Frank Wilczek is my latest read and a wonderful introduction to the field of QCD, that is to say Quantum Chromodynamics, which explains the internal structure of protons and neutrons .... that to say that of which all of us are made.

It's a delightful book and I recommend it. Frank was one of the founders of the field as a grad student in Princeton, and once this theory was developed The Standard Model of particle physics was developed soon after.

So if you like quarks and gluons but can't seem to "get it", Wilczek's wonderful elucidation and amusing sense of humor will get you far closer than you've ever been. I'm glad I bought it.

2 comments:

Ulla said...

Ah, what a disappointment! I waited for a wonderful review, not this!

I have read some of his texts, and the book is on my 'wish-list'.

Steven Colyer said...

Yes, I have more than a few of those myself, wish-list books. Not sure how many I'll read, because right now I'll have to wait until I'm 183 years old to finish them and that's only if they stop printing any more interesting books. ;-)

So like everything else it's a matter of priorities, I guess.