Save in bulk on business essentials Shop now>
$7.94

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon.com Services LLC.
eBook features:
  • Highlight, take notes, and search in the book
  • In this edition, page numbers are just like the physical edition
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Brian Clegg
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Quantum Age: How the Physics of the Very Small has Transformed Our Lives Illustrated Edition, Kindle Edition

by Brian Clegg (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 155 ratings

The stone age, the iron age, the steam and electrical ages all saw the reach of humankind transformed by new technology. Now we are living in the quantum age, a revolution in everyday life led by our understanding of the very, very small.

Quantum physics lies at the heart of every electronic device from smartphones to lasers; quantum superconductors allow levitating trains and MRI scanners, while superfast, ultra-secure quantum computers may soon be a reality. Yet quantum particles such as atoms, electrons and photons remain mysterious, acting totally unlike the objects we experience directly.

With his trademark clarity and enthusiasm, acclaimed popular science author Brian Clegg reveals the amazing world of the quantum that lies all around us.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. ISBN-13
    978-1848316997
  2. Edition
    Illustrated
  3. Publisher
    Icon Books
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    June 5, 2014
  6. Language
    English
  7. File size
    1.5 MB
Next slide of product details
Unwell Hydration from Alex Cooper
Hydrate & focus with every sip Shop now

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Science writer Brian Clegg studied physics at Cambridge University and specialises in making the strangest aspects of the universe, from infinity to time travel and quantum theory, accessible to the general reader. He is editor of www.popularscience.co.uk and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His previous books include Inflight Science, The Universe Inside You, Dice World and Introducing Infinity: A Graphic Guide.|Science writer Brian Clegg studied physics at Cambridge University and specialises in making the strangest aspects of the universe, from infinity to time travel and quantum theory, accessible to the general reader. He is editor of www.popularscience.co.uk and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His previous books include Inflight Science, Build Your Own Time Machine, The Universe Inside You and Dice World.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J7NAAXI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Icon Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2014
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ Illustrated
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 291 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1848316997
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 155 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Brian Clegg

Brian Clegg

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Brian's latest science books, The Reality Frame and Are Numbers Real? are now available, joining his new murder mystery novels. Brian has written many other science titles, including the bestselling Inflight Science, The God Effect, Before the Big Bang, Ecologic, A Brief History of Infinity, Build Your Own Time Machine, The Universe Inside You, Gravity, Extra Sensory and Dice World, which was on the longlist for the 2014 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books.

Born in Rochdale, Lancashire, UK, Brian read Natural Sciences (specializing in experimental physics) at Cambridge University. After graduating, he spent a year at Lancaster University where he gained a second MA in Operational Research, a discipline developed during the Second World War to apply mathematics and probability to warfare and since widely applied to business problem solving.

From Lancaster, he joined British Airways, where he formed a new department tasked with developing hi-tech solutions for the airline. His emphasis on innovation led to working with creativity guru Dr. Edward de Bono, and in 1994 he left BA to set up his own creativity consultancy, running courses on the development of ideas and the solution of business problems. His clients include the BBC, the Met Office, Sony, GlaxoSmithKline, the Treasury, Royal Bank of Scotland and many others.

Brian has also written regular columns, features and reviews for numerous magazines and newspapers, including The Observer, Playboy, Nature, The Times, Personal Computer World, BBC Focus, BBC History, Good Housekeeping and House Beautiful. His books have been translated into many languages, including German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Norwegian, and Indonesian.

Brian has given sell-out lectures at the Royal Institution in London and has spoken at venues from Oxford and Cambridge Universities to Cheltenham Festival of Science. He has also contributed to radio and TV programs, and is a popular speaker at schools. Brian is also editor of the successful www.popularscience.co.uk book review site. Brian lives in Wiltshire with his wife and twin children. When not writing, he spends time on music, having a passion for Tudor and Elizabethan church music.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
155 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Top reviews from the United States

  • MR B J HAYDON
    5.0 out of 5 stars At last a clear explanation of Quantum physics.
    Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A clear explanation of a difficult subject.
    Helpful
     Report
  • joy
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The author doesn't cover a whole lot, but what he does cover is interesting and intriguing.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Ronald Thomas
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Readable
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very readable and a good explanation of a complex subject.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Donna L. Schillinger
    3.0 out of 5 stars TMI
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Was looking for a book to break down physics into something relevant, and from the description thought this might be it, but no. This book is poorly written. I'm sure the author is spot on about everything he's saying, but it's hard to make it out. In part, could be because he's British and I'm American. But Charles Dickens was also British... I'm a professional editor, so no stranger to clumsy writing, but something else is going on here that's harder to fix. Author forgets who he's talking to. I picked this book after spending a semester learning physics, so I'm not totally uninformed, but the conversation went alternately surface level, deep dive, surface, deep. Looking for an author who can speak to intelligent people but in such a way that they can understand without a background in physics. Feels like this book is for no one because it's too alternately too deep for a novice and too shallow for a scientist. Good concept though if you could work with a lay editor who would be honest and say, "I don't get it, and if I don't get it, your readers won't either."
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • biswajit roy chowdhury
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on October 2, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Good Book. Very good service by amazon...
    Report
  • Mr G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent insight into this difficult topic.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 13, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Superb book. Very readable, presenting the day to day applications of this very complex topic in an interesting and fascinating way. Obviously gets a bit technical in places, but not too much even for the layman. If you have any interest in the extraordinary world of quantum physics, you will enjoy this book.
    Report
  • Grodgeman
    3.0 out of 5 stars Problems of terminology
    Reviewed in France on November 14, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have only the kindle version and, therefore, have difficulty flipping back over the page. Perhaps the paper version has a glossary of terms. The work is interesting, but, in my opinion, takes too much for granted regarding the vocabulary of physics and many of the concepts he presents. The general ideas come though, but there is a lack of development, explanation, or explicitness at critical points in the development. I should like to be able to look up in a glossary clear and full (layman's or "dummy's" ) definitions of the words. I had to delve into Wikipedia very (too) often - and even that is not always easy going. In my opinion, the writer passes over too much too lightly in what is an interesting read. The text need more development in many places. I am tempted to buy the paper version, but an not sure it will be any better, in this respect.
    Report
  • Amazon Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Delivered in good quality
    Reviewed in Germany on June 14, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Delivered well within time. Was a used book but delivered in good quality, and is a good read. Not the best popular culture book I have read. For someone with a science background, I felt some explanantions were very vague and hand-wavy. I can't say if this is good or bad for someone seeking a general understanding of science, but not accuracy.
    Report
  • drh
    4.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 17, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting, clearly-written, well-explained overview of the huge changes that quantum-mechanical effects have made to our world. Appears to be pretty up-to-date (to about 2013/4). I like the way that Clegg always tries to be precise, shunning populist (but technically improper) allusions, never dumbing-down his language or explanations. However, no-doubt to make matters more intelligible, he sometimes avoids technicalities in the underlying theories, which personally I would prefer to be covered in a bit more depth. Overall, then, a good readable survey.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report