Customer Rating: 
Summary: Know Your Math!!!!
Comment: As an occasional reader of some of the more general books on the universe, I was looking for something with a little more detail, something that didn't run away from math. A quick read of the intro and I thought this would be the perfect book. Penrose claimed that he could help people with limited ability to work with fractions. Fractions?!? No problem I thought.
A few pages later and I was drowning. This isn't simple math. Problem is, he doesn't start from the beginning and build up (which granted would take more like 10,000 pages). Instead, this book jumps hardcore into some serious math. I'm sure this is great for some people and many will deservedly give this book 5 stars. My issue is that it is being sold as a "don't worry, I'll teach you what you need to know" type of book. In reality, the reader better have a serious math background. For the record, my math background was generally statistics and business related math via an undergrad and an MBA program.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A lot of book for the buck
Comment: This book is a remarkable failure or misfit, if, as we are lead to believe, it is supposed to impart some sense of understanding of real world math and physics. The problem is not that Penrose isn't a very capable scientist, he most certainly is. The problem is that this book was marketed to a lay audience, and yet the math required to make headway is extremely advanced - well beyond anything that 95% of PhD's in physical science will know - and here is the punch line, this very advanced math is not explained in anything close to sufficient depth. And of course it couldn't be explained without another several thousand very carefully crafted pages (and even then, aimed at a readership already rather advanced in mathematics and physics)
The vast majority of readers are going to be left gazing at fancy, abstract symbols that are void of meaning or even a context. This does not confer or equate with understanding, though evidently many adoring readers seem to think it does. Or perhaps they feel that they have been exposed to something significant. Sorry guys, I can not agree.
I'll give it this - it is a large and heavy book, and not extremely expensive, and so makes a good prop for other, better (because accessible) texts.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Much
Comment: Once again I need to remind potential readers that this is NOT a textbook or a reference work. It is written for the educated layman. It may have errors and omissions but these do not affect the net result. It is also not a coffee-table book, which can be picked up and browsed at leisure. Like all good works it takes effort to assimilate and repays the reader in heaps.
Some find the maths difficult. I can only say this: you will search far and wide before you find a book, which makes the mathematical foundations of the laws of nature as accessible as this. Penrose describes, explains and often illustrates all of the concepts he deals with in a singularly clear and accessible manner. His chapters on quantum mathematics and quantum physics should be published separately. They are a brilliant example of technical clarity.
Someone complained that if you don't understand calculus then you wouldn't be able to understand this book. Not quite correct! If you don't understand (a bit of) calculus then you won't be able to understand the laws of the Universe - with or without this book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be great at Math or Physics to enjoy this one!
Comment: The book was recommended to me by an economist friend with a love of all things mathematical. He recommended it despite the fact that I am not a strong student of math or physics. I was pleasantly surprised! Penrose has a way of making complex math and physic ideas relatively "easy" to understand. In fact, I would go so far to say that his writing and illustrations are beautifully clear. I spent a lot of time reading the book and cursing my high school and college math teachers/professors for not being nearly as thorough and clear in their explanations of concepts as Penrose. Yes, it took me a while to get through 1000 pages or so of mathy/physics stuff, but the fact that I actually wanted to keep going at all is a testament to the clarity and genius of Mr. Penrose. This book is so worth it! The best substantive reading I have done in a while!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Really good!
Comment: If you are mad about science that a book you MUST have. I am an electrical engineer and at least 60% of the book had new contents for me so.... READ IT!
Summary: Know Your Math!!!!
Comment: As an occasional reader of some of the more general books on the universe, I was looking for something with a little more detail, something that didn't run away from math. A quick read of the intro and I thought this would be the perfect book. Penrose claimed that he could help people with limited ability to work with fractions. Fractions?!? No problem I thought.
A few pages later and I was drowning. This isn't simple math. Problem is, he doesn't start from the beginning and build up (which granted would take more like 10,000 pages). Instead, this book jumps hardcore into some serious math. I'm sure this is great for some people and many will deservedly give this book 5 stars. My issue is that it is being sold as a "don't worry, I'll teach you what you need to know" type of book. In reality, the reader better have a serious math background. For the record, my math background was generally statistics and business related math via an undergrad and an MBA program.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A lot of book for the buck
Comment: This book is a remarkable failure or misfit, if, as we are lead to believe, it is supposed to impart some sense of understanding of real world math and physics. The problem is not that Penrose isn't a very capable scientist, he most certainly is. The problem is that this book was marketed to a lay audience, and yet the math required to make headway is extremely advanced - well beyond anything that 95% of PhD's in physical science will know - and here is the punch line, this very advanced math is not explained in anything close to sufficient depth. And of course it couldn't be explained without another several thousand very carefully crafted pages (and even then, aimed at a readership already rather advanced in mathematics and physics)
The vast majority of readers are going to be left gazing at fancy, abstract symbols that are void of meaning or even a context. This does not confer or equate with understanding, though evidently many adoring readers seem to think it does. Or perhaps they feel that they have been exposed to something significant. Sorry guys, I can not agree.
I'll give it this - it is a large and heavy book, and not extremely expensive, and so makes a good prop for other, better (because accessible) texts.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Much
Comment: Once again I need to remind potential readers that this is NOT a textbook or a reference work. It is written for the educated layman. It may have errors and omissions but these do not affect the net result. It is also not a coffee-table book, which can be picked up and browsed at leisure. Like all good works it takes effort to assimilate and repays the reader in heaps.
Some find the maths difficult. I can only say this: you will search far and wide before you find a book, which makes the mathematical foundations of the laws of nature as accessible as this. Penrose describes, explains and often illustrates all of the concepts he deals with in a singularly clear and accessible manner. His chapters on quantum mathematics and quantum physics should be published separately. They are a brilliant example of technical clarity.
Someone complained that if you don't understand calculus then you wouldn't be able to understand this book. Not quite correct! If you don't understand (a bit of) calculus then you won't be able to understand the laws of the Universe - with or without this book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be great at Math or Physics to enjoy this one!
Comment: The book was recommended to me by an economist friend with a love of all things mathematical. He recommended it despite the fact that I am not a strong student of math or physics. I was pleasantly surprised! Penrose has a way of making complex math and physic ideas relatively "easy" to understand. In fact, I would go so far to say that his writing and illustrations are beautifully clear. I spent a lot of time reading the book and cursing my high school and college math teachers/professors for not being nearly as thorough and clear in their explanations of concepts as Penrose. Yes, it took me a while to get through 1000 pages or so of mathy/physics stuff, but the fact that I actually wanted to keep going at all is a testament to the clarity and genius of Mr. Penrose. This book is so worth it! The best substantive reading I have done in a while!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Really good!
Comment: If you are mad about science that a book you MUST have. I am an electrical engineer and at least 60% of the book had new contents for me so.... READ IT!
The Road to Reality : A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe Reviews: Page 4 of 32
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