book review: This Is Life by Christophe Galfard

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you University of Chicago Press for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This Is Life was my first introduction to theoretical physicist Christophe Galfard - a former graduate student of Stephen Hawking - but it won't be my last! It took Galfard eight years to write this volume, which is not surprising since it is packed with information presented in such a thoughtful way.

Parts one through three cover evolution, earth's history, and various mass extinction events. The last two parts discuss our likely origin story and the potential for extraterrestrial life. These areas are my jam so I could have had the entire book revolve around just these topics and been completely fulfilled. Yet the book is about life so, while not my favorite topics to learn about, the center part importantly dives into DNA, RNA, nucleic acids, and the like.

Galfard illustrates the extreme fragility and precise conditions required for life with jaw-dropping historical facts. For example, the fifth mass extinction (which wiped out the dinosaurs) was actually the weakest one. By contrast, a separate volcanic event lasted tens of thousands of years, burying an area six times the size of the UK under 2.5 kilometers of lava. During the Cryogenian ice age, the planet froze from pole to pole into a giant ball of ice for 100 million years. Meanwhile, tectonic plates shifted continents at a slow 3mm a year—a reminder that our planet is never stagnant. Earth's tumultuous past is filled with extinct species, extreme climates, glaciations, and meteor impacts. It proves that nothing looks the same as it did then, nor will the future look like today. Evolution even gives species latent abilities they might never use unless a specific need arises. Remarkably, we still share common ancestors and DNA with all species—even fruit flies and bananas—and with organisms living by deep undersea hydrothermal vents, the future of life remains excitingly unpredictable.

Galfard’s approachable style mirrors Carl Sagan; reading it feels like chatting with the author or attending an intimate lecture. He seamlessly layers facts with memorable stories to prevent information overload. Best of all, he injects a soothing, almost ASMR-like tone, inviting readers to pause, breathe, and imagine themselves inside deep space, on Earth, or within the human body.

book review: On The Equality of All Things by Carlo Rovelli

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5

Thank you Scribner for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

I discovered another great writer in Carlo Rovelli to continue learning about physics through his approachable teachings. On the Equality of All Things was a quick read focusing on the immense discoveries seen in quantum theory, general relativity, observers, time, space, existence, and morality.. Rovelli pushes thinkers to be open to adjustments to our beliefs as once-inconceivable ideas come to light. He also warns that the concepts we use on Earth to measure time and space simply do not apply in the broader vastness of the universe. 

Even having learned this in similar works, I still cannot get over the craziness of it. As Rovelli writes, “On Earth gravity is more or less the same everywhere... This is not the case in the wider universe. Time passes at different speeds for different travelers: when they meet again, they have generally not aged by the same number of years." Equally eerie is how general relativity describes reality as a set of fields that define spatial extension and time themselves, rather than sitting inside them. As he notes, "The location of an event only makes sense in relation to others. There is no 'where' or 'when,' except in a relative sense.”

While the book does discuss theories and their relationships, I found that as it progresses, it primarily makes a case for Rovelli's personal stances on how much value should be placed on each. I was interested in his perspectives on the flow of time and whether the future is open or fixed. However, I lacked the background in the intricacies of many other theories to fully engage with his arguments. Readers with a deeper understanding of physics will appreciate these perspectives, but I was hoping for more instruction on actual physics rather than debates on nuanced details. Even so, it successfully opened my eyes to what is important to consider so as not to fall into the trap of hyped-up theories pertaining to the flow of time and the Observer Effect.

Due to this, I found the concluding paragraph in lesson 5 gives a better synopsis of the book's true heart than the publisher's summary: “The reasonable question, it seems to me, is to ask what, given the current state of our knowledge... are effective concepts for thinking about the world, accounting for it, and navigating it?... Things all exist equally, in relation to others, each in its own way — a way that evolves as we learn.”

I highly recommend picking up this book if you have a foundation in physics and philosophy and want to engage in a discussion about the importance of certain areas of the field. The detailed footnotes are also a major benefit for those looking for a heavily researched work. I will certainly be picking up more of Rovelli's books.

book review: Observer by Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 4/5

I'm fascinated by quantum physics, particularly different perspectives on how it could play out. This book is fictional, but written in part by Dr. Lanza who primarily seems to work in medical and biological sciences. But, has an interest in, and has co-authored publications in, the cosmos and physics. So, that's enough to craft an interesting take on it, in my opinion. The more layman explanations of The Observer Effect, as well as some of the other theories that likely intersect with it, provided me a deeper understanding of what I already knew. And, the plot of the book toying with the idea that The Observer Effect creates the world around us, not the other way around. And, that it could even open multi-dimensions. That would have been satisfying enough, yet Observer also included well developed characters that had complex relationships with each other, creating an additional storyline that almost any reader could be drawn into. The pace stayed strong, inviting me to open the pages every evening.  

book review: The Truth of Time by Bryan Whelan

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️  5/5

Don't let the serious cover art fool you, The Truth of Time by Bryan Whelan is a delightfully clever page turner that weaves a smattering of sci-fi with history and a whodunit into a complex wondrous tale. 

The author takes the reader on a jovial roller coaster ride of discovery alongside a fully realized diverse group of characters to a futuristic place, masterfully detailed points in the past, and then back to the future again. The worlds are incredibly layered and the magic is believable. The dialogue is sharp and the twists are so sophisticated they constantly caught me off guard. All told, this book was powerfully rendered, managing to be both fun and intellectually rewarding. 

I hope the author will decide to market this book, or a publisher will take notice and offer to take this book under their wing, because this book has so much potential and needs to reach more readers! I think pretty much anyone would enjoy this book - history buffs, sci-fi lovers, thriller cravers, and the casual reader. Its boundless imagination and fast pace make it a perfect 'crossover' hit for Young Adult readers as well.

Please consider this as your next read...sometimes the books you stumble upon are the best, as was my experience with this one!