Notes

This science book that reads like a novel by Umberto Eco or Carlo Rovelli tells the story of sixteenth century Milanese polymath Jerome Cardano who - alongside habits in blaspheming, brothel keeping, and astrology - put forward the first principles of the mathematical foundations of quantum physics.

Author Biography

Michael Brooks is a science writer with a PhD in quantum physics, and the author of several books, including the bestselling 13 Things That Don't Make Sense and The Quantum Astrologer's Handbook, a Daily Telegraph Book of the Year.

Review

'Jerome Cardano is my all-time favourite mathematical rogue. Michael Brooks has brought him vividly to life in entertaining, informative, and highly original conversations about frontier physics, held across a gulf of centuries. A daring and successful experiment and a new kind of popular science writing.' -- Ian Stewart
"A near-novelistic account that's part quantum science, part biography, and part history, this story of 16th-century polymath Jerome Cardano delivers enjoyment on every level … The author breathes life into the intrigues of the 16th century, from a political crisis point which turns on a king receiving a favorable horoscope, to public math battles in the town square between bitter rivals. Brooks's work offers a bewitching and intimate mix of biography and science." STARRED REVIEW * Publishers Weekly *
'Michael Brooks is a magician in the old sense — both scientist and artist. He uses both disciplines to create a compelling, fresh look at the quantum world. A fantastic read for students of reality.' -- Gwyneth Lewis, author of Sunbathing in the Rain
'Michael Brooks is the canniest science writer around. He writes, above all, with attitude.' * The Independent *
'Brooks communicates difficult stuff in an amiable and lucid manner.' * New Statesman *
'[Brooks's] history of [quantum theory] and his sketches of its principals — Einstein, Schrodinger, Bohr — are swift and precise, but he really shines in his lucid discussions of theory and experiment.' * Financial Times *
'4 stars ... Cardano turns out to be an intriguing figure, deserving of Brooks' obsession ... [they] make for very entertaining and illuminating companions.' * The Mail on Sunday *
'An enthralling biography of the polymath Jerome Cardano, which doubles as a primer on the strangeness of quantum physics ... This vivid book offers belated recompense to a gambler who lost more than he won in an eventful and turbulent life.' * The Sunday Times *
'This beautifully written book is a kind of experimental scientific biography that mashes up science with what seems to be non'science, the better to explore the boundaries of what we still don't know … a quite superb book.' * The Guardian *
'A beautifully novelistic fusion of physics and biography.' * The Daily Telegraph *
'This unconventional biography reads like a playful, postmodern novel full of ambition, intrigue, tragedy and an amazing array of scientific discoveries … a risky conceit but Brooks pulls it off magnificently.' * The Sydney Morning Herald *
'Brooks is an exemplary science writer. His explanations have the sort of clarity you often yearn for when you read about science, but rarely find.' * The Daily Telegraph *
'[A] fascinating and accessible primer on some of the meatiest and most controversial ideas in modern science … Brooks is known for his ability to explain difficult science to non-specialist audiences, and his passionate interest in quantum physics and history animates every page of this engrossing book.' * The Saturday Paper *
'The premise of Michael Brooks's book linking Cardano and quantum physics is bonkers but curiously effective.' * New Statesman *
'The most original non-fiction book I've read in years.' -- Andrea Wulf, author of The Invention of Nature and Founding Gardeners
'This is one of the best & imaginative non-fiction books I've ever read. Hands down. US readers ... I promise. Absolutely fantastic.' -- Andrea Wulf

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