For this assignment, I read Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, by Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli, translated by Simon Carnell and Erica Segre. The book was originally written in Italian in 2014 and translated into English in 2015. I read the book on my computer as a PDF while also listening to the audiobook and following along. It took me three days to complete the book, reading two chapters each day. 

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics breaks down major 20th-century scientific revolutions into easy-to-understand ideas. Rovelli talks about relativity, quantum mechanics, quantum gravity, the universe, black holes, and more. He begins with Einstein’s theory of relativity, explaining how space and time are connected and affected by gravity, with examples. The next topic introduced was quantum mechanics, showing how the microscopic world behaves differently than in our everyday lives. Rovelli also discusses the structure of the  

universe, the particles that make up matter, and how each scientific discovery reveals how much we still do not know. The sixth lesson explores time, probability, and black holes, challenging the idea that time works exactly how we experience it. Lastly, Rovelli’s final lesson is about human existence and how we are made of the same fundamental matter as the rest of the universe. 

After reading the book, I found some topics interesting and explained in a way that made sense, but others were not as enjoyable to read. The scientific theories Rovelli explained seemed reliable and well supported. I found Rovelli’s explanations of the cosmos and the different beliefs over the years easy to understand. However, I struggled to stay interested throughout the book because some concepts weren’t that interesting, and he explained them in a complicated way. The book was more educational than entertaining, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if the topics were explained with more examples or in a more engaging way. Overall, I found the book credible and informative, but only somewhat interesting.