“Reality is not what it seems,” says Italian physicist Carlo Rovelli, who, in seven simple and brief lessons, initiates us into the mysteries of matter and the universe. What is the most beautiful theory? What is space? What are elementary particles? How is the universe constructed?

“Everything is physics,” people in the sciences often say. After reading Carlo Rovelli's lessons, we agree too. Physics provides us answers not only about stars and galaxies but also about our own human nature, our free will, and our ever bottomless ignorance. It is in our nature to love and to be honest. It is in our nature to want to learn more. And we continue to learn.

Our knowledge of the world continues to expand. There are frontiers in the field of knowledge that ignite our desire. They lie in the most subtle realms of the fabric of space, in the origin of the world, in the nature of time, in the phenomenon of black holes, and in the workings of our very thoughts.

Here, at the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and beauty of the world. And it takes our breath away.

“Rovelli has the rare gift of expressing the finest nuances of scientific theories in clear and captivating language.” The Guardian

“A wonderful tribute to the scientists who have brought us so far, from Einstein and Bohr to Heisenberg and Hawking…” The New York Times

“The few pages are stereotypically the realm of poetry, but this small book shows us that science, with its curiosity, its passion for seeking what truly is, and its readiness to revise established beliefs, is a form of poetry.” Financial Times

“Few would dare to condense a century’s worth of physics knowledge into 100 pages. Even fewer would succeed with the clarity and vibrancy of Rovelli.” The Daily Herald

“Rovelli belongs to the great Italian tradition of scientific writing that encompasses culture, from Lucretius’s poetry to Galileo, Primo Levi, and Italo Calvino. Physics here becomes accessible and bright, inspired by Rovelli’s keen humanism.” The Independent

“With Seven Brief Lessons on Physics, Rovelli turned the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics into a bestseller!” La Repubblica

“A beautiful and moving book that will make you see the world with different eyes. It is wholeheartedly human yet filled with the wonder of the universe. Rovelli manages to translate the depth and breadth of modern physics into everyday language without losing any of the poetry of mathematical equations.” Jenann Ismael