Everything Is Fields - by David Tong (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A leading theoretical physicist takes us on a lively tour of quantum field theory, the most fundamental description we have for what makes up the universe.

In Everything Is Fields, the leading theoretical physicist and Cambridge professor David Tong reveals a startling truth: that, at the most basic level, we are made not of particles or forces but of fields, fluidlike substances stretched throughout the entire universe. He takes us on an exuberant tour of quantum field theory, the underlying mathematical framework of our deepest description of the fundamental laws of physics. With his infectious wonder, wit, and keen appreciation of the absurdities and serendipities of his field, Tong buoys our journey through the most difficult topic in theoretical physics with lively stories of the scientists who made key discoveries along the way. He revels in all that we've learned about our world and illuminates the questions we're still trying to answer about this breathtaking vision of physics, one that describes everything from the smallest subatomic particle to the dynamics of the entire universe.

Review Quotes

"Quantum field theory is the unifying language of fundamental physics, and yet there have been few books that bring this magnificent subject to general audiences. EVERYTHING IS FIELDS does just that. With penetrating insight and an engaging style, David Tong is a masterful guide into a theory that accounts for just about everything we encounter." --Brian Greene, bestselling author of The Elegant Universe and Until the End of Time

"EVERYTHING IS FIELDS sparkles with playfulness and a fittingly beautiful coherence--each idea leads so naturally to the next that you find yourself swept along on the wave. Many great physicists have written about quantum mechanics, but no one has ever done it better than David Tong. A masterpiece--and so much fun." --Steven Strogatz, New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Powers and co-host of The Joy of Why podcast

"Quantum field theory is the deepest, most successful way we have of thinking about how Nature works. In EVERYTHING IS FIELDS, David Tong offers a fascinating and amazingly accessible look at fields, symmetries, renormalization, and all of the tantalizing secrets that physicists too often keep to themselves." --Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe series

"Atoms, molecules, and subatomic particles all arise by quantization of something more basic, the fields out of which physics is built. David Tong provides a fascinating explanation of this fundamental aspect of our modern understanding of the universe, and carries the story into the modern age and the speculative frontier." --Edward Witten, Institute for Advanced Study

"A terrific book. David Tong, a gifted expositor, has written an accessible and remarkably pain-free introduction to quantum fields, which play a central role in modern physics." --Graham Farmelo, Churchill College, University of Cambridge

"Both deeply insightful and casually readable, a rare and valuable combination for a book on such a profound topic." --Daniel Whiteson, physicist and author of Do Aliens Speak Physics?

"What a fantastic book. It captures both the insightful power of quantum field theory and the wandering uncertainty that has surrounded it since its inception. The book is joyful, irreverent, and hilarious. David Tong is a master communicator and has chosen the perfect subject. For a lay person, this is the best way to be introduced to our (current) theory of everything." --David Kaplan, physicist and producer of Particle Fever

"This book describes mind-blowing insights into physical reality at the deepest level. EVERYTHING IS FIELDS deserves wide readership." --Martin Rees, emeritus professor at the University of Cambridge and author of If Science Is to Save Us

About the Author

David Tong is a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge whose research focuses primarily on quantum field theory and its applications to diverse areas, including particle physics, gravity, string theory, cosmology, condensed matter physics, and geometry. He holds a Simons Investigator appointment and has received, among others, the Adams Prize and the Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award. The author of the recently published Lectures on Theoretical Physics textbook series from Cambridge University Press, Tong is a prolific science communicator who brings physics to life through humor, history, vivid metaphor, and a keen appreciation of the felicities (and absurdities) of his field. He lives in Cambridge, UK.