recommended books quantum mechanics

Best Quantum Physics Books

Discover the wonders of quantum physics through this list of essential reads, distinguished and ranked based on their popularity in science-related articles..

100 Best Quantum Mechanics Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best quantum mechanics books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

A Brief History of Time

Stephen Hawking | 5.00

Richard Branson Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Dan Hooper Everybody knows Hawking’s greatest contributions: understanding that black holes radiate light and other particles, that they contain entropy and all these things that no one imagined before him. Hawking and Roger Penrose also worked out the Big Bang singularity, the very moment of creation. To hear him describe some of these things with his own word choices, his own phrasing—not to mention his... (Source)

Adam Hart-Davis When Stephen Hawking wrote A Brief History of Time..his publisher told him that every equation he left in would halve the number of readers (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Quantum Mechanics

The theoretical minimum.

Leonard Susskind | 4.92

Eric Weinstein [Eric Weinstein recommended this book on Twitter.] (Source)

The Elegant Universe

Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Brian Greene | 4.75

Mark Kurlansky I love this book. Brian Greene makes quantum physics and Einstein’s theory of relativity really make sense, so you can understand something which nobody seems to understand (Source)

Tom Clarke This book is perhaps the public debut of string theory – an attempt to explain how the best of the big and the small theories might be linked to explain the entire universe. (Source)

Steven Gubser The book works at many levels – I gave a copy to my mom when it came out, and I also received very positive impressions about the book from Norman Ramsey, who is a Nobel Prize physicist at Harvard. So it’s a great achievement, and part of why it’s a great achievement is that it covers not only string theory but also the accepted pillars of 20th-century theoretical physics, namely, quantum... (Source)

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

Adventures of a Curious Character

Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings, Albert R. Hibbs | 4.72

Sergey Brin Brin told the Academy of Achievement: "Aside from making really big contributions in his own field, he was pretty broad-minded. I remember he had an excerpt where he was explaining how he really wanted to be a Leonardo [da Vinci], an artist and a scientist. I found that pretty inspiring. I think that leads to having a fulfilling life." (Source)

Larry Page Google co-founder has listed this book as one of his favorites. (Source)

Peter Attia The book I’ve recommended most. (Source)

QED: The Strange Theory of Light & Matter

Alix G. Mautner Memorial Lectures

Richard P. Feynman | 4.68

Marcus Chown When Feynman was at Cal Tech, this wealthy couple who’d grown up in the same New York neighbourhood as he had said, Look, you’ve won this Nobel Prize, now explain to ordinary people what for. And Feynman said, No, it’s too complicated. But eventually he did this series of public lectures, and that was the book. It’s a tiny book and in it he describes the whole of quantum electrodynamics without a... (Source)

Ryan Shea @jaltma @AriannaSimpson Incredible book. Perhaps my favorite physics book. (Source)

His Life and Universe

Walter Isaacson | 4.67

Bill Gates [On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011.] (Source)

Elon Musk I didn't read actually very many general business books, but I like biographies and autobiographies, I think those are pretty helpful. Actually, a lot of them aren't really business. [...] I also feel it’s worth reading books on scientists and engineers. (Source)

Scott Belsky [Scott Belsky recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show".] (Source)

What is Real?

The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics

out of 5 stars20 | 4.60

Brian Cox This great podcast from @seanmcarroll talking to David Albert about the measurement problem in Quantum Mechanics introduced me to a terrific book - What is Real? by Adam Becker. It’s fascinating on the history of QM, Bell’s theorem, Many Worlds .... https://t.co/Cl5cNMbjPq (Source)

Something Deeply Hidden

Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime

Sean Carroll | 4.53

Ezra Klein This is a good place to recommend @seanmcarroll's new book "Something Deeply Hidden," which is great if you like feeling very confused about the nature of reality, which I guess I do https://t.co/C2gfupSJAO (Source)

Reality Is Not What It Seems

The Journey to Quantum Gravity

Carlo Rovelli, Simon Carnell, Erica Segre | 4.51

Caspar Henderson He’s got a good, simple style, and he has a great capability to explain. (Source)

The Fabric of the Cosmos

Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality

Brian Greene | 4.41

Walter Isaacson This is the clearest explanation of Newton and Einstein available, and Greene does it with a great sense of humour and wonderful visual thought experiments. (Source)

Sean M Carroll It covers issues that don’t get attention in other places, such as the nature of time, the nature of space and really gives you a profound understanding of the universe. (Source)

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The Beginning of Infinity

Explanations That Transform the World

David Deutsch | 4.40

Mark Zuckerberg Reading has given me more perspective on a number of topics — from science to religion, from poverty to prosperity, from health to energy to social justice, from political philosophy to foreign policy, and from history to futuristic fiction. This challenge has been intellectually fulfilling, and I come away with a greater sense of hope and optimism that our society can make greater progress in... (Source)

Chris Anderson A remarkable argument for the power of knowledge—as not just a human capability but as a force that shapes the universe. (Source)

Einstein, Bohr, and the Great Debate about the Nature of Reality

Manjit Kumar | 4.40

K Ken Nakamura I just finish reading this book. Good survey of the history of the Quantum Mechanics from Planck to Bell. Now I must read Mehta's book (The Historical Development of Quantum Theory) next. https://t.co/t37VfBCD2Y (Source)

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

David J. Griffiths | 4.40

Beyond Weird

Why Everything You Thought You Knew about Quantum Physics Is Different

Philip Ball | 4.36

Jim Al-Khalili There is certainly no shortage of books out there all vying for the title of best demystifier of this counterintuitive, yet powerful, theory of the subatomic world. Philip Ball’s book, which has received much praise since it was published last year, is one of the most lucid and enlightening books on the nature of reality of the quantum world that I have ever read. (Source)

Kirk Borne Why the Many-Worlds Interpretation (the idea that the universe splits into multiple realities) Has Many Problems — it is essentially “incoherent” and “beyond weird”: https://t.co/EGRKmPX8Hy #physics ——— See this interesting book: https://t.co/a1XSLzNeeL https://t.co/pAzfxv4Xob (Source)

The Big Picture

On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

Sean Carroll | 4.35

Elon Musk Highly recommend. (Source)

Dan Hooper Most physicists think they’re good at philosophy when they’re actually terrible at it. That’s why I thought The Big Picture really stood out. It’s asking questions that philosophers of science might ask, from the perspective of a physicist who is also informed as a philosopher. (Source)

K Ken Nakamura I finished "The BIG Picture" by @seanmcarroll It is a great book, must read for everyone. I have 2 comments: 1) In P134, the author implied that even History can be considered a science, which was quite surprise for me. (to be continued) https://t.co/NVKKA7qxpB (Source)

Principles of Quantum Mechanics

R. Shankar | 4.35

A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the Tenth Dimension

Michio Kaku | 4.34

Quantum Computation and Quantum Information

Michael A. Nielsen, Isaac L. Chuang | 4.32

Chris Bernhardt Anyone who is seriously getting into quantum computation uses this book. It is the Bible and it’s an enormous book, some 700 pages long. It’s very well written, though mathematically it’s at a slightly higher level than the others I’ve recommended. This is really a book for someone who seriously wants to get into quantum computing. (Source)

The Hidden Reality

Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

Brian Greene | 4.31

The Principles of Quantum Mechanics

P. A. M. Dirac | 4.31

Dark Matter

Blake Crouch | 4.31

Jacqui Pretty When it comes to fiction, there are so many to choose from! Some books I've loved in the past year include Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. (Source)

The Strangest Man

The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom

Graham Farmelo | 4.30

Marcus Chown Graham Farmelo said that he’d never met anyone – even in Bristol where Paul Dirac grew up and lived – who’d ever heard of him: the greatest English physicist since Newton! (Source)

Pedro G Ferreira Out of a fascination with mathematical beauty Dirac discovered the natural world. (Source)

Six Easy Pieces

Essentials of Physics By Its Most Brilliant Teacher

Richard P. Feynman | 4.29

Kate Lee (St Paul's Girls' School) Feynman could write about difficult physics and teach it in a way that no one else could. He is widely regarded as one of the best physics teachers of all time. His discussions of Newtonian gravitation and how we came to it, phenomena like tides, and how you can measure the speed of light by observing Jupiter’s moons are described with such humour and clarity. He conveys the excitement of physics (Source)

A Tale for the Time Being

Ruth Ozeki | 4.29

Concepts and Applications

Nouredine Zettili | 4.28

Modern Quantum Mechanics

J. J. Sakurai | 4.27

The Black Hole War

My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics

Leonard Susskind | 4.25

Sean M Carroll This book discusses some of the deepest features of the laws of nature. (Source)

You Need To Know This Stuff

Craig Jackson | 4.25

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 3

Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands | 4.23

Why Does E=mc²? (And Why Should We Care?)

Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw | 4.23

Philip Plait This book, written by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, is wonderful. Brian, who is a friend of mine, is a physicist in England. By exploring the equation “energy equals mass times the speed of light squared”, this book helps you to understand why the universe is what it is. (Source)

Phil Plait “Why Does E=mc^2” is a *great* book. It’s short, well-written, and makes it a lot easier to understand just why the speed of light is what it is. https://t.co/nfuYjouX0r (Source)

Quantum Mechanics and Path Integrals

Richard P. Feynman, A. R. Hibbs | 4.23

No-Nonsense Classical Mechanics

A Student-Friendly Introduction

Jakob Schwichtenberg | 4.23

The Feynman Lectures on Physics Vol 1

Bill Gates You don't have to take a course [to learn physics]. If you're hardcore, read the Feynman book and do the problems. (Source)

Quantum Enigma

Physics Encounters Consciousness

Bruce Rosenblum, Fred Kuttner | 4.23

A Universe from Nothing

Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing

Lawrence M. Krauss, Richard Dawkins | 4.22

L'ordine del tempo

Carlo Rovelli | 4.22

Jim Al-Khalili Because they are translated from the original Italian, Rovelli’s books retain a beautiful poetry which, combined with his deep knowledge of fundamental physics, make for a wonderfully charming mix. (Source)

The Fabric of Reality

The Science of Parallel Universes--and Its Implications

David Deutsch | 4.21

Chris Anderson I honestly think it was reading [this book] that finally gave me the courage, 18 years ago, to leave my company and take over leadership of TED. (Source)

Parallel Worlds

A Journey through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos

Michio Kaku | 4.20

Life on the Edge

The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology

Johnjoe McFadden, Jim Al-Khalili | 4.19

Vinod Khosla Each chapter illustrates one of life’s puzzles and makes you think differently about the world. (Source)

Dancing Wu Li Masters

An Overview of the New Physics (Perennial Classics)

Gary Zukav | 4.18

The Universe in a Nutshell

Stephen William Hawking | 4.17

Introducing Quantum Theory

A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

J.P. McEvoy | 4.17

Quantum theory confronts us with bizarre paradoxes which contradict the logic of classical physics. At the subatomic level, one particle seems to know what the others are doing, and according to Heisenberg's "uncertainty principle", there is a limit on how accurately nature can be observed. And yet the theory is amazingly accurate and widely applied, explaining all of chemistry and most of physics. "Introducing Quantum Theory" takes us on a step-by-step tour with the key figures, including Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrodinger. Each contributed at least one crucial concept to...

Quantum theory confronts us with bizarre paradoxes which contradict the logic of classical physics. At the subatomic level, one particle seems to know what the others are doing, and according to Heisenberg's "uncertainty principle", there is a limit on how accurately nature can be observed. And yet the theory is amazingly accurate and widely applied, explaining all of chemistry and most of physics. "Introducing Quantum Theory" takes us on a step-by-step tour with the key figures, including Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrodinger. Each contributed at least one crucial concept to the theory. The puzzle of the wave-particle duality is here, along with descriptions of the two questions raised against Bohr's "Copenhagen Interpretation" - the famous "dead and alive cat" and the EPR paradox. Both remain unresolved.

The Particle at the End of the Universe

How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World

Sean Carroll | 4.17

In Pursuit of the Unknown

17 Equations That Changed the World

Ian Stewart | 4.17

Nick Higham He is a brilliant writer and one of the most famous people in the world for popularising mathematics. (Source)

Ante Shoda This is written by a professor of mathematics from the United Kingdom, and it describes a number of mathematical breakthroughs and their consequences related to engineering and the practical usage of mathematics in machines and other things that we use every day. It’s a great introduction to the underlying principles of engineering. (Source)

Physics of the Impossible

Michio Kaku | 4.16

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

Chad Orzel | 4.16

Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics

Frederick W. Byron and Robert W. Fuller | 4.16

The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe

Lynne McTaggart | 4.16

Neal Stephenson | 4.16

The Hidden Domain

Home of the Quantum Wave Function, Nature's Creative Source

Norman Friedman | 4.15

Schrödinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality

Solving the Quantum Mysteries

John Gribbin | 4.15

Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality illuminates the world's most intriguing and enigmatic scientific phenomenon - and shows how the "impossible dreams" of such legendary scientists as Bohr, Feynman, and Einstein may soon become reality.

The Life and Science of Richard Feynman

James Gleick | 4.15

Naval Ravikant I’ve been reading Perfectly Reasonable Deviations, and I’ve also been rereading Genius. (Source)

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

Carlo Rovelli | 4.14

Naval Ravikant I’ve read that one at least twice. (Source)

The Illustrated A Brief History of Time/The Universe in a Nutshell

Stephen Hawking | 4.13

The Future of Humanity

Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality and Our Destiny Beyond Earth

KAKU MICHIO | 4.13

Physics and Philosophy

The Revolution in Modern Science

Werner Heisenberg | 4.12

A Guide for the Perplexed

Dr. Jim Al-Khalili | 4.12

What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality

William Arntz, Betsy Chasse, Mark Vicente, Jack Forem | 4.12

The Physics of God

Unifying Quantum Physics, Consciousness, M-Theory, Heaven, Neuroscience and Transcendence

Joseph Selbie and Amit Goswami PhD | 4.12

The Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics

Belal E. Baaquie | 4.11

Lost in Math

How Beauty Leads Physics Astray

Sabine Hossenfelder | 4.11

Barbara Kiser This is a firecracker of a book—a shot across the bows of theoretical physics. Sabine Hossenfelder, a theoretical physicist working on quantum gravity and blogger, confronts failures in her field head-on. (Source)

In Search of Schrödinger's Cat

Quantum Physics and Reality

John Gribbin. | 4.11

Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics

J. S. Bell | 4.11

Problem Solving in Quantum Mechanics

From Basics to Real-World Applications for Materials Scientists, Applied Physicists, and Devices Engineers

Marc Cahay and Supriyo Bandyopadhyay | 4.11

The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics

The Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics in Historical Perspective

Max Jammer | 4.10

Jim Baggott You can’t have a conversation about quantum theory without introducing some arguments and points that are really philosophical in nature. (Source)

Lectures on Quantum Mechanics

Paul A. M. Dirac | 4.09

The Grand Design

Stephen Hawking | 4.09

Benjamin Humphrey This book covers the history of the science behind the universe. Hawking is a good writer, and he has a knack for explaining complex concepts in smart metaphors. I like the book (and his other work) because it really hammers home the cosmic scale and how little time we all have to make an impact and enjoy our life. (Source)

The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics

A Math-Free Exploration of the Science that Made Our World

James Kakalios | 4.09

The Power of Eight

Harnessing the Miraculous Energies of a Small Group to Heal Others, Your Life, and the World

Lynne McTaggart | 4.09

Spontaneous Evolution

Our Positive Future and a Way to Get There From Here

Bruce H. Lipton and Steve Bhaerman | 4.08

Moving Through Parallel Worlds To Achieve Your Dreams

Kevin L Michel | 4.08

Lectures on Quantum Theory

Mathematical and Structural Foundations

Chris J Isham | 4.08

Thirty Years that Shook Physics

The Story of Quantum Theory

George Gamow | 4.07

The Quantum and the Lotus

A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet

Matthieu Ricard, Trinh Xuan Thuan | 4.07

Eric Ripert Explore the connections between science and Buddhist philosophy. (Source)

Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You

Marcus Chown | 4.07

QUANTUM PHYSICS for Beginners in 90 Minutes without Math

All the major ideas of quantum mechanics, from quanta to entanglement, in simple language

Modern Science | 4.06

Modern Quantum Chemistry

Introduction to Advanced Electronic Structure Theory

Attila Szabo, Neil S. Ostlund | 4.06

The Ghost in the Atom

A Discussion of the Mysteries of Quantum Physics

P. C. W. Davies | 4.06

Vlatko Vedral The Ghost in the Atom. This was actually a sequence of radio interviews recorded by Paul Davies, who’s probably the best populariser of physics we have. (Source)

The Theory of Everything

The Origin and Fate of the Universe

Stephen W. Hawking, S. W.;Hawking | 4.06

Course of Theoretical Physics: Vol. 3, Quantum Mechanics

Non-Relativistic Theory

L. D. Landau and L. M. Lifshitz | 4.04

Wholeness and the Implicate Order

David Bohm | 4.04

What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics

Leonard Susskind | 4.04

Science and the Akashic Field

An Integral Theory of Everything

Ervin Laszlo | 4.03

Quantum Physics

What Everyone Needs to Know(r)

Michael G. Raymer | 4.03

The Intention Experiment

Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World

Lynne McTaggart | 4.02

The Quantum Story

A History in 40 Moments

Jim Baggott | 4.02

Freeing Your Child from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A Powerful, Practical Program for Parents of Children and Adolescents

Tamar E. Chansky | 4.02

Neurobiology of “We,” The

How Relationships, the Mind, and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are

Daniel J. Siegel | 4.02

The Quantum Universe

Everything That Can Happen Does Happen

Brian Cox | 4.02

The Dreams That Stuff Is Made Of

The Most Astounding Papers of Quantum Physics--and How They Shook the Scientific World

Stephen Hawking | 4.02

Albert Einstein called the first discoveries that launched quantum physics “spooky," as they suggested a random universe that seemed to violate the laws of common sense. Now bestselling author and physicist Stephen Hawking introduces the nonscientific reader to this fascinating and befuddling world. This collection gathers together the most important papers on quantum physics, including the scholarship of Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Ervin Schrodinger, and Richard Feynman. This is the first time all of these important works have been together in one volume—with an...

Albert Einstein called the first discoveries that launched quantum physics “spooky," as they suggested a random universe that seemed to violate the laws of common sense. Now bestselling author and physicist Stephen Hawking introduces the nonscientific reader to this fascinating and befuddling world. This collection gathers together the most important papers on quantum physics, including the scholarship of Niels Bohr, Max Planck, Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, Ervin Schrodinger, and Richard Feynman. This is the first time all of these important works have been together in one volume—with an introduction by today’s greatest living scientist.

The Idea of the World

A Multi-Disciplinary Argument for the Mental Nature of Reality

Bernardo Kastrup | 4.02

The Many Worlds of Hugh Everett III

Multiple Universes, Mutual Assured Destruction, and the Meltdown of a Nuclear Family

Peter Byrne | 4.01

Mr Tompkins in Paperback (Canto Classics)

George Gamow | 4.01

The Meaning of Quantum Theory

A Guide for Students of Chemistry and Physics

Jim Baggott | 4.01

The Quantum Theory of Fields

Volume I, Foundations

Steven Weinberg | 4.01

Quantum Theory

Concepts and Methods

A. Peres | 4.00

Alice in Quantumland

An Allegory of Quantum Physics

Robert Gilmore | 4.00

Quantum Processes Systems, and Information

Benjamin Schumacher, Michael Westmoreland | 4.00

Leadership and the New Science Revised

Discover- Ing Order in a Chaotic World

Margaret J. Wheatley | 4.00

A quantum mechanics primer

Daniel T Gillespie | 4.00

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• technology & engineering

Mastering Quantum Mechanics

Essentials, Theory, and Applications

by Barton Zwiebach

ISBN: 9780262046138

Pub date: April 12, 2022

• Publisher: The MIT Press

1104 pp. , 8 x 10 in , 248 b&w illus.

ISBN: 9780262366892

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4 months: $55.00, 12 months: $77.00.

• 9780262046138
• Published: April 2022

$110.00

• 9780262366892

$109.99

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• Description

A complete overview of quantum mechanics, covering essential concepts and results, theoretical foundations, and applications.

This undergraduate textbook offers a comprehensive overview of quantum mechanics, beginning with essential concepts and results, proceeding through the theoretical foundations that provide the field's conceptual framework, and concluding with the tools and applications students will need for advanced studies and for research. Drawn from lectures created for MIT undergraduates and for the popular MITx online course, “Mastering Quantum Mechanics,” the text presents the material in a modern and approachable manner while still including the traditional topics necessary for a well-rounded understanding of the subject. As the book progresses, the treatment gradually increases in difficulty, matching students' increasingly sophisticated understanding of the material.

Part 1, on essentials, offers a sound introduction to the subject, touching on such topics as states and probability amplitudes, the Schrödinger equation, energy eigenstates of particles in potentials, the hydrogen atom, and spin one-half particles. Part 2, on theoretical foundations, covers mathematical tools, the pictures of quantum mechanics and the axioms of quantum mechanics, entanglement and tensor products, angular momentum, and identical particles. Part 3, on applications, introduces tools and techniques that help students master the theoretical concepts with a focus on approximation methods. About 240 exercises appear throughout the text, and nearly 300 end-of-chapter problems support the understanding of the subject. After mastering the material in this book, students will have the strong foundation in quantum mechanics that is required for graduate work in physics.

Barton Zwiebach is Professor of Physics at MIT. His research is in theoretical particle physics and string theory, and he is the author of the undergraduate textbook A First Course in String Theory . The creator and lead instructor for the popular MITx “Mastering Quantum Mechanics” course, he taught undergraduate quantum mechanics at MIT from 2010 to 2020.

“Zwiebach's book stands out from the many other undergraduate quantum textbooks on the market in the unmatched clarity and attention to detail of the exposition, as well as in its coverage of important modern topics like quantum computation and information.” Matthew Headrick, Professor of Physics, Brandeis University

Additional Material

Errata list for Mastering Quantum Mechanics

OpenCourseWare Quantum Physics I

OpenCourseWare Quantum Physics II

OpenCourseWare Quantum Physics III

Barton Zwiebach's edX Courses

Table of Contents

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12 Best Quantum Mechanics Books of All Time

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Last Updated: Monday 1 Jan, 2024

• Best Quantum Mechanics Books

Quantum Mechanics

The theoretical minimum.

Leonard Susskind

Something Deeply Hidden

Quantum worlds and the emergence of spacetime.

Sean Carroll

The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

Richard P. Feynman

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

Beyond Weird

Why everything you thought you knew about quantum physics is different.

Philip Ball

Concepts and Applications

Nouredine Zettili

Introduction to Quantum Mechanics

David J. Griffiths

The Problem of Time

Quantum mechanics versus general relativity.

Edward Anderson

Quantum Reality

The quest for the real meaning of quantum mechanics.

Jim Baggott

A Modern and Concise Introductory Course

Quantum Field Theory and the Standard Model

Matthew D. Schwartz

Fundamental

How quantum and particle physics explain absolutely everything.

• Quantum Mechanics Books - Sanfoundry www.sanfoundry.com
• 100 Best Quantum Mechanics Books of All Time (Updated for 2021) www.shortform.com
• 5 Best Books To Study Quantum Mechanics | by Sunny Labh | Medium piggsboson.medium.com
• The 10 Best Quantum Mechanics Books interestingengineering.com
• Best Quantum Mechanics Book for Self-study [Top 20 List] studynewsonline.com

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Quantum mechanics, by albert messiah.

It’s counterintuitive and weird but we’ve learned to accept it. Quantum mechanics is hugely accurate – most of modern scientific development is based on it and on what it tells us about the subatomic world, but at its heart it says that an atom can be in two places at once. We’ve learned to live with that.

Recommendations from our site

“It’s counterintuitive and weird but we’ve learned to accept it. Quantum mechanics is hugely accurate – most of modern scientific development is based on it.” Read more...

Physics Books that Inspired Me

Jim Al-Khalili , Physicist

Our most recommended books

On liberty by john stuart mill, war and peace by leo tolstoy, middlemarch by george eliot, nineteen eighty-four by george orwell, the odyssey by homer and translated by emily wilson, the confessions by augustine (translated by maria boulding).

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Learn Quantum Physics with Fun and Ease

Recommended Quantum Mechanics Books

In the following, we show you which quantum mechanics books we love. We also tell you for whom we think the respective books will be the best fit. After all, different books are suitable for amateur scientists and physics students. For more information about the details of the books, check our page with  quantum physics book reviews .

Quantum Physics Books for Beginners – with Nearly No Formulas

The following books contain hardly any formulas. They are, therefore, suitable for all laymen interested in quantum physics. No strong math background is needed!

How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog

Author: Chad Orzel Language: English Pages: 256 Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.4 inches

Check it out on Amazon

The Quantum World – Quantum Physics for Everyone

Author: Kenneth W. Ford Language: English Pages: 304 Dimensions: 6.2 x 0.8 x 8.4 inches

Quantum Mechanics Books for Beginners – with Formulas

The following books do contain a lot of formulas. Therefore, they are suitable for layman or science amateurs who do not shy away when seeing formulas. They are also suitable for physics students. Note that  Quantum Mechanics – The Theoretical Minimum  could well be a first book for physics students, but it does not contain everything a physics student has to learn. For example, perturbation theory is not covered.

Quantum Mechanics – The Theoretical Minimum

Authors: Leonard Susskind, Art Friedman Language: English Pages: 384 Dimensions: 5.5 x 1 x 8.2 inches

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. 3

Authors: Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands Language: English Pages: 379 Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 11 inches

The Feynman Lectures on Physics, Vol. 3 – The New Millenium Edition

Authors: Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands Language: English Pages: 400 Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.9 x 10.9 inches

Exercises for the Feynman Lectures on Physics

Authors: Richard P. Feynman, Robert B. Leighton, Matthew Sands Language: English Pages: 320 Dimensions: 0.5 x 8.5 x 11 inches

Quantum Physics Books for Physics Students

The following books are more complete in respect to topics, but also a bit harder to digest. We, therefore, recommend them primarily to physics students, not to layman.

Quantum Mechanics, Vol. 1

Authors: Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard Diu, Frank Laloe Language: English Pages: 914 Dimensions: 6.7 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches

Quantum Mechanics, Vol. 2

Authors: Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Bernard Diu, Frank Laloe Language: English Pages: 640 Dimensions: 6.8 x 1.3 x 9.5 inches

Quantum Mechanics, Third Edition: Nonrelativistic Theory (Vol. 3)

Authors: L.D. Landau, L.M. Lifshitz Language: English Pages: 689 Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.6 x 9.7 inches

We also link to Amazon where you can buy the books. This makes life easier for you, and we can make a small commission to keep this website free of charge even without donations. Here is the official affiliate disclosure: QuantumPhysicsMadeSimple.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Note that you pay the identical price when buying through our links, not a penny more. But you do help us. We only recommend books that we really find suitable. Your trust in us means everything to us. In the following, we order the books with increasing difficulty levels, from the most difficult last.