The Art of Physics

A deeply personal and thoroughly entertaining tour of life, the universe, and everything.

'Exceptionally interesting' - Alain de Botton

'Fascinating ... You'll never again view your own world in quite the same way. A delight to read' - Ian Stewart

'A book that will transform how you understand human behaviour' - Thomas Erikson

Can physics change your life? It already has.

In The Art of Physics, Zahaan Bharmal explains eight ideas from physics that have transformed his view of everyday life and will do the same for you.

Far from being abstract, he argues, physics can help us answer very human questions, questions like: Why are some relationships unstable, while others last a lifetime? Why does inequality persist? And why do we all make so many irrational decisions?

Drawing on quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, chaos and complexity theory, materials science and more, The Art of Physics reveals the hidden, surprising, and sometimes beautiful ways in which physics can help us to make sense of an unpredictable world. Ultimately, it shows how by embracing the paradoxes and uncertainty at the core of physics, we can unlock a deeper understanding of ourselves and our universe.

A deeply personal and thoroughly entertaining tour of life, the universe, and everything.

About the Author

Zahaan Bharmal read Physics at the University of Oxford. His early career was spent as a policy adviser and speech-writer for the British Government and the World Bank. He studied as a Fulbright Scholar at Stanford University where he earned an MBA. Since graduating, he has worked for Google, based in London and Silicon Valley, and is currently a senior director of strategy.

Outside work, Zahaan writes about science for The Guardian and has won NASA's Exceptional Public Achievement Medal for services to science communication. He is a trustee of the National Autistic Society and lives in Yorkshire with his wife and two young sons.