Treiman opens with an overview of quantum mechanics and of the strengths and weaknesses of the pre-quantum world of classical physics. He explains how and why the work of Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Schrodinger, Heisenberg, Born, and de Broglie, among others, revealed early this century that the constituent parts of atoms follow laws radically different from those of Newtonian mechanics. He reviews the governing mathematical structure of quantum mechanics, its accepted rules of interpretation, and, in particular, its implications and oddities. Treiman pays special attention to the features of the quantum world that defy everyday instinct and experience, including the wonders of particle creation and destruction, the probabilistic character of nature and the related uncertainty principle, and the remarkable fact that particles of a green species come in strictly exact copies. The book guides us through both non-relativistic and relativistic quantum theory. Treiman also touches on special relativity, the basic building blocks of matter, and the deep philosophical problems thatemerge from quantum mechanics -- notably, the question of how probabilities become facts.

Weaving together impeccable and up-to-date science, engaging writing, and a talent for clear explanation honed over Treiman's distinguished career as a physicist and teacher, The Odd Quantum is a remarkable survey of a field that changed the course of modern scientific and philosophical thought.