Book Report: Blurb-tastic

A cosmologist, a science writer, three best-selling science fiction authors, a best-selling mystery novelist, and a Nobel laureate walk into a bar--

Oh, wait, that's not the opening to a joke. That's the list of people who have provided blurbs for my book... Kind of an eclectic bunch, but I'm pretty psyched. I'm not quite sure why the final list of blurbs gets locked in this early-- we don't even have the cover copy written yet-- but it's set now, and they look pretty good:

"Chad Orzel teases out the mysterious and seemingly incomprehensible side of advanced physics and makes it comprehensible via one-sided monologues to even the most distractible: dogs, humans, and in my case even disdainful felines or somewhat puzzled infants."

--Tobias Buckell, author of HALO: The Cole Protocol

"I've long believed that everyone should be familiar with the wonders of quantum mechanics. I had no idea that 'everyone' would include dogs! Chad Orzel's book is a fast-moving and fun introduction to some of the deepest mysteries of modern physics. And Emmy is a star."

-- Sean Carroll, author of From Eternity to Here, Cosmic Variance

"Quantum physics is perhaps the most interesting and slipperiest scientific subject; who knew that Socratic discussion with an adorable dog was the key to unraveling it?"

-- Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and co-editor of Boing Boing.

"Orzel's whimsical take on quantum physics is a delight, and Emmy is the perfect Everyman, posing the questions we'd all like to ask about the intricacies of this most esoteric of subjects."

-- Jennifer Ouellette, author of The Physics of the Buffyverse

"This charming little book is both a light-hearted and amusing way for laypeople to learn about one of the strangest and most important aspects of modern science and a great resource for practicing "quantum mechanics" who want new ideas on how to more effectively explain their work to the public."

--William D. Phillips, 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics

"Thanks to Chad Orzel and his endearing mutt Emmy, I finally understand Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle! Not to mention a few crucial ideas that Emmy grasped perhaps more quickly than I. How to Teach Physics to Your Dog is a blessing for all those who never mastered - or maybe even had the faintest glimmer about - modern physics. I can't be the only one."

-- Spencer Quinn, author of Dog On It

"My dog Kodi tells me that Chad Orzel explains physics with far more clarity and humor than I ever did, and that now she's just keeping me around for my opposable thumbs. Thanks a lot, Chad."

--John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War and The Rough Guide to the Universe

(Those are alphabetical by the author's last name, which produces a nicely random effect.)

If that makes you want to buy a copy right away, it's available for pre-order. Of course, the important thing at this point isn't whether they work to make blog readers buy copies from Amazon, but whether they work to make the buyers for Borders and Barnes and Noble want to order mass quantities...