Claudia de Rham has been playing with gravity her entire life. As a diver, experimenting with her body’s buoyancy in the Indian Ocean. As a pilot, soaring over Canadian waterfalls on dark mornings before beginning her daily scientific research. As an astronaut candidate, dreaming of the experience of flying free from Earth’s pull. And as a physicist, discovering new sides to gravity’s irresistible personality by exploring the limits of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. In The Beauty of Falling, de Rham shares captivating stories about her quest to gain intimacy with gravity, to understand both its feeling and fundamental nature. Her life’s pursuit led her from a twist of fate that snatched away her dream of becoming an astronaut to an exhilarating breakthrough at the very frontiers of gravitational physics.
While many of us presume to know gravity quite well, the brightest scientists in history have yet to fully answer the simple question: what exactly is gravity? De Rham reveals how great minds—from Newton and Einstein to Stephen Hawking, Andrea Ghez, and Roger Penrose—led her to the edge of knowledge about this fundamental force. She found hints of a hidden side to gravity at the particle level where Einstein’s theory breaks down, leading her to develop a new theory of “massive gravity.” De Rham shares how her life’s path turned from a precipitous fall to an exquisite flight toward the discovery of something entirely new about our surprising, gravity-driven universe.
Awards and Recognition
- A New Scientist Non-Fiction and Popular Science Books to Look Forward To
"Those who enjoy the work of James Gleick and Brian Greene will find [The Beauty of Falling] an intriguing read. At the leading edge of science, this book combines innovative research with a personal story."—Kirkus Reviews
"‘What exactly is gravity?’ is the question that drives Claudia de Rham’s explorations of the puzzling, irresistible force that governs our universe. This part-memoir, part-textbook begins with a crash course in gravity’s fundamental nature, from Newton and Galileo to black holes and dark energy. . . . The best moments, though, are when de Rham recounts her own interfaces with gravity—as a scuba diver, pilot, aspiring astronaut and theoretical physicist—giving this force an alluring personality."—Lucy Tu, Scientific American
"An excellent primer."—Dylan Neri, The Spectator
"Highlighting the main theories of gravity from Newton and Einstein to Hawking and Roger Penrose, [de Rham] produces a comprehensive overview of her scientific obsession."—Hannah Beckerman, The Observer
"[de Rham’s] sense of wonderment is infectious. . . . de Rham’s writing sometimes floats beyond gravity when considering concepts of curiosity, rules, uncertainty, perseverance, and most notably, failure. She decides that the benefit of falling is the opportunity to successfully get back up."—Tony Miksanek, Booklist
"The Beauty of Falling is a great book for young women in STEM to check out not only for interesting perspectives on gravity, but also to connect with de Rham through her story of being a woman in science."—Hailey Dickinson, Yahoo!
"[The book] describes physics in a way that is honest, clear and decidedly real. . . .An interesting story told by a warm, eager narrator."—Amy Arthur, BBC Sky at Night
“A wonderfully clear, right up-to-date account of gravity and what we have learned about it and from it.”—Jocelyn Bell Burnell, visiting professor, University of Oxford
“In this engaging firsthand account, de Rham brings the story of gravity to life, sharing her deep insights into its fundamental nature. From her highly expert vantage point, she elegantly intersperses the fascinating science with her own life story and her quest to make sense of gravity’s mysteries.”—Jo Dunkley, author of Our Universe
“I knew Claudia de Rham is a world-class physicist, and now I know she’s a marvelous writer as well. You will learn about gravity, from an astronaut’s flight to Einstein’s universe, but also beyond what we know, to the forefront of modern research. The true excitement of science shines through brilliantly.”—Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe: Space, Time, and Motion
“The Beauty of Falling takes us on an insightful exploration of gravity, from historical beginnings to the cutting-edge present. Guided by the perspective of a modern theorist, the book is a valuable read for the curious minds seeking a unique look into the heart of gravity’s mysteries.”—Sara Seager, author of The Smallest Lights in the Universe: A Memoir
“A fascinating and personal deep dive into a cutting-edge field of modern physics. De Rham’s lyrical style, with which she conveys her life story—from her peripatetic childhood and adulthood to nearly becoming an astronaut to what it means to be a woman in physics—makes for captivating reading.”—Pedro G. Ferreira, author of The Perfect Theory
“Uncommonly interesting and beautifully written.”—Dan Hooper, author of At the Edge of Time
“Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces, and yet it’s the one that shapes our universe and visibly affects our everyday lives. The significance of the attempts to fully understand gravity cannot, therefore, be overemphasized. In this book, Claudia de Rham takes us on a fascinating guided tour through those scientific endeavors.”—Mario Livio, astrophysicist and author of The Golden Ratio and Brilliant Blunders
“What a marvelous read! A book that makes gravity understandable, approachable, and enjoyable—what more can one ask for!”—Michele K. Dougherty, Imperial College London
