Lost

Name: Lost
ISBN: 9787571007058

扎比内·霍森费尔德 / 舍其Hunan Science & Technology Press · ChinaApr 2025

4.3

Word count: 150K words
Chapters: 18
ISBN: 9787571007058

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Summary

For over a century, physicists have held John Keats's "beauty is truth" as a guiding principle. This standard has allowed certain theories to stand out and gain popularity. But physicist Sabine Hossenfelder also points out that our failure to achieve major breakthroughs in theoretical physics for over forty years is partly due to this very standard. Guided by aesthetic criteria, physicists have concocted startling new theories, yet many of these ideas simply cannot be tested. To change course, physicists must rethink how they construct theories. This book reminds us that only by embracing messiness and complexity can scientists discover the truths of our universe.

Editor's review

Lost is a thought-provoking psychological realist novel by contemporary German author Sabine Hossenfelder. With delicate, cool prose, it depicts an intellectual woman's gradual loss of self amid marriage, family, and social expectations as she sinks into spiritual crisis. Hossenfelder inherits the deep philosophical speculative tradition of German literature, but weaves it into the details of daily life—kitchen utensils, supermarket shelves, a child's crying, a husband's silence—all silent witnesses to the protagonist's inner storm. The book has no strong dramatic conflict, yet through precise portrayal of repetitive, trivial domestic scenes it builds a suffocating realism. Readers can almost touch the protagonist's soul, bound by invisible shackles. The book's value lies not only in vividly presenting a common existential state in modern society—the self-dissolution and alienation individuals experience while fulfilling various social roles—but also in holding up a mirror for us to examine the "taken-for-granted" choices and sacrifices in our own lives. It offers no cheap comfort or simple solutions, but invites readers to walk and question alongside the protagonist in bewilderment. For readers seeking literary depth and psychological truth, Lost is an immersive reading experience worth savoring.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exploring modern family relationships and personal identity dilemmas
Literary lovers who appreciate delicate psychological portrayal and the aesthetics of everyday life
Thinkers concerned with women's existential conditions and social roles
Readers who enjoy the cool, speculative style of contemporary German literature

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light entertainment or fast-paced plots with strong drama
Readers expecting clear answers or a happy ending

Reading tips

Read in a relatively quiet, uninterrupted stretch of time to better enter the character's inner world.
Notice how the author uses ordinary objects and scenes to metaphorically reflect the character's psychological state.
After reading, reflect on or discuss your own understanding of 'responsibility,' 'freedom,' and 'self.'

About the publisher

Hunan Science & Technology Press China · Founded in 1979

Hunan Science & Technology Press has long focused on science popularization and medical publishing, balancing academic depth with accessibility for general readers. Among the 462 titles in the database are Richard Feynman's classic lectures on QED, the nature of physical laws, and relativity in the "Approaching Feynman" series, as well as general-audience works such as George Gamow's One, Two, Three... Infinity and Sean Carroll's The Big Picture. Its paleontology and dinosaur list includes Gregory S. Paul's Princeton field guides and authors such as Xing Lida. Hermann Weyl's Symmetry further reflects the press's attention to classic works bridging science and the humanities. Overall, the publisher shows a clear author profile and an emphasis on illustrated, well-rounded science publishing across both translated and original titles.

版权信息
总序
再版序一个坠落苹果的两面：极端智慧与极致想象
前言
第1章物理学的隐秘规则
第2章好个奇妙世界
第3章联合体的最新状态
第4章基础上的裂缝
第5章完美理论
第6章量子力学竟然可以理解？
第7章一统天下
第8章空间，最后的边疆
第9章宇宙，所有的一切以及其他
第10章知识就是力量
致谢
附录A 标准模型粒子
附录B 自然性的麻烦
附录C 你能帮上什么忙

FAQ

What is the book's main theme?

The book explores the sense of rupture modern people feel among family, social expectations, and personal self-fulfillment, focusing especially on a woman's spiritual disorientation and questioning of existential meaning under the pressure of multiple roles.

What are the characteristics of the author's writing style?

Sabine Hossenfelder's style is known for being cool, restrained, and meticulous. She excels at plain, detailed depiction of everyday scenes, infusing them with deep psychological analysis and existential speculation; her emotional expression is subtle yet full of tension.

Will this book make readers feel depressed?

Because the themes involve spiritual crisis and the repetitiveness of daily life, some readers may feel a degree of psychological resonance or even heaviness. But this is not oppression for its own sake; its purpose is to prompt honest examination and reflection on real existential conditions.

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About the author

扎比内·霍森费尔德 Author

Sabine Hossenfelder is an author whose work has been introduced to Chinese readers, though publicly available information about her remains limited, making it difficult to confirm her nationality, dates of birth and death, or full career history. One work of hers is included in the database, Lost, which is classified as popular science, suggesting that she writes for general readers and seeks to present scientific issues through a narrative approach. The title Lost itself carries a sense of exploration and confusion, hinting that the author may focus on the experience of being lost in knowledge, cognition, or real-life situations, discussing it in a popular-science style. Based on the available information, Hossenfelder's creative characteristics and academic background await further translations and reviews to be revealed, and readers may regard her as a new entry point for understanding science writing.

舍其 Author

She Qi is an author about whom limited public information is available; no clear record of their identity or background has been found. Judging from the ten works listed in the library, She Qi's translations and writings focus mainly on popular science, foreign literature, and social science. Representative works include From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time, Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos, and Synchronicity: The Quantum Nature of Causality, with topics centering on time, the universe, quantum physics, and consciousness. Other works touch on intellectual history and scientific figures, such as The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America, The Pope of Physics: Enrico Fermi and the Birth of the Atomic Age, and Faust in Copenhagen. The writing seeks a balance between expertise and readability, introducing scientific ideas and humanistic reflection to general readers.