Love At Absolute Zero

Jan 17, 2012 Eric rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Science types, Big Bang Theory fans

Shelves: humor

Love at Absolute Zero is a funny look at love through a scientist's hypothesis/experimentation model of dating. It's not at all my typical kind of book, but that made it more of a breath of fresh air.

There were, however, two aspects I didn't like.

1) The beginning of the first chapter, which flashed forward four months with unnecessary and heavy-handed foreshadowing.

2) The book's description, which implied the main character -- Gunnar Gunderson -- would have three days to find his soul mate. T...more

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Jul 15, 2011 Debbie Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thank you Goodreads for giving me the chance to discover this delightful book by choosing me as a winner. I was intrigued by the discription of "Love at Absolute Zero" when I saw it listed in the giveaways. Having known men like Gunnar I was eager to see what Christopher Meeks had in store for this scentifically adept but socially inept "hero". From the beginning I was captivated by Meeks main character Gunnar. I found myself pulling for him to succeed and wishing I sit him done and clue him in...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Grady rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.' Niels Bohr

The concept of marrying science and passion as the topic for a novel is a challenging one at best. And that is exactly what Christopher Meeks has succeeded in meeting in his latest novel LOVE AT ABSOLUTE ZERO. Meeks seems to mature literarily by leaps and bounds with each new book he pens. This reader became enamored of his short stories but then that little contagious virus mutated into the novel format, and where most writ...more 'Prediction is very difficult, especially about the future.' Niels Bohr

The concept of marrying science and passion as the topic for a novel is a challenging one at best. And that is exactly what Christopher Meeks has succeeded in meeting in his latest novel LOVE AT ABSOLUTE ZERO. Meeks seems to mature literarily by leaps and bounds with each new book he pens. This reader became enamored of his short stories but then that little contagious virus mutated into the novel format, and where most writers begin with the big works and then distill to short stories later (if they are able to move into that challenging realm at all), Meeks appears to have gleaned the technical virtuosity of creating characters in a minimum of space and then unfold those characters in response to the movement of the landscape of a large novel with such aplomb that he is likely to continue on his climb to one of America's more important writers this decade.

Gunnar Gunderson is a cerebrally elite physicist who at age 32 has already gained tenure at his University of Wisconsin Madison campus, teaching and immersed in a research project with partners Carl and Harry beginning with the Bose-Einstein condensate and moving toward reaching the ultra cold - Absolute Zero. Gunnar Gunderson is also relationship challenged, hopelessly naïve about affairs of the heart - an unpracticed but very sweet nerd whose preoccupation with physics has subsumed his filling out his life with love. Yet when confronted by his partners, 'He knew the way to find the right person. He should use the same approach that had always served him well: the scientific method. Use the scientific method for love.' His supportive partners disagree; 'Attraction and connection can't be explained anymore than sunspots....It's about chaos'. But Gunnar's hypothesis is that to attract someone he had to emphasize the laws of attraction: sending physical, mental, and genetic healthy signals. And from there the book takes flight on Gunnar's concept that he has three days in which to find the girl of his dreams. He decides to try ScurryDating and in order to physically become everything a girl would want he gets his teeth cleaned, then orthodontia, then hair styling and a wardrobe change and he is off to a social media convocation where he will be paired with potential dates - surely in time for his three day deadline.

But fate enters the picture and he is sidetracked by finding an attraction to one of his students, in seeing an old girlfriend Ursula who though paired at the moment might just be the one - until he meets (steps onto) Kara, a Danish redhead bombshell visiting her old girlfriend. Gunnar experiences passion and in the two weeks that Kara has before her flight back to Denmark they have a passionate affair, fall in love/lust, and make plans for Gunnar to move to Denmark where he will do a sabbatical at the highly touted Physics Institute there. Kara leaves, Ursula returns from a nursing stint in Arizona now free of her prior boyfriend and ready for Gunnar, but Gunnar is committed to his Danish pastry - until of course he flies to Denmark and discovers that Kara has fallen out of love with Gunnar and into love with another. So Gunnar is stuck in Denmark sans Kara and faces more and more alterations to his scientific hypothesis about love. The carousel keeps rotating and Gunnar seems destined to miss that golden ring and when Gunnar returns to Wisconsin he reconnects with Ursula and comes to the realization 'I tell my introductory students about certain laws of physics....They are the rules except when it comes to quantum physics, especially at absolute zero, when things change. I talk about Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. We cannot know, for instance, where an electron is at the same time in knowing how fast it is moving.' And so Meeks drops us off at the gate of life wondering how things will resolve for Gunnar. And the magical thing is that he makes us really care about this strange bright naïve nerd.

It is a given, now, that Christopher Meeks is a master craftsman as a writer. What surprises us in this novel is just how much research he's done to get the scientific part of it right. Where does all of this passionate knowledge of physics lie, knowledge that allows him to write so comfortably, opening every chapter with a scientific quote, that we novices stay on board with him? It is a gift - and one of the many that continue to emerge from the pen and mind and brilliant trait for finding the humor in life that makes him so genuinely fine a writer.

Grady Harp(less)

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Apr 20, 2013 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In an effort to be as thorough with my exploration of the romance genre as possible, I decided that the last book I'd subject myself to peruse would have a male author. It seemed only fair, really, ...even a tad bit scientific. So after a quick spin through some Goodreads recommendations I landed firmly on 'Love at Absolute Zero' by Christopher Meeks, a title where the scientific method is called out by name in the synopsis. The premise seemed lighthearted enough, promising a splash of comedy an...more In an effort to be as thorough with my exploration of the romance genre as possible, I decided that the last book I'd subject myself to peruse would have a male author. It seemed only fair, really, ...even a tad bit scientific. So after a quick spin through some Goodreads recommendations I landed firmly on 'Love at Absolute Zero' by Christopher Meeks, a title where the scientific method is called out by name in the synopsis. The premise seemed lighthearted enough, promising a splash of comedy and the plot seemed to consist of more than "girl meets boy and girl drops panties." To say the very least, it appealed to my substance-demanding side, and apropos given the summary, so I gave it a whirl.

So what were my findings? Well, some of you may be a sight bit disappointed to learn that it hasn't managed to make a romance genre convert out of me but it did help to reinforce a very important lesson, a lesson that's taken a few titles to truly solidify: Not all romance novels are bad. The trip through "Romance Land" also helped me to identify a couple of titles, and authors that I may actually seek out in the future.

But enough about the genre as a whole and more about this work by Meeks, eh? It's a solidly written work that kept my interest up until the very end, rooting for Gunnar and his mission to find a soul mate from right around page one. And let's just say that while focus of the story does eventually stray from this ludicrous three-day soul mate discovery, it shifts to a much realer, soul searching exploration that still managed to keep me chuckling. It has a diverse cast of supporting characters that never feel superfluous to the plot and a wonderful sense of place and honesty that I haven't come across particularly often.

Bottom Line: If you're a fan of books like 'Flat-Out Love' by Jessica Park this one will resonate with you. With it's offbeat sense of humor and brutally honest depictions of the kinds of people that can make up a life, it's well worth the time spent. If, however, you're more of a "girl meets boy and girl drops panties" kind of reader, well, it's probably not your cup of tea.(less)

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Mar 22, 2012 J rated it 4 of 5 stars

Christopher Meek's story starts as the tale of a physicist searching for a date in Madison and ends up crossing the Atlantic in pursuit of a woman and science. Meek's book touches on many themes in its trip from speed dating and orthodontics in Madison to culture shock and crisis in Denmark. The journey also mixes in humor, science and a supporting cast of well-written characters. Gunnar at first gives himself three days to find a woman, the time it takes to move and repair equipment for an expe...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Karielle Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog

Love At Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks
Release Date: July 22nd, 2011
Publisher: White Whisker Books
Page Count: 304
Source: From author, via Bewitching Book Tours for review, as part of the Love At Absolute Zero virtual tour

Love At Absolute Zero is the story of Gunnar Gunderson, a 32-year-old physicist at the University of Wisconsin. The moment he's given tenure at the university, he can only think of one thing: finding a wife. This causes his research to falter. With his two partners, Gunnar is...more Love At Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks
Release Date: July 22nd, 2011
Publisher: White Whisker Books
Page Count: 304
Source: From author, via Bewitching Book Tours for review, as part of the Love At Absolute Zero virtual tour

Love At Absolute Zero is the story of Gunnar Gunderson, a 32-year-old physicist at the University of Wisconsin. The moment he's given tenure at the university, he can only think of one thing: finding a wife. This causes his research to falter. With his two partners, Gunnar is in a race against MIT to create new forms of matter called Bose-Einstein condensates, which exist only near absolute zero. To meet his soulmate within three days -- that's what he wants and all time he can carve out -- he and his team are using the scientific method, to riotous results.

What Stephanie Thinks: When it comes to the social scene, particularly the female social scene, Gunnar Gunderson has never had the luck. He likes women, he's sure -- in fact, he likes them a lot -- but having grown up a dorky little science geek, as an adult, his charisma is slightly lacking to say the least.

As a character, I absolutely adore Gunnar! He's perfectly awkward and well-intentioned and adorable. I could definitely relate to some of his mishaps -- how his life never plays out the way he imagines it. Just because he's a physics professor doesn't mean he's not imaginative. And in a sad way, I learned, just because he is thirty-two, a grown man, doesn't mean he's not naïve. One too many times, he's had his heart fooled, which may be the bane of his inability to score. But he needs game, he discovers. Call it a mid-life crisis, but he needs game -- he needs a woman -- and he needs her now.

With the help of supportive (even if ludicrous) fellow-science-nerd friends, and a rock-solid mom and sis, Gunnar learns that the true meaning of love cannot be defined and planned accordingly; that the true meaning of love lies subjectively within the individual, and that it never, especially in the beginning, plays out how you will expect it to.

Meeks's writing, I feel, isn't highly laudable. I admire how he can incorporate humor and physics together into a love story (now that I think about it, that feat itself is pretty impressive), but the style is a little stiff, doesn't flow very well. Nothing that keeps me up at night. The story's very readable, though; I didn't have any trouble getting through it, and didn't have to force myself to keep turning pages.

If you're in for a rather untraditional happily-ever-after love tale with a little bit of science geek innuendo and a whole lot of genuine emotion -- something we rarely see from the male perspective, but what I think Meeks does an incredible job at conveying -- then pick up Love At Absolute Zero to give it a try!

Stephanie Loves: "'The most painful state of being is remembering the future, particularly one you can never have."

Radical Rating: 8 hearts-Would recommend to lots of really good friends. (less)

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Jan 25, 2012 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

It has been a long time since I read a book and laughed this much. The premise is fantastic-science guy searches for love using the scientific method. There is clearly 1 main character and everyone else is just a minor player, not engaging individually but make a great ensemble and the book says something about personhood. It reads a bit like a sitcom.
What made the book funny was the main character's makeover which was conducted by old professors. He did everything at once: Lasik, braces and te...more

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Nov 05, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Gunnar Gunderson is having his midlife crisis a little early. He’s just gotten tenure and suddenly he decides he needs a wife. Gunnar’s a scientist, not a romantic, so he decides to play to his strengths: he’s going to use the scientific method to help him find a wife. Even better, he’s going to find her in three days.

What follows is a little over-the-top but definitely funny. If Gunnar and his wingmen can find a study or a research paper on what attracts women, Gunnar is going to try it out. Br...more Gunnar Gunderson is having his midlife crisis a little early. He’s just gotten tenure and suddenly he decides he needs a wife. Gunnar’s a scientist, not a romantic, so he decides to play to his strengths: he’s going to use the scientific method to help him find a wife. Even better, he’s going to find her in three days.

What follows is a little over-the-top but definitely funny. If Gunnar and his wingmen can find a study or a research paper on what attracts women, Gunnar is going to try it out. Braces, eye surgery, speed dating — he’ll even talk to someone in the theater department.

He’s got just a short time to devote to his hunt for love. Gunnar and his colleagues are involved in very competitive research on Bose-Einstein condensates, which exist only at temperatures near absolute zero. Due to some logistical issues at the university, they have this little window of opportunity and they are determined to take advantage of it. Imagine a couple of the geeks you went to high school with, hanging out in the basement rec room, plotting ways to get girls to make out with them. Age them about 15 years, give them a couple of advanced degrees (but no advanced social skills) and you have Gunnar and his friends. They try to help, in their own way, but Gunnar is determined to make every step in the book.

I loved the speed-dating part of the book. The urgency, trying to make an instant good impression, reading all the scientific studies to wear the right colors and say the right things…and still managing to say the wrong thing, every time. Dating is horrible! No wonder he wants to get it over with in three days.

I could also relate to his experiences in Denmark. I’ve talked about my travels here before, and while I love seeing new places, it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. Trying to deal with a simple thing like ordering dinner when you aren’t 100% positive you know what you’re ordering? Scary stuff. But he digs right in and gives it a try, instead of slinking home a failure.

All in all, it’s a fun book about the crazy stuff we do to find love. I could applaud Gunnar’s efforts even as I was thinking “this is never gonna work!” It’s tough to try and connect with someone and it’s scary to put yourself out there, so you can’t help but root for him, even when you think he’s nuts. Using the scientific method isn’t any crazier than buying cologne with pheromones or counting on your zodiac sign to determine your compatibility. Gunnar should give hope to geeks everywhere.(less)

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Oct 16, 2011 Virginia Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, humor, philosophy, romance

With some books, you can sense in advance that you are in for a reader's treat, that you will be taken outside your normal reading zone and sent on an involving and entertaining journey through words. "Love at Absolute Zero", by Christopher Meeks, is just such a book. I knew that I would love the hero, Gunnar Gunderson, and that I would be captivated by his adventure of self-enlightenment. What I didn't know, since this was my first read from Chris Meeks, was that the author would blow me away w...more With some books, you can sense in advance that you are in for a reader's treat, that you will be taken outside your normal reading zone and sent on an involving and entertaining journey through words. "Love at Absolute Zero", by Christopher Meeks, is just such a book. I knew that I would love the hero, Gunnar Gunderson, and that I would be captivated by his adventure of self-enlightenment. What I didn't know, since this was my first read from Chris Meeks, was that the author would blow me away with his skill as a storyteller. Since Gunnar is a physicist, his thought processes center around science and logic. He even uses physics to rationalize human behavior and sexuality. For Gunnar, this is not just his profession, it's the very air he breathes. It is also very much a coping mechanism. Gunnar is not just a brainy geek. He's also a man with a good heart and a longing for love and companionship. We could not really empathize with Gunnar if we didn't understand his physics-patterned psyche, so Chris Meeks makes the science reachable for the reader. When Gunnar lectures his students, gives a speech, or discusses physics with anyone who will listen, the voice you hear is really the author making his hero more accessible to the reader. You cannot read Gunnar's misadventures without finding him endearing, admiring his intelligence, and hoping that he will finally get it right and score his happy ending. When Gunnar reaches a career and life milestone, his university tenure, he decides it's time to bring his personal life up to speed and find his perfect mate. Through scientific rationalization, Gunnar decides that he can make himself over and secure his soul mate in just three days. What he puts himself through to achieve his goal is both alarming and hilarious. I laughed out loud while reading this book, and I truly enjoyed the sense of self-ironic humor which pervaded the story line. While Gunnar was sure of his science, he often stumbled in his personal life. He was a successful man, attractive in his own way, and he was not without sexual experience. However, he was vulnerable, and when he was hurt and acted in ways totally unlike his true persona, then we hurt with him. There is a wonderful underlying wisdom in this book, an understanding of human nature and how it continually shoots itself in the foot when it is already on crutches. I very much look forward to reading more works by Chris Meeks so that I can learn things like this: "Don't dismiss the one-armed librarian." A highly recommended read.

Review Copy Gratis White Whisker Books(less)

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Oct 05, 2011 Richard rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Book Report: Gunnar Gunderson, physicist and dweeb, looks for love and finds it.

My Review: "It is impossible not to like Gunnar Gunderson," says critic Sam Sattler of Book Chase (pulled directly from the back cover of the book). I am here to tell you that it is indeed possible, nay incumbent upon, the critical reader to dislike dull, nerdly, clueless Gunnar. A Candide manqué, a feebly drawn Bertie Wooster sans Jeeves, Gunnar elicited in me no strong desires. He made me laugh exactly once: Th...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Sally Bennett rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-sally-bennett

The concept of this book is great. The execution, not so much. I finished it and put it aside for a few days to think about it and am still not quite sure what it is: romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, literary fiction? The opening section even left me expecting some kind of thriller, with Gunnar’s guilt and shame and sense that he deserved to die because “She was gone.” I thought he’d killed this unnamed woman.

This is a fast read with a lot of great aspects but needs some content editing to be...more The concept of this book is great. The execution, not so much. I finished it and put it aside for a few days to think about it and am still not quite sure what it is: romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, literary fiction? The opening section even left me expecting some kind of thriller, with Gunnar’s guilt and shame and sense that he deserved to die because “She was gone.” I thought he’d killed this unnamed woman.

This is a fast read with a lot of great aspects but needs some content editing to be truly compelling. From the confusing opening paragraph (he rushes to the toilet, faces the mirror and then turns away and becomes dizzy, opens the lid of the toilet to throw up [presumably facing it now], falls backward, and hits his head [presumably on the toilet]) to the unclear shifts of place and time, I spent too much of the book wondering what was going on.

If I had liked Gunnar the way I was intended to, I could have found some amusement in his blundering approach to love, I’m sure. But I didn’t care for his superiority, dismissiveness, and self-centeredness.

He grew up in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, but scorns the “six-pack” lives of his classmates and brands them in his mind as fat and stupid. He’s a physicist who has just gotten tenure (at a fairly young age) at the University of Wisconsin - Madison, yet he’s never been out of the country for conferences or other professional reasons. Despite his own provincialism, he’s inclined to take potshots at America, particularly rural and small-town Middle America, for failing to have a progressive Old World outlook on life; then again, he romanticizes the Midwest, for he chooses to live “on the edge of farm country” and thinks there’s “something majestic about a corn field.” He’s dismissive of the theatre and theatre people, yet one of his most trusted friends is a theatre professor, to whom he turns for advice about love (advice he largely ignores).

The women who make his short list are slender and attractive and well educated, and these factors apparently are sufficient to qualify them to be Mrs. Gunnar Gunderson. Indeed, they fit right into his philosophy, “Anything worth doing was worth doing quickly.” This supposedly intelligent, analytical man has three days between experiments to find Ms. Perfect, so he spends his time on superficial and potentially dangerous improvements: having braces applied to his teeth and getting laser surgery on his eyes, besides adopting a new haircut and clothes that make him look a decade or more younger. I don’t see the scientific method in his blundering approach, unless it’s that he intends to disprove the hypothesis that women are as easily fooled as he apparently thinks them.

I don’t want to make this a spoiler, so I’ll just say that the ending feels like it belongs in one of today’s breed of romantic comedy movies. I enjoyed the science (though the author is evidently more clear on physics than biology) -- particularly the quotations from well-known physicists and the “popular physics” approach to the undergraduate course -- but felt that the portrayal of Gunnar as a geek too naïve about modern culture to find a suitable mate was not borne out by his history with women or his supposed focus on his career.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book for review.

Editorial quibbles:
Occasional blatant foreshadowing that takes the reader out of Gunnar’s head by using omniscient voice: “Gunnar didn’t know that rushing to this meeting would become the first domino to lead him to the bathroom floor”; “Only later would he feel the force pressing back, setting into motion a cascade of changes.” If he didn't know what would happen in the future, didn't feel the oppositional forces, then the reader shouldn't either.
Too-frequent typos, including “surf at Wikiki”; “but it also it related”; “Davis Duehar” (instead of Duehr) eye clinic; “Netflicks” (instead of “Netflix”).
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Sep 23, 2011 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gunnar Gunderson is a physicist with some pretty straightforward ways at looking at the world. While his research delving into the physics of absolute zero is going very well and he’s just secured tenure at the university, Gunnar suddenly feels an intense need to find a mate and wants to act on this desire quickly. While on a small hiatus from his teaching and research, Gunnar decides to devote his three day stretch to finding a woman whom he can settle down with. But three days being what it is...more Gunnar Gunderson is a physicist with some pretty straightforward ways at looking at the world. While his research delving into the physics of absolute zero is going very well and he’s just secured tenure at the university, Gunnar suddenly feels an intense need to find a mate and wants to act on this desire quickly. While on a small hiatus from his teaching and research, Gunnar decides to devote his three day stretch to finding a woman whom he can settle down with. But three days being what it is, Gunnar finds himself in a pickle when his strange preparations for meeting the girl of his dreams don’t go as planned. However, he’s delighted when a chance encounter puts him in the way of a very attractive woman who is receptive and open to Gunnar in a way that none have been before. From the moment they meet, Gunnar and his paramour are smitten, and when Gunnar agrees to go to great lengths to be with the woman he loves, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Thus the three day courtship of his imagination takes on some huge permutations, and Gunnar begins to realize there are huge differences between love and science. In this hugely heartwarming and emotionally eloquent saga of Gunnar and the stirring of his heart, Meeks shares with us a most endearing man, looking for love and enchantment in some very unusual ways.

Every time I discover that Chris Meeks is putting out a new book, I get unusually antsy about getting my hands on it. It’s always a pleasure to discover the way in which he will capture my attention and immerse me in the lives of characters that are so complex and concrete that they are difficult to separate from their real life counterparts. Meeks is always upping the ante and outdoing himself with each successive book, growing and stretching as an author whom I’ve come to trust and admire. This latest book was different for Meeks in that he explored the human comedy and tragedy of love in a perfect arena, juxtaposing it as he did with stone cold scientific fact. It was lovely the way the immutable played against the transcendental, and the way Gunnar emotionally slid from his staunch and scientific opinions on love to a more refined and relaxed attitude when it came to taking a chance and letting the desires of his secret heart be fulfilled.

Gunnar was one interesting dude. While he’s a very successful physicist and not a bad teacher, there’s a component of his life that’s lacking, and it takes a wave of success to realize that he needs someone to share it with. He’s funny and self-depreciating, but unrealistic about love because he doesn’t understand it or how it works. Gunnar is very comfortable looking at love as a scientific problem, and because of this his attempts to solve it as such are usually impractical and don’t make a lick of sense. And when you stop to analyze what Gunnar thinks about love, it’s enough to make you question what love is and wonder if there are any universal rules that apply to love at all. Meeks subtly proposes these questions by putting Gunnar through his paces, and as the reader laughs at the improbable notions of his protagonist, there’s an element of perplexity as to why it shouldn’t be so. Discovering love isn’t like discovering a new isotope or element, but there is the same flush of initial recognition and the same enthusiasm to share your discovery with the world. For all that, love will not and cannot react in an explicit and time tested manner. For Gunnar, this is a realization that comes to chafe at him. While I could sympathize deeply with Gunnar plight, I could also laughingly relate to what he was going through at times. He had an uncanny knack in his humanness to be thoroughly affective and involving, his confusion and beliefs both charged with the spark of genuine humanness that is a hallmark in Meeks’ writing.

When Gunnar decides to immerse himself in the experience of love and to let go of the safety of some of his ideas and his world, he’s in for a rude awakening. This new twist to his love affair baffles and untethers him. Once again, Gunnar tries to insert himself into science, but this time, the results are different. One of the most elegant things about this novel was the way that science and physics were more than ideas. Not only were they solid and sculpted plot elements, they gave the narrative a push/pull between two very different ideas and schools of thought that Gunnar tried to apply to his life. When leaving science behind to venture towards love, Gunnar becomes lost and directionless and finds himself fervently wishing to be ensconced in a world he understands and feels safe to him. But unfortunately, these new directions cannot be reversed so easily, leaving him feeling unmoored and angry. Always at the back of his mind is another opportunity for love that has passed him by, and as Gunnar grows less and less comfortable with the situation, his mind wanders to places where it’s painful for it to go. It was here that Gunnar loses himself and loses his way. The tenderness and confusion of his heart was on full display, and there was an element of hopelessness and melancholy that effused this section of the book and drew me deeper and deeper into Gunnar’s heartache and grief. But no matter how deeply shattered he felt, there was a glimmering light to his personality that clued me in to not counting him out of the game just yet.

While the first sections of the book were lighthearted and comedic, the middle was more somber and reflective. Towards the end, there’s a measure of redemption for Gunnar, and there’s a sense that the time has come for this man. Gunnar’s plight is the path that will take him from the safety of ideas he can hide behind to the raw and uncharted territory of the unknown, finally landing him in a place where he doesn’t need to have all the answers and can let his heart soar. I was rooting for this man to extricate himself from the mire he had unwittingly gotten himself into, but was also appreciative that Meeks gave his character a heart that was truly ardent and that I could relate to without difficulty. As a character, Gunnar grows exponentially, and that’s something I love to see in the books I read. Plot, character and motivation combine into the perfect confection of a book that sees its readers cheering along for the underdog: a specimen who seems to have it all figured out but is repeatedly shocked when his hypothesis doesn’t lead to the desired outcome. Gunnar and his life go from looking into the yawning maw of hopelessness to landing in a harbor of contentment and fulfillment with a satisfying and well deserved conclusion. There are elements that are left up in the air, but one has the feeling that this new Gunnar will react with with a preciseness of the heart that has eluded him before.

This book was another winner for Meeks, and decidedly so. It was in scope and emotion a very different book than The Brightest Moon of the Century, but in some ways, the concern I had for Gunnar both rivaled and matched the concern I had for Edward in Brightest Moon. This is a story that is fundamentally original and inventive. It forces its reader to ask pressing questions about not only the state of the protagonist’s heart and mind, but their own, and proves to both that the ideas we sometimes hold dear may limit us in imperceptible but very life altering ways. A deeply resonant read that manages to be funny without sacrificing its gravity. Highly recommended!
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Sep 19, 2011 L_manning rated it 4 of 5 stars

Gunnar Gunderson has a lot going for him. His research is exciting, and he's just gotten tenure. He feels like something is missing though- love. Gunnar decides the best way to find a mate is to take a scientific approach. If it's good enough for physics, surely it will work equally well for love too? From Wisconsin to Denmark though, he learns that love isn't as easy to figure out. Even with some major missteps, will Gunnar be able to find love? Can finding love coincide with good research?

Thi...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Lori L (She Treads Softly) rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Love At Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks the plot is really quite simple: boy wants to meet girl. In this case the boy is 32 year old Wisconsin physicist Gunnar Gunderson. Gunnar gets tenure and decides he needs a wife. He consults with his research partners and they chart a course of action for him to find his soul mate in three days - which is all the time they are able to devote to the search while keeping to their research schedule.

The premise behind Christopher Meeks's novel Love At A...more In Love At Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks the plot is really quite simple: boy wants to meet girl. In this case the boy is 32 year old Wisconsin physicist Gunnar Gunderson. Gunnar gets tenure and decides he needs a wife. He consults with his research partners and they chart a course of action for him to find his soul mate in three days - which is all the time they are able to devote to the search while keeping to their research schedule.

The premise behind Christopher Meeks's novel Love At Absolute Zero intrigued me right from the start. I know scientifically inclined geeks rather well and will admit that I could totally see one of them seriously consider using the scientific method to find a mate. Their seriousness and ability to immerse themselves in their research combined with taking a similar approach to finding a wife is where I imagined the hilarity would ensue. I was not disappointed.

Since readers of She Treads Softly know I like science in my science fiction, you will understand my curiosity when I wondered how would Meeks approach incorporating science in an purely entertaining novel. (Be sure to come back tomorrow for a guest post by Christopher Meeks where he addresses my question about the research he did to get the scientific details down pat in the novel.) I applaud Meeks for doing an admirable job keeping the science real while at the same time not bogging down the entertaining aspects of the novel with too much information about the science.

At the opening of each chapter is a quote or law that relates to physics or science in some manner. Pay attention to them because they enhance the humor in Gunnar's search. Chapter Five opens with: "If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?" -Albert Einstein. Chapter Seven: "The great tragedy of science: the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact." -English Biologist Thomas H. Huxley. Chapter Twenty-one: "An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field." -Neils Bohr. (As many of you know, I love good quotes!)

I found Love at Absolute Zero a very quick, entertaining, and enjoyable novel. He's also quite grounded in the real world, for example mentioning the RateMyProfessor.com site, and, of course speed dating. While I will admit to one minor quibble with the novel, the sheer humor and originality more than made up for it. My minor criticism is that the scientific geeks I know also all have very well developed vocabularies that they use without hesitation. As a character Gunnar was rather plain spoken in comparison to some real life counterparts.

However, my minor complaint was all but erased when yet another funny scene occurred. My absolute favorite is in the quotes below and concerns the physicists visiting the Humanities department. Not that the novel is all humor. It is actually quite serious at times, but Meeks is a clever writer and has prefect timing - he knows when the reader needs a bit of levity to lighten up the mood. Actually, Love At Absolute Zero should be adapted to a screen play. The timing in the novel would perfectly suit a romantic comedy.
Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes.
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Aug 30, 2011 Savannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, friendship, romance, science

This was a fun book to read. It's not weighted down with all sorts of urban angst; it's not a mystery; it's not a series. In short, it's not all of the things I'm tired of and it's not in ways that are delightful and leave you glad you spent this time with this author and his characters.

I'm not especially a romance fan and don't seek them out, although a bit of romance in with other plot elements certainly doesn't put me off. But this isn't a romance per se. Instead, it tells the story of a scie...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, 2012-reading-challenges, contemporary-romance

This was a book that had me laughing and then cringing because Gunnar reminded me of some individuals I know who resembled poor Gunnar in more ways than one.

Gunnar is a scientist who can really understand anything unless it has a scientific theory attached to it. He can't understand why he hasn't attracted a woman so he decides to take the three days it will require for his lab to be moved to conduct a scientific experiment. With his friends Carl and Harry aiding him in his experimentation, Gunn...more

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Sep 14, 2011 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-on-blog, own

I really enjoyed love at absolute zero. It has been a while since I have read a good contemporary romance/general fiction book. I have been so into paranormal, that it was almost strange to just read about normal people and normal everyday life. But I really liked it. The characters are likeable (well, most of them- I hated Kara!) and I wanted Gunnar to find someone so bad! I was rooting for him the whole book.
Even though I am not a huge science person, I really appreciated how committed Gunnar...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Karen M rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ebooks, romance

I have to say I loved this book. It was both funny and a romance. Sometimes you read a book and it reminds you that you are not the only one whose history has a chapter on being broken hearted or put more plainly, being dumped but it is followed by a chapter on being hopeful and not giving up.

Our sweet scientific thirty-something year old Gunnar has reached certain goals in his life. He owns his own home, check. He just reached tenure at his university, check. He's working on a project with his...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Greg Zimmerman rated it 3 of 5 stars

"If Einstein could have sex, love and physics, so could I," intones our nerdy protagonist Gunnar Gunderson partway through Christopher Meeks' indie romp, Love at Absolute Zero. But the question is, can he really?

We spend the whole novel with Gunnar, a 32-year-old physics professor at the University of Wisconsin trying to find out. Early in the novel, Gunnar is granted tenure and decides it's time to find a wife. Luckily, that same day, he runs into a high school crush, and he's certain they are...more

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Sep 19, 2011 Kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Gunnar Gunderson is a 32 YO scientist who has had his nose in a book and head in his research his entire adult life. When he finally makes tenure, he realizes that it is time to find a wife. What better way than to use the Scientific Method. It is what any good scientist would do, right? Besides, what could go wrong? As he quickly finds out, everything!

Love at Absolute Zero is a funny, yet compelling read. Being a scientist, I liked the idea of using the Scientific Method to help find a soul mat...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Patricia Rockwell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not sure if this is romantic fiction or just light fiction. The author manages to mix philosophy into the plot seamlessly and as the story is told from the point of view of a research physicist, there's lots of commentary.

Gunnar Gunderson is a young physicist with a good teaching/research job at the University of Wisconsin. He and his team of two like nerdy guys are searching for a supposedly non-existent particle that might show up if they manage to get it cold enough (absolute zero). The parti...more Not sure if this is romantic fiction or just light fiction. The author manages to mix philosophy into the plot seamlessly and as the story is told from the point of view of a research physicist, there's lots of commentary.

Gunnar Gunderson is a young physicist with a good teaching/research job at the University of Wisconsin. He and his team of two like nerdy guys are searching for a supposedly non-existent particle that might show up if they manage to get it cold enough (absolute zero). The particle is somewhat like Gunnar's love life--zero. His knowledge of women is woefully lacking--and his Ph.D. doesn't help in this area at all. His research companions encourage him to try some of the modern inventions designed to bring the sexes together (somewhat like the particles in those atoms he studies). He tries a round of speed dating but with disatrous results. Accidentally he finds a woman and falls hard. Unfortunately, she's Danish and just as their romance starts to bubble, she has to return to her homeland. Not to be deterred, Gunnar maintains contact with her and even secures a position at a Danish university.

However, when he arrives in Denmark, the relationship has changed. Not only are his romantic hopes dashed, but he finds himself in a foreign land unable to communicate. But being the scientist he is, Gunnar is not one to let such experiences pass him by, and he begins to observe the events and people around him in an attempt to try to learn how he got himself in such a predictament and how he might improve his lot.

More catastrophes (big and little) occur before Gunnar manages to put his life together again. If this were simply a book about these life events, this probably wouldn't be much of a book, but as it's told through the eyes of this delightful, naive young physicist--we see a love story (actually several love stories) presented and dissected scientifically.

For me, the charm of the book were Gunnar's rambling mini-talks on all aspects of life, love and science. I especially loved his lecture for non-science majors and his address to the convention in Denmark. The writing is sharp and intelligent and the characters are unique. The sex scenes are probably a bit too graphic for me, but I like cozy mysteries, so that shouldn't deter too many readers. (less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Julia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I flew through this book, enjoying it all the way. It had a little bit of physics, a little bit of philosophy, romance, travel, it was great! It is the story of a physics professor, Gunnar, who decides he is ready to marry and starts a search for love. He tries to go about it scientifically, with mixed results.

I loved his attempts at speed dating. The women he meets are so over the top. His awkward attempts at casual talk are funny too. This is a man who initially finds it hard to talk to women,...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Is it possible to use science to explain and find love? And if it's possible, can the love and the researcher survive? Physicist Gunnar Gunderson is on a quest to determine the answers to these questions in Love At Absolute Zero by Christopher Meeks.

In many ways Gunnar is very naive about love and relationships. At age 32 he's only been in one serious relationship and that was broken off by his girlfriend. After receiving tenure he has decided the next logical step is to have a wife and he's det...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Wonderkell rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, literary-fiction

I have never read a romance written by a man & from the male perspective before. I have to say I really enjoyed the experience. Gunner Gunderson's round about way of finding love is at times hilarious & at times heartbreaking, but always touching. I really came to love Gunner & I really, really wanted him to find true love.

One of the other things that was great about this novel was the author's knowledge of the science that was such an integral part of the story. I don't have a scien...more

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Nov 28, 2012 Jenna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, 2012

Thank you, Goodreads, for letting me to get the chance to read and review this book! The seemingly endless schoolwork made it difficult for me to get to this book immediately, but having some time now, I managed to sit down and get through it.

Admittedly, this wasn't something I would have picked up from a bookstore. I'm not interested in physics, and I don't mind romance, but hardly ever choose novels that focus on it. I figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot though, because the description...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Sharayah rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was really disappointed with this book. I thought the interplay between romance and science would be fun in a nerdy sort of way. I think part of the purpose of this book was to compare what happens to people in love to what happens to atoms at absolute zero--they lose their individuality and have an identity crisis. This was definitely true of the main character, a thirty year old professor and researcher who can't figure out how to date, but I didn't find this character compelling, interestin...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 25, 2011 drey rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, fiction-contemporary

drey’s thoughts:
Gunnar Gunderson is a geek (yes, he is) who gets hit with the revelation that he doesn’t want to live out the rest of his life alone. So he decides it’s time to find love. But where? And how? And oh my gosh, he’s only got three days to do it!

So the scientist sets out to conquer matters of the heart, scientifically (of course). And what follows is sheer entertainment, as he sits thru speed-dating, runs into former classmates, fends off an over-zealous student, and falls–hard–for a...more

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May 18, 2011 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

First, I'm in awe of Goodreads this second. I'd been so deep into writing this book that something had to give, and that something was learning more about Goodreads. I could probably burn up my day with email and Facebook alone, let alone adding something new like Goodreads. Yet friends kept mentioning this place, and so I found my password and have decided to really explore it. I just found my profile, and two things surprised me here. One is that I didn't have to add my new novel; it was alrea...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, scientists

As someone who is a fan of love stories, science, and scientists, I was immediately drawn to the description of this book. Gunnar Gunderson is a socially awkward young physicist who decides to employ the scientific method to find a mate.

I was really pleased with how original this book felt. I haven’t read any other books with a similar plot or feeling. The writing style was well-suited to the book, and there were some laugh out loud moments. Gunnar is a truly unusual character. I’m not sure I’ve...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
A good tradition of observation-challenged males	1	5	Dec 11, 2011 12:03pm
Why is Gunnar Gunderson the way he is, and how is he traditionally and not traditionally "male"?	1	7	Jul 23, 2011 08:32am

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