Imagine our own minds were capable of unlocking and harnessing the energy of the invisible quantum vacuum all around us.
“Okay, I’ll admit. Without success may be an understatement. But I didn’t let almost dying stop me.”
Now imagine that the first person to actually do so was a radical extremist bent on world domination.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
Amazon recommended this one due to my browsing history— I have a thing for stories that deal with quantum mechanics. Once I dug in, though, the premise stuck with me.
The story is packed with action, but still takes the time to thoughtfully interject well-researched, plausible science to augment the story. The idea of mere humans melting mountains with their minds seems outrageous, but not only does this story pull it off, it leaves you wondering whether or not you can do the same after you put it down.
Rating (4 stars)
The science is plausible enough to appeal to the (former) physicist in me. The thrill of international power plays is more than enough to keep the pages turning late into the night. More than once I found myself reading not just the material in the book, but looking up some of the real-life non-fiction pieces the story references throughout.
Unfortunately some of the characters read a bit too plainly to justify a full 5-star rating, and the narrative definitely delves into the realm of an “unreliable narrator” to intentionally misguide the reader more than a few times.
Read this book:
If you have an idea of the weirdness that is quantum mechanics and want to let you mind wander to practical applications.
Don't Read this book:
If you hate the idea of scientifically-plausible super heroes/villains.
Once you're done, do this:
Pick up Quantum Enigma by Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner to go deeper into the science.
