Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

The Key Reference for its Field, 26 Aug 2004
A fragmentary edition of this book was published online in 1994, and has already been an academic "underground hit". The subject matter (probability as the only consistent, universal logic of uncertain inference) is relevant to nearly every field in science where evidence has to be assessed.

Edwin Jaynes was a great scientific writer and his breadth of learning, concern for real-world applications and wit clearly show through in this book. His comments on opposing views are very harsh by academic standards, but Jaynes' writing shows up how bland and how disconnected from real-world problems the academic writing on Bayesianism usually is.

This book combines two principles and shows how they can produce a Bayesian mathematical system which illuminates and unifies problems of reasoning and decision. His examples are sometimes delightfully original and range from court-room decisions to complex engineering problems.

The first principle is the Cox Proof, explained at length in Chapter 2. Probability is normally justified in terms of rational betting behaviour or in terms of sensible preferences between options. The Cox Proof, by contrast, derives probability from consistency constraints on the form of a system of inference. Hence non-probabilistic systems (such as those in orthodox statistics or fuzzy logic) are inconsistent; a very important result.

The other principle is the idea that one's expectations have an information content, which can be measured using the mathematics of Information Theory. Ideally, your beliefs should contain no more information than what is allowed by the evidence you have so far. Spelled out mathematically, this gives what is known as the Maximum Entropy (or "maxent") principle.

As a doctoral student in the philosophy of science, I found this the most useful source about induction, probability and statistics. Even though a lot of the maths was too advanced for me, Jaynes puts the mathematical proofs in context and explains why they are so important for science.

If more philosophers would read the first few chapters of this book, then a lot of collective misconceptions about probability would be cleared up and a lot of "new" discoveries would be shown to be already part of Jaynes' sophisticated system. AI researchers interested in the representation of uncertainty will also find it essential.

Really understand probability!, 30 Sep 2003
The book quotes Bernoulli (1713): "I cannot conceal the fact here that in the [application of probability theory], I foresee many things happening which can cause one to be badly mistaken if he does not proceed cautiously.", and indeed shows that throughout the history of probability theory this has happened all too often.

Jaynes starts with some deceptively simple requirements for the rules of reasoning in the face of uncertainty. He then proceeds systematically and with confident ease, to deduce the rules and practice of probability theory, showing along the way how to avoid the controversies and paradoxes usually associated with this field. He shows that these rules are the only consistent ones and any method that violates them is necessarily inconsistent.

The bulk of the book is about inference, or inverse probability problems. It is therefore highly recommended for all users of probability theory for inference. (This specifically includes engineers working on all types of automatic speech processing.) The reader is freed from the restrictive frequency interpretation of probability and can then start to develop a deep understanding of inference.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

The Key Reference for its Field, 26 Aug 2004
A fragmentary edition of this book was published online in 1994, and has already been an academic "underground hit". The subject matter (probability as the only consistent, universal logic of uncertain inference) is relevant to nearly every field in science where evidence has to be assessed.

Edwin Jaynes was a great scientific writer and his breadth of learning, concern for real-world applications and wit clearly show through in this book. His comments on opposing views are very harsh by academic standards, but Jaynes' writing shows up how bland and how disconnected from real-world problems the academic writing on Bayesianism usually is.

This book combines two principles and shows how they can produce a Bayesian mathematical system which illuminates and unifies problems of reasoning and decision. His examples are sometimes delightfully original and range from court-room decisions to complex engineering problems.

The first principle is the Cox Proof, explained at length in Chapter 2. Probability is normally justified in terms of rational betting behaviour or in terms of sensible preferences between options. The Cox Proof, by contrast, derives probability from consistency constraints on the form of a system of inference. Hence non-probabilistic systems (such as those in orthodox statistics or fuzzy logic) are inconsistent; a very important result.

The other principle is the idea that one's expectations have an information content, which can be measured using the mathematics of Information Theory. Ideally, your beliefs should contain no more information than what is allowed by the evidence you have so far. Spelled out mathematically, this gives what is known as the Maximum Entropy (or "maxent") principle.

As a doctoral student in the philosophy of science, I found this the most useful source about induction, probability and statistics. Even though a lot of the maths was too advanced for me, Jaynes puts the mathematical proofs in context and explains why they are so important for science.

If more philosophers would read the first few chapters of this book, then a lot of collective misconceptions about probability would be cleared up and a lot of "new" discoveries would be shown to be already part of Jaynes' sophisticated system. AI researchers interested in the representation of uncertainty will also find it essential.

Really understand probability!, 30 Sep 2003
The book quotes Bernoulli (1713): "I cannot conceal the fact here that in the [application of probability theory], I foresee many things happening which can cause one to be badly mistaken if he does not proceed cautiously.", and indeed shows that throughout the history of probability theory this has happened all too often.

Jaynes starts with some deceptively simple requirements for the rules of reasoning in the face of uncertainty. He then proceeds systematically and with confident ease, to deduce the rules and practice of probability theory, showing along the way how to avoid the controversies and paradoxes usually associated with this field. He shows that these rules are the only consistent ones and any method that violates them is necessarily inconsistent.

The bulk of the book is about inference, or inverse probability problems. It is therefore highly recommended for all users of probability theory for inference. (This specifically includes engineers working on all types of automatic speech processing.) The reader is freed from the restrictive frequency interpretation of probability and can then start to develop a deep understanding of inference.

Extremely concise and digestable., 09 Feb 2004
After studying most of my semester course on group theory with another text book, I bought "Groups and Symmetry" despite being initially discouraged by the high price. The book is worth the cost however - if you are studying a first group theory module. The chapters are very short and hence can be worked through thoroughly, (perhaps without doing ALL of the exercises at the end), within an hour or two each. It was rewarding to be able to get through about ten chapters in one day of revision. I found it very valuable to have such a concise book on group theory, and my exam revision was aided greatly by it. Undoubtedly I will have to find a new group theory book if I am to study it in any further modules, (as I believe I intend to), as the book has almost nothing that would be irrelivant for a first group theory course at university, (perhaps it seemed to be particularly useful to me because my lecturer referred to it regularly I believe). I do think that the book is overpriced but it is difficult to say at what point the book would have been TOO overpriced, given how useful it has been to me. The book is written in informal and comfortable to read prose.

An Easy Read, 19 May 2003
We used this book for a one quarter undergraduate class called Applied Groups. In retrospect, I should have just taken a proper algebra class as we spent too much time altogether on symmetries of dodecahedra (quite a pain to draw, BTW) and never got to point groups. But that isn't the fault of the book. It purports to cover 'groups and symmetry' after all and at that it does a relatively good job. On the whole, this book is easy to read. I would put it on a level with say, Griffiths' E and M text and Schroeder's thermo text, with Jackson's E and M text being at the other end of the scale. There are places where it gets denser for no good reason (steps left out or I could not see them) and other places where ideas and concepts are used that have not been defined. But these are few. The examples are for the most part non-trivial and illuminating. In summary, my sense is that this is an excellent way to get a foot in the door, but one would probably want to study more detailed texts later on.

First hand information, 21 Oct 2000
I am a student studying mathematics at Durham University, and Dr Armstrong lectures me for Algebra and Number Theory. "Groups and Symmetry" is the recommended course text. I can say that Dr Armstrong is a fine lecturer with a remarkable grasp of the subject. He explains things very clearly and his book is an excellent example of his work, and will aid any second year student studying group theory.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

The Key Reference for its Field, 26 Aug 2004
A fragmentary edition of this book was published online in 1994, and has already been an academic "underground hit". The subject matter (probability as the only consistent, universal logic of uncertain inference) is relevant to nearly every field in science where evidence has to be assessed.

Edwin Jaynes was a great scientific writer and his breadth of learning, concern for real-world applications and wit clearly show through in this book. His comments on opposing views are very harsh by academic standards, but Jaynes' writing shows up how bland and how disconnected from real-world problems the academic writing on Bayesianism usually is.

This book combines two principles and shows how they can produce a Bayesian mathematical system which illuminates and unifies problems of reasoning and decision. His examples are sometimes delightfully original and range from court-room decisions to complex engineering problems.

The first principle is the Cox Proof, explained at length in Chapter 2. Probability is normally justified in terms of rational betting behaviour or in terms of sensible preferences between options. The Cox Proof, by contrast, derives probability from consistency constraints on the form of a system of inference. Hence non-probabilistic systems (such as those in orthodox statistics or fuzzy logic) are inconsistent; a very important result.

The other principle is the idea that one's expectations have an information content, which can be measured using the mathematics of Information Theory. Ideally, your beliefs should contain no more information than what is allowed by the evidence you have so far. Spelled out mathematically, this gives what is known as the Maximum Entropy (or "maxent") principle.

As a doctoral student in the philosophy of science, I found this the most useful source about induction, probability and statistics. Even though a lot of the maths was too advanced for me, Jaynes puts the mathematical proofs in context and explains why they are so important for science.

If more philosophers would read the first few chapters of this book, then a lot of collective misconceptions about probability would be cleared up and a lot of "new" discoveries would be shown to be already part of Jaynes' sophisticated system. AI researchers interested in the representation of uncertainty will also find it essential.

Really understand probability!, 30 Sep 2003
The book quotes Bernoulli (1713): "I cannot conceal the fact here that in the [application of probability theory], I foresee many things happening which can cause one to be badly mistaken if he does not proceed cautiously.", and indeed shows that throughout the history of probability theory this has happened all too often.

Jaynes starts with some deceptively simple requirements for the rules of reasoning in the face of uncertainty. He then proceeds systematically and with confident ease, to deduce the rules and practice of probability theory, showing along the way how to avoid the controversies and paradoxes usually associated with this field. He shows that these rules are the only consistent ones and any method that violates them is necessarily inconsistent.

The bulk of the book is about inference, or inverse probability problems. It is therefore highly recommended for all users of probability theory for inference. (This specifically includes engineers working on all types of automatic speech processing.) The reader is freed from the restrictive frequency interpretation of probability and can then start to develop a deep understanding of inference.

Extremely concise and digestable., 09 Feb 2004
After studying most of my semester course on group theory with another text book, I bought "Groups and Symmetry" despite being initially discouraged by the high price. The book is worth the cost however - if you are studying a first group theory module. The chapters are very short and hence can be worked through thoroughly, (perhaps without doing ALL of the exercises at the end), within an hour or two each. It was rewarding to be able to get through about ten chapters in one day of revision. I found it very valuable to have such a concise book on group theory, and my exam revision was aided greatly by it. Undoubtedly I will have to find a new group theory book if I am to study it in any further modules, (as I believe I intend to), as the book has almost nothing that would be irrelivant for a first group theory course at university, (perhaps it seemed to be particularly useful to me because my lecturer referred to it regularly I believe). I do think that the book is overpriced but it is difficult to say at what point the book would have been TOO overpriced, given how useful it has been to me. The book is written in informal and comfortable to read prose.

An Easy Read, 19 May 2003
We used this book for a one quarter undergraduate class called Applied Groups. In retrospect, I should have just taken a proper algebra class as we spent too much time altogether on symmetries of dodecahedra (quite a pain to draw, BTW) and never got to point groups. But that isn't the fault of the book. It purports to cover 'groups and symmetry' after all and at that it does a relatively good job. On the whole, this book is easy to read. I would put it on a level with say, Griffiths' E and M text and Schroeder's thermo text, with Jackson's E and M text being at the other end of the scale. There are places where it gets denser for no good reason (steps left out or I could not see them) and other places where ideas and concepts are used that have not been defined. But these are few. The examples are for the most part non-trivial and illuminating. In summary, my sense is that this is an excellent way to get a foot in the door, but one would probably want to study more detailed texts later on.

First hand information, 21 Oct 2000
I am a student studying mathematics at Durham University, and Dr Armstrong lectures me for Algebra and Number Theory. "Groups and Symmetry" is the recommended course text. I can say that Dr Armstrong is a fine lecturer with a remarkable grasp of the subject. He explains things very clearly and his book is an excellent example of his work, and will aid any second year student studying group theory.

Please, please, please!!!!!!, 31 Jan 2007
Ignore Miguel's posting! Miguel, if you don't know better, please avoid writing unhelpful reviews.

It's not a book written by Brian Greene (as much as I think he's a fine physicist himself)!!! This is one of the finest books I've read. A classic by the masters: MICHAEL Green, et al.

Just say Brian Greene..., 10 Jun 2003
It's a work made by the -I think- greatest physicists right now, at least, working in advanced theoretical physics... If you can, buy it

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

The Key Reference for its Field, 26 Aug 2004
A fragmentary edition of this book was published online in 1994, and has already been an academic "underground hit". The subject matter (probability as the only consistent, universal logic of uncertain inference) is relevant to nearly every field in science where evidence has to be assessed.

Edwin Jaynes was a great scientific writer and his breadth of learning, concern for real-world applications and wit clearly show through in this book. His comments on opposing views are very harsh by academic standards, but Jaynes' writing shows up how bland and how disconnected from real-world problems the academic writing on Bayesianism usually is.

This book combines two principles and shows how they can produce a Bayesian mathematical system which illuminates and unifies problems of reasoning and decision. His examples are sometimes delightfully original and range from court-room decisions to complex engineering problems.

The first principle is the Cox Proof, explained at length in Chapter 2. Probability is normally justified in terms of rational betting behaviour or in terms of sensible preferences between options. The Cox Proof, by contrast, derives probability from consistency constraints on the form of a system of inference. Hence non-probabilistic systems (such as those in orthodox statistics or fuzzy logic) are inconsistent; a very important result.

The other principle is the idea that one's expectations have an information content, which can be measured using the mathematics of Information Theory. Ideally, your beliefs should contain no more information than what is allowed by the evidence you have so far. Spelled out mathematically, this gives what is known as the Maximum Entropy (or "maxent") principle.

As a doctoral student in the philosophy of science, I found this the most useful source about induction, probability and statistics. Even though a lot of the maths was too advanced for me, Jaynes puts the mathematical proofs in context and explains why they are so important for science.

If more philosophers would read the first few chapters of this book, then a lot of collective misconceptions about probability would be cleared up and a lot of "new" discoveries would be shown to be already part of Jaynes' sophisticated system. AI researchers interested in the representation of uncertainty will also find it essential.

Really understand probability!, 30 Sep 2003
The book quotes Bernoulli (1713): "I cannot conceal the fact here that in the [application of probability theory], I foresee many things happening which can cause one to be badly mistaken if he does not proceed cautiously.", and indeed shows that throughout the history of probability theory this has happened all too often.

Jaynes starts with some deceptively simple requirements for the rules of reasoning in the face of uncertainty. He then proceeds systematically and with confident ease, to deduce the rules and practice of probability theory, showing along the way how to avoid the controversies and paradoxes usually associated with this field. He shows that these rules are the only consistent ones and any method that violates them is necessarily inconsistent.

The bulk of the book is about inference, or inverse probability problems. It is therefore highly recommended for all users of probability theory for inference. (This specifically includes engineers working on all types of automatic speech processing.) The reader is freed from the restrictive frequency interpretation of probability and can then start to develop a deep understanding of inference.

Extremely concise and digestable., 09 Feb 2004
After studying most of my semester course on group theory with another text book, I bought "Groups and Symmetry" despite being initially discouraged by the high price. The book is worth the cost however - if you are studying a first group theory module. The chapters are very short and hence can be worked through thoroughly, (perhaps without doing ALL of the exercises at the end), within an hour or two each. It was rewarding to be able to get through about ten chapters in one day of revision. I found it very valuable to have such a concise book on group theory, and my exam revision was aided greatly by it. Undoubtedly I will have to find a new group theory book if I am to study it in any further modules, (as I believe I intend to), as the book has almost nothing that would be irrelivant for a first group theory course at university, (perhaps it seemed to be particularly useful to me because my lecturer referred to it regularly I believe). I do think that the book is overpriced but it is difficult to say at what point the book would have been TOO overpriced, given how useful it has been to me. The book is written in informal and comfortable to read prose.

An Easy Read, 19 May 2003
We used this book for a one quarter undergraduate class called Applied Groups. In retrospect, I should have just taken a proper algebra class as we spent too much time altogether on symmetries of dodecahedra (quite a pain to draw, BTW) and never got to point groups. But that isn't the fault of the book. It purports to cover 'groups and symmetry' after all and at that it does a relatively good job. On the whole, this book is easy to read. I would put it on a level with say, Griffiths' E and M text and Schroeder's thermo text, with Jackson's E and M text being at the other end of the scale. There are places where it gets denser for no good reason (steps left out or I could not see them) and other places where ideas and concepts are used that have not been defined. But these are few. The examples are for the most part non-trivial and illuminating. In summary, my sense is that this is an excellent way to get a foot in the door, but one would probably want to study more detailed texts later on.

First hand information, 21 Oct 2000
I am a student studying mathematics at Durham University, and Dr Armstrong lectures me for Algebra and Number Theory. "Groups and Symmetry" is the recommended course text. I can say that Dr Armstrong is a fine lecturer with a remarkable grasp of the subject. He explains things very clearly and his book is an excellent example of his work, and will aid any second year student studying group theory.

Please, please, please!!!!!!, 31 Jan 2007
Ignore Miguel's posting! Miguel, if you don't know better, please avoid writing unhelpful reviews.

It's not a book written by Brian Greene (as much as I think he's a fine physicist himself)!!! This is one of the finest books I've read. A classic by the masters: MICHAEL Green, et al.

Just say Brian Greene..., 10 Jun 2003
It's a work made by the -I think- greatest physicists right now, at least, working in advanced theoretical physics... If you can, buy it

Exploring the Unexplorable, 07 Jul 2003
Abbott's Flatland will always remain a classical inspiration for our understanding of higher-dimensional spaces. In drawing the analogy of the way that two dimensional people understand three dimensional space, Abbott allows the reader to ponder ways of investigating higher-dimensional space without the baggage of mathematical formalism.

However as Abbott's age and background are firmly rooted in the latter half of the 19th century, it would be thought that the finer nuances alluded to by the author would pass into obscurity. Here, the ingenuity of Ian Stewart comes to the fore. Prof Stewart refreshes Abbott's text with his annotations, detailing every minuscule reference that Abbott makes in his 19th century world. The result is an informed invigoration of a classic and opens more paths to inspiration in diverse disciplines such as theology and partical physics.

The book does require at least two readings; once for the story itself to bring alive the narrative of A Square, the second to fit in the background provided by Stewart around the story. One could almost say that Stewart uses a fourth dimension of time to expand a three dimensional tale that belongs in more dimensions.

Superb, 31 Oct 2008
This book is really well written by not just an expert in the field but someone who is able to make very complex ideas intelligable to non-specialists. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to anyone who is either interested in particle physics or like me who has to teach it!

Crystal Clear, 07 Oct 2008
Wilczek got his Nobel Prize for his part in developing Chromodynamics, the theory of quarks and gluons and their strong force interaction. In this book we get an awe-inspiring jaunt through the most modern views of the quantum vacuum (which W. calls "The Grid") and unification theories (including SUSY).

Lots of stuff I hadn't understood before - for example, the mass of protons and neutrons (actually hadrons in general) is not at all a primary attribute. Instead it's Nature's optimisation compromise between the energy in the colour field (decreases as quarks and antiquark, for example, get closer together) and the increasing energy of 'localisation' as the said quarks and antiquarks are constrained into the same place: (more precision in location means higher momentum and energy). This energy (E/c2) is what turns out to be the proton or neutron mass: the quarks and gluons themselves are almost massless.

Wilczek writes in a humorous and crystal clear way, which makes his book that rarity in popularisations - a bit of a page turner! Warning: you need to be comfortable with the conceptual basis of 'undergraduate' quantum mechanics and special relativity to engage with this book.

brilliant, 24 Mar 1999
This book was extrememly well written, I am 15 years old and understood everything clearly. A must for anyone interested in physics and to what regions physics is heading into the future.

Wait a second!, 30 Aug 1998
I felt that the book may have overstated it's content, expecting a decent description of superstring theory. This book certainly is lacking in that regard. However after reading the cover, I noticed that it doesn't promise to be that!

On the other hand, the book delivers what its cover promises: 'an exciting exursion into the discoveries that led...' to the theory of superstrings. Well, it may not be too 'exciting', but the author's enthusiasm for the subject is infective, and I found the book enjoyable to read.

To those who are looking for a complete treatment of superstring theory, I cannot reccomend this book, but if you are interested in the path taken to the theory, this may be a worthwhile read.

Promising, but unsatisfying, 28 Oct 1997
One of the better layman's books on the subject, but did not explain string theory, as it seemed to lead up to. (I know, "Beyond Einstein II"...) This seems the common approach in this tight genre. Some explanations were dead-on, while others missed the mark. All these books seem to lack the will to judge the merits of the Copenhagen Canon, which today seems as "untenable" as Einstein's "localism". I could not help challenging several key assumptions leading to the "inevitable" conclusions in mainstream theory, assumptions which were stated almost as facts in my own college quantum courses. It is true; those working on the theories are so caught up in the math, they are not equipped to think visually, as did Einstein. Now that we've gone beyond dear Albert, isn't it time we go back and pay him a visit?

good but lacks depth, 13 Sep 1997
after hearing how strong a book 'hyperspace'was,i decided to take a look at Kaku's new book...to my dissapointment,the book was more like a schoolboy's essay on the subject,lacking any depth or analysis (which i didnt find strange..knowing that the co-author has written about 4 COOK books!!) so if you just wanna know the history of superstrings and previous theories..then buy that book,if you are serious about getting to the grips with the subject,Avoid it.

One of the best!, 31 Aug 2002
It is not easy for authors to make everyone happy;-- this is especially so in a new field,--one which has grabbed headlines, and one which is at the same time interdisiplinary. In this case, the authors succeed as well as anyone, I believe.-- This lovely book covers several of the appropriate areas of physics (quantum theory, (some) experiment...), of computer science (the mathematical side of the subject), and of math (operators in Hilbert space, and the theory of algorithms);-- each member of the particular scientific specialty has very definite ideas of his/her own subject,-- and that of the others. Nonetheless, in this readers opinion, the two authors did a great job;-- they explain math to the physics community,-- and they sucessfully teach quantum theory and theoretical CS to mathematicians. The book is suitable for grad students: has lots of great exercises, but it could perhaps have used some more worked examples. (Fortunately they can be found in other books on quantum computation.) The Nielsen-Chuang book is most certainly a great entry for students into this exciting new subject. There are other books,-- but they, for the most part, take a more narrow view. The material in Nielsen-Chuang is timeless,-- and I expect the book will also be popular ten years from now.

Impressive, 06 Mar 2002
The book covers a very interesting subject that is very much in its infancy and as a result some of the concepts do require a lot of attention however, I do think that anyone that is doing a degree in Computer Sceince with an above average knowledge of Mathematics would be able to understand most of the theory. (I studied
Computing and Mathematics for my first year of my degree and converted in my second year to Computer Science).

Essential reading but confusing in places, 10 Oct 2001
First of all, this book is probably an essential requirement for a course on quantum computing. It is very comprehensive. However there are times when the authors write in a very confusing way. One of the weakest areas of the book concerns measurement. There is no discussion of the topic of how one can measure a single qubit in a multi-qubit state. In a classical system one can just measure the voltage on a single wire. In a quantum system it is more complex. This is FUNDAMENTAL but the authors do not explain this properly.

As I read the book I was always asking questions that I found that the book didn't consider.

The book has plenty of exercises however none have answers and there are very few really telling examples. This makes the students' life very difficult.

My advice if you buy this book is be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time to it and also be prepared to read many research papers to try to clarify the many ill defined statements in the book. Using the book as a complement to a taught course is the wisest thing to do. I do not recommend it as a self study text.

Don't believe the endorsements on the back cover. They are all written by people who already understand the subject matter so they cannot see what a newcomer might have problems with.

Classic text on quantum information, one must read !, 25 Jul 2000
The book of M. Nielsen and I. Chuang is outcome of great work that have been done extensively in the last couple of decades by quantum physicists, computer scientist and information theorist. It is a right effort in right direction, so it is highly appreciable. Starting from rules of quantum theory these authors explain how can one apply these concepts in designing logic gates, elementary quantum computer circuits, Deustch-Josza algorithm Shor's algorithm, Grover's algorithm and many more. Also this text book explains in detail the important ideas of quantum information theory, such as no-cloning theorem, coding theorem, quantum teleportation, dense coding, and so on. There is also balance between technical aspects of the theory and historical aspects of the subjects. This book contains extensive number of references for further study. I am sure this book will be extremely useful for students as well as researchers in the field. I recomend that every one who is interested to know the wonder rules of quantum computation and information should read this book seriously.

The Key Reference for its Field, 26 Aug 2004
A fragmentary edition of this book was published online in 1994, and has already been an academic "underground hit". The subject matter (probability as the only consistent, universal logic of uncertain inference) is relevant to nearly every field in science where evidence has to be assessed.

Edwin Jaynes was a great scientific writer and his breadth of learning, concern for real-world applications and wit clearly show through in this book. His comments on opposing views are very harsh by academic standards, but Jaynes' writing shows up how bland and how disconnected fr