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Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely fascinating
Review: "Taking the Quantum Leap" is an excellent introduction to the bizzare and amazing world of quantum physics. Wolfe takes the reader on a journey from the early Greeks to the modern day as man searched for the answers to the universe's riddles. He shows systematically how physicists first thought they had solved everything with Newtonian mechanics and were then thrown on their heads with the discovery of the quanta. Wolfe proceeds to describe how the science world struggled with these new ideas and attempted to bring meaning to a universe that had suddenly become unpredictable.Wolfe's analysis delves into the inner workings of the human mind and shows how each of us affects the "reality" we experience. Suddenly the human mind becomes the shaper of the universe and each of us is "god". This is both reassuring and disturbing at once, but Wolfe guides the reader through it, showing that we and we alone control our destiny. The book only gets four stars because at some points, Wolfe moves beyond the realm of science and introduces a strong religious trend into the story. While he weaves it in well, it still seems out of place, and would have been stronger had he not taken this route. However, the book is still very strong and informative. Definitely a good starting place for a novice of quantum theory.
Rating:
Summary: Mind-bending
Review: Fred Alan Wolf does a good job of explaining the latest thinking in quantum physics, which he himself concedes to be impossible for us to visualize in many respects, for readers without scientific training. He does this by adopting a historical approach, following the evolution of man's understanding of the nature of motion from the speculations of early Greek philosophers such as Zeno and Aristotle through the work of ground-breaking physicists such as Einstein and Bohr up to the most current knowledge about the crucial importance of the observer in determining reality. Wolf includes some mind-blowing speculations about the nature of human consciousness in the quantum universe which should fascinate you even if you find them difficult to accept.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for going beyond the science
Review: I really enjoyed this book. It is written in a manner that allows the lay person to understand quantum mechanics, one of the hardest concepts for the preconditioned brain to understand. I know that some people think this book doesn't give the reader a good scientific backround on the subject, but that is what makes this book so good. Instead of boring the reader with equations and such, Wolf connects the basic scentific concepts to the facinating philosophical implications they create. This book should be read slowly in order to be fully understood, but the reader will gain a better understanding of reality and what is really "out there". They may even discover that "out there" is really "in here". Although Wolf, himself, may favor one viewpoint over another, the reader can draw, for himself, what ever conclusions he wants.
Rating: 
Summary: Quantum mechanics 101
Review: Just when you find out the 'weirdness' of quantum mechanics (QM), things start to get entangled and in the realm of human consciousness, philosophy and what not. I had started reading QM with Nick Herbert's book 'Quantum Reality' and in the middle of the book I realized that I need a little subtler treatment of the subject matter and hence ending up reading this book, 'Taking the Quantum Leap'. I have to the say that Fread has done an outstanding job at explaining the wave-particle duality with reference to all the famous experiments and their interpretations. He then moves on to the famous Bohr vs. Einstien debate EPR. Much of the book is devoted to exploring the point of views of these two schools of thought.. complementarists vs. the continuists. There are chapters on the theory of Parallel Universes etc. My dismay begings, and thats why I gave the book 3 stars rather than a 4! is when towards the end of the book, the whole QM is tunred into a hodge podge of philosophies of human consciousness, fate and free will. To my surprise it seems that the author has made up his mind that whatever the state of QM is today, IS indeed the complete description of the physical world. At least I got that impression. In my opinion, this is only 2001 and who knows what discoveries are waiting to be happen in next several hundred years regarding our current understanding of the physical world. As Einstien once said something to this effect to one of his friends, 'do you really think the moon is there because someone is there to see it!' and yet QM has proven to be successful in proving thores of physical phenomena. Yet indeed I'm still bothered by QM as I was before reading this book but know a lot more about the various schools of thoughts. Could the Schrodinger's cat be alive and dead at the same time in parallel universes?!? All in all, an excellent reading for starters in QM.
Rating:
Summary: Qwiffs, flows, and pops!
Review: Reading this book is in fact the equivalent of taking a quantum leap, an explosive jump with uncertain destiny, off into an unchartered territory with little or no guidance. Fred Alan Wolf carries us through a scientific journey of how the phenomenon of motion has been viewed, from Zeno to the most recent scientific discoveries. It is a journey of risks and paradoxes. The apex in this adventure is the Principle of Indeterminism or Uncertainty, a law that has given a new meaning to world order and has disrupted the foundations of mechanical motion, determinism, continuity, and objectivity. What is matter? Particles or waves? It depends on what one chooses to observe! There is no reality until that reality is perceived. But quantum mechanics affirms there is an order in the universe, and it may be the order of our minds. If duality was a term used by theologians and philosophers, quantum mechanics brought about the concept of duality in nature. Our actions in the world are always a compromise between two such opposites, the more we determine one side of reality, the less the other side is shown to us. When it comes to the so-long discussed theme of free will versus determinism, the philosophy of quantum mechanics affirms both views are wrong and right at the same time. Moving away from traditional physics, dissatisfied with mechanical notions of the universe, the author passionately moves into the world of deep philosophical questions, a world which arises from the limitations of quantum theory. Albeit using a logical reasoning, he speculates on some of his concepts, his wild imagination carries him into a world in which God is placed in the center of the universe, "preparing quantum feasts of knowledge, all kinds of magical and tasteful future goodies in the form of magnificent qwiffs!" Fred A. Wolf dares to exceed the speed of light!
Rating:
Summary: Qwiffs, flows, and pops!
Review: Reading this book is in fact the equivalent of taking a quantum leap, an explosive jump with uncertain destiny, off into an unchartered territory with little or no guidance. Fred Alan Wolf carries us through a scientific journey of how the phenomenon of motion has been viewed, from Zeno to the most recent scientific discoveries. It is a journey of risks and paradoxes. The apex in this adventure is the Principle of Indeterminism or Uncertainty, a law that has given a new meaning to world order and has disrupted the foundations of mechanical motion, determinism, continuity, and objectivity. What is matter? Particles or waves? It depends on what one chooses to observe! There is no reality until that reality is perceived. But quantum mechanics affirms there is an order in the universe, and it may be the order of our minds. If duality was a term used by theologians and philosophers, quantum mechanics brought about the concept of duality in nature. Our actions in the world are always a compromise between two such opposites, the more we determine one side of reality, the less the other side is shown to us. When it comes to the so-long discussed theme of free will versus determinism, the philosophy of quantum mechanics affirms both views are wrong and right at the same time. Moving away from traditional physics, dissatisfied with mechanical notions of the universe, the author passionately moves into the world of deep philosophical questions, a world which arises from the limitations of quantum theory. Albeit using a logical reasoning, he speculates on some of his concepts, his wild imagination carries him into a world in which God is placed in the center of the universe, "preparing quantum feasts of knowledge, all kinds of magical and tasteful future goodies in the form of magnificent qwiffs!" Fred A. Wolf dares to exceed the speed of light!
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful intro to QM
Review: The physicist Fred Alan Wolf writes a lucid book of the weird & wonderful world of quantum mechanics for we non-scientist types. The field is fascinating.....and bizarre. Wolf traces the origins of QM from the late 19th century & also discusses how it disproves some of classical physics' most treasured suppositions. This is a great work for those intrigued by science & the "big" developments in physics of the 20th century. So, for those who possess inquisitive minds, this is a splendid work. The biologist JBS Haldane once said "Reality is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine." After reading this book, I think that one would be inclined to agree.
Rating:
Summary: A few good sections, but I was underwhelmed
Review: This book had three good sections. One discussed how Zeno and other early philosophers looked at physical space as continuous. Another covered the historical period where Bohr, Einstein, and others were making radical new discoveries about how physical space really (or apparently) operated. Finally, there was some discussion about possible worlds. I'm sure any descent physics book would and should cover these areas, so I can't credit Wolf for doing anything special. Although Wolf did a pretty good job at explaining the wave-particle duality with reference to various famous experiments and their interpretations, the end of the book is just plain goofy with his amateurish speculation about physics and philosophy of mind.
Rating:
Summary: Great intro...
Review: This is one of the best books for finding out about quantum physics and what impact it has on our lives, from the vantage point of the parallel universes (or many worlds model) perspective. Wolf's writing is humorous and descriptive, and the book is chock full of wonderful cartoons, photographs, charts, and quotations. Whether you've studied physics before or are a complete novice, you'll find lots of good information here! As active observers, we are responsible for selecting which of the infinite possible realities we will experience. As Wolf puts it, "To be or not to be is not the question; it is the answer".
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