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Rating: 
Summary: Mostly Fiction, Not much Fact
Review: "Hacking Matter" deserves 4-5 stars for addressing a very interesting topic - artificial atoms - and 3-4 stars for its presentation. The book can be divided into two parts. The first section, about 110 of the book's 200 pages, gives us a tour of actual research in solid-state physics and its implications for material science. The second launches us from real developments to speculative devices and applications. McCarthy tries to focus the book on programmable matter and only touches on other aspects of nanotechnology. I think that's a great idea, but it should have afforded him the opportunity for deeper explanations of research and ideas that were only briefly described.McCarthy is facile with language, as might be expected from a writer of fiction. But while the reading flows easily, the first section suffers from an uneven handling of the material. For example, McCarthy delays the discussion of atomic orbitals until the middle of the book, and even then it's a watered-down introduction with the reader directed to a freshman chemistry textbook for more information. Given the complexity of the topic, I felt he should have assumed a certain level of reader compentency, start with a more detailed review of the atom with better diagrams of orbitals and material characteristics, then build from there and drop the "monkey on limbs" analogy. In contrast to some areas of hand-holding explanation, some quotes from physicists, given without further explanation, assume a certain level of sophistication from readers: "In general, high temperatures tend to equal more interactions, because there are a lot more blackbody photons emitted from hot surfaces, which can then be absorbed and destroy atomic superpositions. But photon-photon interactions have such a low cross section you don't have to worry about it for optical quantum states. A photon that's in a quantum superposition is therefore going to be a lot more stable at room temperature." (p. 71) Perhaps it's praise to McCarthy that I wanted more of the first 100 pages -- like a thorough introduction to atoms and how material properties arise, side-by-side diagrams of natural and artificial atoms in terms of scale, electron density plots, more details on the research, etc. It's fascinating stuff and there are references at the end of the book. The speculative portion of the book, although it occasionally veers from the focus on programmable matter, is well-written and thought-provoking. McCarthy notes that the interviewed researchers are reluctant to speculate, and he steps into that void and presents some possibilities. One chapter describes a hypothetical construct for handling an array of quantum of dots: a "Wellstone Fiber" invented and submitted for a patent by McCarthy and his partner. Back in the late 80s, K. Eric Drexler, referenced at least twice in "Hacking Matter," used his book "Engines of Creation" to speculate on possible directions for nanotechnology, well ahead of actual technical developments. While some of Drexler's ideas may not be realistic, he did galvanize interest in the subject. I can't help but think McCarthy is trying to play that role for artificial atoms and the funding of condensed matter physics research. For those of us who don't think that much about material science, this book provides a good wake-up call in the form of an entertaining read.
Rating: 
Summary: A focused yet wandering introduction to quantum materials
Review: I purchased this book for the title alone, while shelf-browsing at ETcon 2003; to see a non-fiction book discussing programmable matter on the cover was enough to catch my attention. I found it a casual, yet enjoyable read; it threads gently through the prerequisite background, glossing over the specific details to keep the primary focus of the book intact; as it turned out, this didn't affect my enjoyment at all, while providing lots of jumping-off points for the interested observer to research further. Managing to not get distracted by the fact that such things as "electron shells" and "thermochromatics", it introduces the reader (educated as they may or may not be) to the concept of a kind of material whose properties can be changed at will, by humans (not just nature). The core concept at hand is "quantum dots", and the text returns over and over again to this, diverging occasionally to provide anecdotes, or ways these semi-magical materials have already been (or soon, could be) used. Overall, I felt the book a good read; if you're looking for an introduction into the world of quantum dots, dynamically modifiable materials, and science the likes of which one would formerly have expected from science fiction. It's not a book in which can be found explicit technical details, though there's more than a hundred references in the end-of-book bibliography; for that alone, it would be a perfect entry point for research. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Star Trek Explained
Review: I think the content of the book was so far out into the future that suddenly Star Trek movies make sence. The material is discussing theory so much with real practical applications many decades away, that one cannot help but think of Star Trek. It is with programmable matter that the future trekies can enable themselves to own cool toys like tricorders, replicators, cloaking devices, shape shifters etc. I think an alternative title of the book could have been, "Star Trek Explained" :-) Being a science fiction fan, I enjoyed it thoroughly, except for the technical details of wellstone which was a drag in the end...
Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly cool and entertaining
Review: I think the previous reviewers have not been keeping up with the leaps and bounds that technology has been making with quantum dots. They exist folks and they are being used as we speak. While the applications for this technology as discribed in this book are not possible at this point in time, they should no longer be considered impossible. Just type 'quantum dots' in your search engine or check out some of the popular science websites. This is real and it is utterly facinating. Definately a good book but you'll need to read up on some basic quantum mechanics first to really enjoy it (the reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5).
Rating: 
Summary: Just an OverView
Review: If you are the non curious type of person but still has the urge to know or bluntly diversify oneself with knowledge then this book is good for you. However if you ask many questions like i do, then this is nothing. Its just like all of those get rich quick emails that tell you how the author makes money and how the other people have made money the same way and they are going to tell you how to do so in the next few lines and end up asking for your credit card number!!!. Simply to say its just a tour through Dexters lab. If you are curious, use google to transform yourself into Dexter himself.
Rating:
Summary: It all comes together here!
Review: McCarthy is a scientist and inventor, a journalist/columnist, and also a wild-eyed science fiction writer. It all comes together in this package, where he unleashes compelling new science, explaining the fundamentals in easy language, and then rockets off to the future to show us what it all means. Programmable matter (whose composition can be converted from lead to gold or any other substance at the click of a mouse) is coming, and will change nearly every aspect of our lives. If you want to prepare for the future of technology, you had better read this book!
Rating:
Summary: brilliant -
Review: One can poke several holes into a lot of the stuff that is discussed in the book - especially that this technology (using quantum dots to create artificial matter that emulates real matter) is so far away as to be in the realm of sci-fi. However -inspite of all those caveats - the author does a great job of explaining the potential of this technology. His enthusiasm is contagious - and one really wishes that this technology advances at a faster pace.
I enjoyed it thoroughly - and compliment the author on his well-researched and well presented ideas.
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