Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
An extremely enjoyable story. The story builds upon an idea from quantum mechanics research that the probabilistic behavior predicted by the equations of quantum mechanics can be explained by a multiverse -- or multiple universes that are generated for all possible outcomes of a probabilistic event. Well, in Dark Matter, some characters are able to move from one universe (say our universe) to another, nearly identical parallel universe that branched off sometime in the past so it is somewhat different. Doesn't seem plausible, but it makes for an entertaining and interesting story. Grade: A-
Quantum Lens by Douglas E. Richards
I don't know what it is with me and quantum mechanics-based fiction this month, but this story is also extremely enjoyable and is based on the quantum mechanics idea of a zero-point field. The zero-point field is related to the spontaneous appearance and rapid disappearance of a particle and an anti-particle and the energy related to this event. In this story, a few select individuals are able to exploit energy from the zero-point field to gain 'super-hero'-like powers. There are some great twists and turns in this interesting and pretty well researched book. Grade: A-
The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukerjee
This book looks at the history of human's search for the mechanism for heredity, the discovery of genes, the development of recombinant DNA technology, the human genome project, and many other related developments. The author is a master at weaving anecdotes, personal stories, and other historical events to help the reader stay interested and engaged. Very interesting and highly recommended. Grade: A
