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chris_davies's review against another edition
3.0
There is some good material in here, particularly in the first section, but as the book goes on Kaku is a bit like an over-excited child. From widely optimistic predictions (sending human consciousness across space on lasers within the next hundred years? Really?) to building towers of reasoning on very shaky foundations (e.g. wormholes based on string theory), it's all a bit OTT. I just wished he'd calm down a little, be more realistic.
He also, weirdly, favours film references to the books from which the stories came (maybe he thinks his readers will find this more accessible?) and is very, very keen to tell us that he has been on telly. Most of the best material I have read in better books, there's not a lot that's new here. Still, it's generally well written and would form a good primer for anyone new to this topic. Just don't get too carried away.
He also, weirdly, favours film references to the books from which the stories came (maybe he thinks his readers will find this more accessible?) and is very, very keen to tell us that he has been on telly. Most of the best material I have read in better books, there's not a lot that's new here. Still, it's generally well written and would form a good primer for anyone new to this topic. Just don't get too carried away.
kevink's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.25
kristy_k's review against another edition
4.0
This is utterly fascinating and written in a way that was easy to understand. Kaku mixes science with fiction (pulled from pop culture, books, etc) in order to explain what could or couldn’t happen in the future.
I was surprised how easy it was to grasp the ideas and loved the examples he gives. His love of science is evident in his writing and very contagious.
I have another book of his that I’ve been hesitant to start (I was afraid it’d be over my head), but after reading this I’m eager to dive into it.
Highly highly recommend!
I was surprised how easy it was to grasp the ideas and loved the examples he gives. His love of science is evident in his writing and very contagious.
I have another book of his that I’ve been hesitant to start (I was afraid it’d be over my head), but after reading this I’m eager to dive into it.
Highly highly recommend!
alexfromatlanta's review against another edition
5.0
Mr. Kaku takes us on an incredible journey from man's earliest attempts to leave Earth's surface to a far-flung future of interstellar travel. If you simply flip to one of the later chapters, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd picked up a science fiction book, but the pace at which the author takes you along makes the progression feel perfectly natural.
Mr. Kaku leverages his skills as a science communicator to convey both his passion and the incredible wonders that humanity is capable of. From the terraforming of planets to faster than light travel, every idea is built on theories of physics that really exist. As much as this is a book about the future, it's also about the incredible wonders that science is unlocking today.
Much of the science could easily be opaque in less capable hands, but Mr. Kaku does a wonderful job at the keeping the pace lively and the language approachable. Even for a casual reader, I think this book would be an enjoyable and easy read.
Mr. Kaku leverages his skills as a science communicator to convey both his passion and the incredible wonders that humanity is capable of. From the terraforming of planets to faster than light travel, every idea is built on theories of physics that really exist. As much as this is a book about the future, it's also about the incredible wonders that science is unlocking today.
Much of the science could easily be opaque in less capable hands, but Mr. Kaku does a wonderful job at the keeping the pace lively and the language approachable. Even for a casual reader, I think this book would be an enjoyable and easy read.
litcontours's review against another edition
5.0
I love Michio Kaku's style, blending actual physics with far-reaching ideas pulled from science fiction. My favorite was sequencing the mind so our consciousness could travel on laser beams; it just seems to solve so many issues. And trying to explain string theory in 2-3 pages is no small feat. But first things first, nanobots into space!
zahanm's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting content, but I'm not a huge fan of the writing. It’s really surface-level, leaping across one discipline to another. As someone well-familiar with the scientific principles, I almost rather he focus on fewer topics, but cover them more in-depth.
Also, he’s often describing implementation for problems so far out that really all we should be talking about is principles and concepts.
Good food for thought, but unfortunately not as satisfying as I’d hoped!
Also, he’s often describing implementation for problems so far out that really all we should be talking about is principles and concepts.
Good food for thought, but unfortunately not as satisfying as I’d hoped!
lookaclara's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
juggernaut's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
Packed with information. But lot of speculations are there. It almost gets spiritual bullshit tone in aome places. Otherwise it is a good book for curious minds.