The first few chapters of this book are done pretty well. Complex concepts are handled easily and explained in an easy to understand manner. However, the book becomes quite annoying and even offensive towards the end.

Here are Rucker's main beliefs: (1) Science can and has explained everything, and (2) Science is right. He breaks the cardinal rule of science, that you can never be absolutely sure of anything.

Rucker's beliefs are obvious when reading through his self-satisfied descriptions of theoretical notions such as time travel and traveling faster than light. Rucker is annoyed by people who think it's possible to go faster than light. Now, I'm annoyed by people who I think are uninformed but still have strong opinions, but Rucker goes too far. He writes some sample dialogue for someone who thinks the light barrier can be broken, and it goes something like: "Who says we can't do it? We can do anything we want! Wasn't Einstein a German or a Jew? He was probably anti-progress and anti-American!" I didn't make that up. Apparently you're an anti-Semite if you think hyperlight speed is possible.

Then there's the section on synchronicity, the concept that coincidences are really some advanced cosmic principle that we can't, and perhaps can never, understand. Rucker tries a bit too hard to explain it when there really isn't any way to explain it. He then says that about everything science can't officially explain is actually synchronicity. Telepathy? You can't really read someone else's mind, you just happen to think what they're thinking right when you want to. Psychokinesis? You can't really move objects with your mind, it's just that they happen to move when you want them to. This is all told in an unbearably smug manner.

This should have been a good book, but it left me with only bad memories.