Quantum Computing

The Transformative Technology of the Qubit Revolution

By: Brian Clegg

Narrated by: Qarie Marshall

Length: 4 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics.

“Quantum algorithms” had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search or crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to “supremacy”, where they can outperform a traditional computer.

In this approachable introduction to the subject, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

©2021 Brian Clegg (P)2021 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Great info on the topic

I really enjoyed learning how the workings of a Quantom computer are assembled. It does a great job explaining the physics too.

reasonably good

well written well narrated reasonably good. could have been quite a bit longer I think, there are some nuances and some minutia, details, specifics that I think are missing... but overall? definitely a 4 out of 5. I would say with about two more chapters and some really specific detail towards the end this would be a 5 of 5

I suppose that's perhaps harsh considering some of those details might not exist? maybe I'm seeking information that we've not yet discovered... lol

Best Explanation of Quantum Computing I’ve found

This is a very technical but high level intro to quantum computing. It is interesting and clear but the the subject is still very complicated so this book helps a lot in developing a basic understanding of the field.

From nascent computing to quantum computing!

TL;DR: Fantastic explanation from beginning to end. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn where we came from, where we are, and where we are headed with computing.

I gave 4 stars for Performance because there is some incorrect reading of equations in the audio book. I think a PDF would be more appropriate instead of just reading the equation. Great performance otherwise.

I got a lot out of this book. From early punch cards, to IBM, to Moore's law, to D-Wave Systems and their cloud-based quantum computing services (among other products). This book even explains the history and usage for bra-ket notation which is a rabbit-hole I've yet to go down. If any of the things mentioned above seem interesting, get this book!

Comprehensive theory, context and application delivered with sober optimism

I had not thought about quantum computing in quite a while, so I needed the refresher on rudimentary context of algorithms and quantum physics to get me to the “what is all the fuss about” value proposal.
Finally, I wanted to understand the practicality of quantum computing in today’s application as well as the hurdles required to overcome for more wide application.
This book covered all of that territory with many experiments to which to go and read more.
It was understandable enough to a science-degrees person, but those without chemistry or science may struggle visualizing some of the analogies and contrasts draw to those fields of study.

I love you

thank you... no cap. quantum forever. we no not, but to must, by nature. and we can now, by you. let's quantise, yeah??. stay awesome

Light on the details, heavy on the filler

About 1/6th of the book explains quantum computing, the rest is history, tangents, and background info.

Good background, but disappointing explanation

I'm an engineer. I've designed hardware with CPUs for over 25 years. This book had a lot of great background on how traditional computers work. It also had some great info on the basics of how a quantum computer works. But at the end of the book, it was still unclear to me how a quantum computer actually functions at a high level or how it could outperform a traditional computer on anything but corner case problems. I feel there were a lot of facts cited, but not enough explanation as to how a quantum computer actually works. Maybe this is intentional to not get too far out into the weeds for the non-tech crowd. But I would have liked to see more detail on the specifics of how quantum computing actually works to solve real world problems and how it does so.

Waste of time

I slogged through this authors worthless, rambling, never ending and pointless anecdotes hoping to hear at least one description of how quantum computing differs from traditional computer design. Finally, in the final chapter, he mentioned a few methods but glossed over them at a high level with no detail at all. I am an engineer that has spent over 25 years designing all types of electronic devices, including the design of computers. I have also written a lot of software programs. So I expected a lot of information that I already knew. I'm not critical of the author for going over topics I already knew but he never got to Quantum computing specifics. In the end I concluded this author knows nothing about computer design, nothing about how quantum computing actually works at an implementation level and probably never wrote a line of code in his life. I believe he has just read a lot of books by other authors and regurgitated the interesting stories in an unfocussed, pointless waste of time. Then he slaps a popular title on it.

If you seriously want to learn about Quantum computers don't waste your time on this book. If you want to go to a dinner party attended by people with no technical education at all and want to fool them into thinking you are a technical genius by telling them entertaining anecdotes, then this one is for you.

I should have read the reviews…

The title is, as the author says, a “marketing stunt” as it spends less than half of the book on the topic and is n that half, it doesn’t go into enough detail to be called only “quantum computers”.
It is a great survey of how computers work from birth until now but is not a book about quantum computers.
It would receive 4 stars if the title would have been written more according to the content.