\input zb-basic
\input zb-matheduc
\iteman{ZMATH 2012d.00578}
\itemau{Vedral, Vlatko}
\itemti{Decoding reality. The universe as quantum information.}
\itemso{Oxford: Oxford University Press (ISBN 978-0-19-969574-4/pbk). 240~p. \$~9.95 (2012).}
\itemab
``Decoding reality" is a wonderful, exciting and captivating book. The universe as we know it is described in a beautiful manner, like a quantum machine. It talks about the perception of all things surrounding us, the perception of religion and how it affects us, the natural state of `being astonished' by the simplest things. The books starts with the prologue ``Creation Ex Nihilo" which engages our mind in thinking about the laws of the universe and our notion of reality. The next three parts begin with the claim of the author that the concept of information in fundamental. Information is everything, it's the way we think, the way we live, the way the world evolves and how we influence this evolution. Part two of the book examines the quantum information world, the impact on the scientific community and the many capabilities that the quantum world offers. The last part focuses on the Universe as a quantum computer, the power of the universe is immense, the information that it holds, the variables of that quantum computer define and change our ideas and principles regarding the way that the universe interacts with us. In conclusion, this book has accomplished to prove that all around us is information or bits of information that can also be seen as quantum bits, which play a main role in quantum theory and in answering the question how can something come from nothing?
\itemrv{Nicolae Constantinescu (Craiova)}
\itemcc{M55}
\itemut{quantum information; creation; civilization; the Universe}
\itemli{}
\end