THE UNIVERSE - SOLVED!
by Jim Elvidge

What if reality isn't really what you think it is? What if our world was just a big video game? It's actually not as far-fetched as it seems. Within 30 years, we will be able to create virtual environments indistinguishable from our reality. And we are marching toward an inevitable merge with machines. What's more, it is actually impossible to tell whether or not we have already reached that point. The book presents a theory of reality that explains all known scientific and cultural anomalies. Why is the universe so perfectly designed to support life and matter? Why does life feel like it is accelerating? Why do people see UFOs? Is there life after death?

THE HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE
by Michael Talbot

Starting with a combination of an overview of David Bohm's holographic theory of cosmology and Karl Pribram's views on the holographic nature of the brain, Talbot then proceeds to present explanations for how various types of paranormal activity fit within the framework of the theory. I particularly like the implications of the theory that explain "action at a distance" and some of those other "wishful thinking" premises of Quantum Mechanics. A must read for open-minded people who are not satisfied with orthodox explanations of the structure of reality and the universe. And it totally makes sense!

THE AGE OF SPIRITUAL MACHINES
by Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil, entrepreneur and futurist, wrote this thought provoking book on what is to come in the next 100 years. In his view, with machine intelligence fully exceeding human capacity by 2020, humanity will blend with machines in ways most of us have not thought about. Ultimately an optimist, he shrugs off the spectre of robotics and nanotech run amok and concentrates instead on some of the cool things that may be possible, like creating a sofa out of thin air, and immortality (of sorts). All of this assumes that a soul doesn't exist and consciousness is only embedded in the brain, which is a little presumptive for my taste.

OTHER WORLDS
by Paul Davies

Throw away that Stephen Hawking stuff on your bookshelf and pick up most anything by Paul Davies instead. In my opinion, the most readable and thought-provoking author of science, physics, and cosmology out there. This book is 30 years old, and so might be a bit out of date, but it was one of the most eye-opening books on physics I ever read. He very clearly outlines quantum mechanics and introduces the bizarre "Everett interpretation" that predicts how uncountable universes are created every second due to quantum mechanical decisions, while solving various paradoxes along the way.

HYPERSPACE
by Michio Kaku

Think we live in 4 dimensions? Guess again, flatlander. More like 10 or 26, says Michio Kaku, giving a very well written description of Hyperspace, or Superstring theory. Concepts like parallel universes, exotic topologies, time travel, and the resolution of the gravitation paradox (Quantum Mechanics vs. General Relativity) are all in here, in a very readable, logically argued style.

THE PHYSICS OF IMMORTALITY
by Frank Tipler

Probably the most "out there" book I've ever read, Tipler attempts to prove the existence of God through physics and mathematics (the last third of the book are equations supporting his theory). According to him, if intelligent life (humans and future human-inspired robots) can populate the universe at a rate exceeding its entropy decay, we will discover, or rather, create the Omega Point, an intelligence that encompasses all quantum mechanical life-paths, aka God. Not sure I'm particularly comforted by this, but it sure is a thought-provoking read. Not for the faint of heart, I do appreciate the occassional book that wanders into the rare ground between textbook and layman's book.

SNOW CRASH
by Neal Stephenson

The best of the cyberpunk genre, this is a great read for inspiring one to ponder virtual realities, and the spillover effect. from Amazon... "From the opening line of his breakthrough cyberpunk novel Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson plunges the reader into a not-too-distant future. A breakneck-paced 21st-century novel, Snow Crash interweaves everything from Sumerian myth to visions of a postmodern civilization on the brink of collapse. Faster than the speed of television and a whole lot more fun, Snow Crash is the portrayal of a future that is bizarre enough to be plausible."