The most recommended quantum physics books

This might seem a bit off-message because Pohl dropped out of college before finishing his science degree. But he did work as a weather forecaster in the US Navy. And I can’t resist including this book, because it deals with the area of science closest to my heart – many worlds, or parallel universes. The existence of these other worlds next door to our own is the best scientific explanation of the mysteries of quantum physics, such as the famous puzzle of Schrödinger’s Cat, and Pohl wraps it all up in entertaining fashion with a story of what happens when those worlds interact. The fact that Pohl includes a version of myself (actually, several versions of me) in the story has no bearing on my choosing it. I repaid the compliment by including him as a character in my story “Untanglement”, included in my anthology Don’t Look Back' ;-).

My father instilled in me a love for books and before he passed away at 92, this was his favorite one. We would read it separately during the day and discuss on our nightly Facetime calls. Being a pharmacologist, Dad loved the breakdowns of how the brain works. And I, who have long been interested in why we do the things we do, was completely drawn to the idea that we could retrain our brain. Consider this book a science-based version of “The Secret” and so much more. And had I known about manifesting when I first came to this country and experienced those first feelings of being an outsider then maybe I could have manifested away that angst. I mean, a girl can dream. 

Are you still here? Good. Because by now you are probably reading to tackle some university-level courses in quantum physics, right? Well, with your background in pop quantum physics all you need to get there is a little more abstraction. So, if you have the stomach for a bit of mathematics, Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum by Leonard Susskind is your ticket to the big show! (Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the math, though.)

I had read another of Glenn Kleier’s books, The Knowledge of Good & Evil, which is a Dante-like trip into Hell – so, I was very excited when he released The Prophet of Queens, a book that plays in practically all of my ballparks: quantum physics, time anomalies, autocratic religious practices, and the sheer, almost lustful need to pursue a goal even though the consequences may shatter reality.

With the clever use of fairly mundane, workaday characters, Glenn Kleier throws open the doors to possibility and the repercussions of raging ambition.

I love this book – and, as with his others, is well-written.

Now we are getting to the modern era, where physics meets computing in ways never dreamed of by the founders of quantum physics. Seth Lloyd is a professor at MIT and one of the first to prove that quantum theory admits the possibility of building computers on wholly quantum foundations. He is also one of the most creative and engaging writers on the subject. His main message is that information is the basis of all things physical. From quantum bits or qubits to cosmology, this book has it all, and is written in a highly accessible way. Not a single equation can be found. 

This transformational classic, first published in 1975 and now translated into nearly two dozen languages, pioneered the integration of modern scientific insights from quantum mechanics with ancient spiritual wisdom.

I read it in mid-life when I was struggling to integrate my own identity, torn between competing poles: the rational and the intuitive. There were so many “Aha” passages in this brilliant book, but the fundamental insight is “both-and,” not “either-or.” At root, science and spirituality are complementary, not antagonistic.

Capra’s motivation for writing the book: “Physicists do not need mysticism, and mystics do not need physics, but humanity needs both.” Metaphorically speaking, we human beings are amphibians occupying two worlds: physical and spiritual. This book helped me to embrace both.

David Michie’s collection of short, fictional stories beautifully illustrates the ways in which the Universe grants treasure to the spiritual adventurer. Rooted in the gentle traditions of Buddhism, each story delivers a lesson – something to make you think. How do I view life? How do others see me? When the Universe sends a sign, do I recognize it? If I recognize it, do I react? If I react, am I selfish, or do I work to benefit others as well as myself? Do I accept that the Universe is filled with magic? And, crucially, do I have the right mindset to tap into that magic?

You don’t need to be a quantum physicist to accept the truths in this book – you need only a little faith.

In my view, one of the most illuminating books ever written about the so-called "psychic phenomena" (also called psi phenomena) (e.g. telepathy, clairvoyance, and psychokinesis).

In this volume, Dean Radin – a scientist known internationally for innovative experiments in the field of psi research – reviews rigorous scientific investigations of these phenomena. He debunks the skeptical myths surrounding them; moreover, Radin convincingly demonstrates that psi phenomena are both real and widespread.

In addition, he explains why these phenomena are a direct consequence of the interconnected, entangled reality we live in. 

Quantum physics is supposed to be weird and mysterious, right? You might then get the impression that Beyond Weird will explain how quantum physics is weirder than weird. But, no! Beyond Weird is about how we can beyond the concept that quantum physics is weird. Philip Ball does an amazing job telling the story of how physicists have tried to make sense of quantum theory.

The Education of Oversoul Seven is the only fiction book on my list. 

Most of my books deal with time travel, reincarnation, and karmic themes, and my understanding of simultaneous time came from this gorgeous little novel.

It also opened my eyes to the fact that we don’t necessarily always reincarnate into a future time.

This story tells of four characters, in four different historic periods, and the oversoul responsible for guiding them all. I have such a character in my new book also, whom I call the Inter-dweller. 

When people ask for other books like mine, this is one I always recommend.