"How I need a drink! Alcoholic, of course, after the heavy chapters involving quantum mechanics; but we did estimate some digits by making very bad, not accurate, but so greatly efficient tools!" -Alexander Volokh

This mnemonic covers how I feel about the latter chapters in this book, which are quite heavy. Before that are histories and biographies of telegraphs, codes, and mathematicians. These are good, but not great. The chapters on Shannon are excellent, but I would refer readers to [b:A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age|32919530|A Mind at Play How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age|Jimmy Soni|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495386506s/32919530.jpg|53537272] for even better coverage. After that, the quantum discussions of information loss (black holes) and quantum entanglement. This starts off well, but soon goes to depths that would leave the average reader gasping for air. Much rereading was necessary. After this, the ending comes perhaps too quickly.

As good as the (now dated) [b:Chaos: Making a New Science|64582|Chaos Making a New Science|James Gleick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327941595s/64582.jpg|62690], as interesting (and thorough) as [b:Time Travel: A History|28587584|Time Travel A History|James Gleick|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1472314681s/28587584.jpg|48754828], but not rising above either of those works. 4 solid stars.