Weinberger provides an captivating window into the tangled world of defense research. Fears of adversaries developing a technological advantage, hope for radical scientific break-throughs, and secrecy combine to create a wilderness of mirrors where millions of dollars can be spent on a concept that has no clear scientific support. ( )

Weinberger traces the politics of an unorthodox bit of physics which proponents claim could lead to a new superweapon, and detractors say violates the laws of physics.

With a background in nuclear and physical chemistry as well as physics, I fall firmly in the later camp. As laid out in the book, the people who make funding decisions in the Pentagon do not share that education, and rely on Jack D. Ripper types whose paranoia lead them to chase fringe science like ESP, teleportation, and cold fusion.

The book does an excellent job of tracing the political machinations behind the controversial program. The only reason I rated it down was that it was obvious that she had not gotten a physicist to look over her manuscript, and many of her explanations of the physics were just wrong enough to be grating. The average reader will undoubtedly cruise through these passages (which are few) without notice. ( )