I was bored silly by this book, which speculates on ways the human mind may be able to manipulate quantum mechanics. While the beginning of the book was engrossing -- with a well-drawn main character, and the beginning of a good, futuristic mystery plot -- the story soon bogs down. The main character is captured, forced into the service of a faceless corporation that is doing quantum research, and begins to learn how to mentally manipulate subatomic particles. Over half the book is taken up with discussions of the relationship between "choice" and "being." These are, unfortunately, never very interesting. The main character keeps speculating, in an endless soliloquy, on what he is doing, why he's doing it, and what it really means. By the time the I reached the end of the book, I had no sympathy for any of the characters, no interest in the story's outcome, and no desire to read anything else by Egan.