Introduction to Quantum Computing and Algorithms

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

This is the third book I have read on quantum computing this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

Mixed feelings. The good parts are genuinely good; the rest is forgettable.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The chapters on quantum computing are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

Better than I expected. Rare to find a technical book this well judged.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.