Review: The Code Book by Simon Singh

The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography by Simon Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I never thought I'd love a book about mathematics, or ever see the beauty of mathematics. My mother was definitely right when she kept pestering me to work harder on my math and argued that it was EVERYWHERE! (I had argued back saying I would be fine as long as I could perform the basic calculations!)
Maybe this is what growing up is about!
That being said, this is a very informative book about the past, present and future of cryptography. Singh takes us on a journey from ancient times where simple communications and hence simple codes sufficed, through a series of unfortunate events that resulted in the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots,to a time in the future when quantum cryptography might prevail. My favorite part is when he talks about the decipherment of Linear B (which led me to another amazing book of the same name), an ancient language discovered in the remains of a palace in Crete. Oh, and he also makes the Second World War seem interesting in an entirely differently way, by which I mean he doesn't drone on and on about the vile Nazis.
Singh has a knack for explaining ideas and theories, which might seem mundane if explained by someone else, in a very interesting manner. His use of characters called Alice,Bob and Eve to explain the codes, made it easy for a layperson like me to understand the theory behind them.
He even adds a few ciphers for us to decipher at the end. I must admit I skipped over those pages, but might return to them at some point in the future.
I recommend this book to anyone who is fascinated by ancient history, linguistics, cryptography, quantum physics, OR MATHEMATICS!

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