A brilliant novel about love, science, music, and the complexity of the human condition. Powers explores our impulse to unravel the mysteries around us (whether cracking the genetic code or excavating the narrative of the enigmatic Dr. Ressler) and our unrelenting impulse towards expression: artistic, verbal, and yes, physical. I'm in full agreement with the reader from Ohio: this is a passionate book. The characters are full-bodied, complex, and driven by a wide spectrum of desires, including love for eachother and for their intellectual pursuits. The prose is amazing, so keep a pen handy while you read if you're in the habit of marking passages you like.