The Next Big Thing is Really Small, by Uldrich and Newberry, is a strange beast. Hyping the upcoming "nanotechnology age" and how businesses should prepare, the book is part nanotechnology primer, part prophetic tome, part educational text and 100% nanotech hype. Suffering from more than a bit of 'isn't nanotechnology great!' which particularly pervades the early chapters, the authors have their work cut out for them as nanotech has yet to really manifest.

Yet, as they point out, large companies (American, mainly) are already embracing nanotechnology and integrating processes into their manufacturing. While big business is already there, the goal of the book is to give a heads-up on the coming nanotechnology wave for the rest of us. The overriding message is simple: when the nanotechnology age arrives, businesses savvy in the new tech will prosper, unprepared companies will suffer.

It's pure hype, but hyped well, with some impressively large figures and statistics bandied about, and although it's a simple read that's light on the science this reader can't help but wonder if the message is premature.