Machines Who Think: Origin & Evolution

The Barnes & Noble ReviewTwenty-five years ago, Pamela McCorduck s passionate, impressionistic introduction to artificial intelligence helped accelerate the AI revolution. Her book still fascinates. Recently, AI Magazine wrote, it is a tribute to her powers of observation and her conversational style that no AI book for a general audience has ever proven more successful.Now, Machines Who Think is back. McCorduck s appended a new, 100-page afterword covering what s happened since 1980. Her timing s perfect. AI s had its fits and starts, but -- from Tim Berners-Lee s Semantic Web to Neiman Marcus s Christmas catalog -- it s rolling forward again. Even without the last 25 years, this is an amazing story with roots that go back to ancient Greece. It s full of unforgettable personalities (think Marvin Minsky). And we agree with AI: McCorduck has told it brilliantly. Bill CamardaBill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.