Beyond the Internet: Now the Next Great Advances in Computing Will Have Everything to Do with Information and Nothing to Do with the Intern [Hardcover]

Larry Smith (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Stoddart (October 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773733272
• ISBN-13: 978-0773733275
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,824,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars inspiring and visionary, June 5, 2002

By 

John Carter (Waterloo, ON CAN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Internet: Now the Next Great Advances in Computing Will Have Everything to Do with Information and Nothing to Do with the Intern (Hardcover)

I am one of the lucky 10,000+ students who have been taught by Larry Smith in economics at the University of Waterloo. True to his intentions, this book inspires computer scientists to develop a new generation of software tools that will truly revolutionize the world we live in today, namely expert systems. The book does an excellent job at instilling ideas in the mind of the reader of new expert systems that ultimately will be created. Larry Smith has a good grasp on IT as well as economics, and is truly one of the industry's visionaries. Although it lacks in examples, like Prof. Smith said in class, the book is designed to get people thinking about these fantastic expert systems.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not for the underdetermined, December 10, 2004

By 

Adam Smith (Scottland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Internet: Now the Next Great Advances in Computing Will Have Everything to Do with Information and Nothing to Do with the Intern (Hardcover)

This book is not for the under-determined, like the last reviewer. The subject is not Computer Science. The subject is Economics, the application is Computer Science. This is not a HOWTO for building expert systems. This is a cry for survival -- economic survival. This is a perfect book for computer scientists, developers, CEOs, chief visionaries, or as Larry would put it (as he has in class with respect to class) this is a book for the generals not the grunts. The world needs more expert systems. Expert systems are innovative, deliver actual work (not just reformatted work), never breakdown, and expert systems will be produced cheaply.

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully open-ended exploration of what computing *could* do (and maybe what *you* could help realize), July 6, 2009

By 

Chas Emerick - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beyond the Internet: Now the Next Great Advances in Computing Will Have Everything to Do with Information and Nothing to Do with the Intern (Hardcover)

Professor Smith's lectures are (mostly) available here and there on the internet, but his vision of what might be possible with the properly-sustained application of computation is only fully laid out in this book.

It is by no means practical, at least in terms of how to go about implementing any particular business strategy, technology, or solution. However, insofar as one is interested in relaxing preconceived notions about the nature of markets and the potential for computation to change and improve the world, this book provides a metric ton of raw material for feeding the imagination and (hopefully!) spurring action to make those ideas become reality.

Bottom line: if you are involved in a technology venture or want to be in the future, this book should be on your list. It will not help in the development or execution of any particular plan, but it will absolutely jostle one's perspective for the better and likely allow you to set your sights on something properly worthy of your breath and efforts.