Customer Reviews

Mind Matters

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I think this should be the first book that college students considering a career in AI research should read. It is far FAR more readable than "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach" for the layperson ... or any person for that matter. I really hope that Mr. Hogan releases updated versions of this book every five years ... which means we're past due for the next edition right now. ;-)

And I hope Mr. Hogan infuses more of the book with his sense of humor ... especially at the end. He needs to keep this VERY dry topic as light as he can.

I feel a computer helps humans to consider more complex ideas and that it is an adjunct to the human mind. I don't believe in AI. This book and Mr Hogan's comments support me in that. It is thoroughly enjoyable and written in an interested reader's level and not too Hi-tech.

This isn't the first "history of AI" book in my collection, and won't be the last. I picked this one up because of Hogan's name, and am happy with that choice. I like his style. He knows where to put in the jokes (although he could use a few more during the weaker parts toward the end). The beginning, which starts wayyyyy back with the philosophers, is a little dry, and the end (with lots of time spent on what computers still can't do) didn't interest me. I like knowing about the trials and tribulations of what worked and didn't, and why. I'm hoping that one of these days somebody will do an entire book on the Cyc project.

I started to say I "enjoyed" this book, but it seems to be this is not the type of book that one "enjoys." I have read everything of James P. Hogan's work I could get my hands on, and he is one of my top two or three favorite writers. This is non-fiction, but it reflects the same clear and interesting style of his fiction. I would say that this book is not for a casual reader, nor was it intended as a textbook, though at some points it may seem that way. Artificial intelligence is a very interesting and widely misunderstood subject, and perhaps the greatest value of this book is in exploding some of the myths about AI. This is not a quick, easy read, but for the layman who wants to learn more about AI, it is well worth the time and effort involved in reading it.