Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology [Paperback]

Laura P. Fillmore (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bradford Books | Publication Date: May 9, 1997

"For two decades now I've been awaiting a book explaining computers and their social consequences to literate readers without using any unnecessary jargon or pedantry -- or math. I wanted such a book to lend to all those friends who've pestered me about computers and to all the computer science students who've asked me about computers over the years. I particularly wanted a book that I could buy for my father, who's an accountant of the old school, to explain something of the mysterious world I live in."Gregory Rawlins, who teaches artificial intelligence at Indiana University, got tired of waiting for that book and decided to write it himself. In Moths to the Flame he takes us on a humorous yet thought-provoking tour of the world wrought by modern technology, a technology, he points out, that is rooted deep inside the military: a technology that when applied to everyday life, may have startling results. Unlike space technology, today's technological race won't simply bring us Tang-flavored Velcro.Rawlins educates by entertaining. His stories and anecdotes enliven and surprise us while increasing our awareness of technology itself as a player in the political and commercial climate of our times. In our headlong rush toward networked humanity Rawlins raises serious concerns about our future jobs and our future wars: we can figure out what kind of job to get today if we know where technology is taking us tomorrow.The book's first four chapters explore the worlds of privacy, virtual reality, publishing, and computer networks, while the last four focus on social issues such as warfare, jobs, computer catastrophes, and the future itself. Throughout unusual, eye-opening analogies and historical comparisons -- from Egyptian hieroglyphics to the sewing machine to the codebreakers of World War II -- give us a context for the computer age, showing how new technologies have always bred intertwined hope and resistance.Provocative yet balanced and sophisticated, Moths to the Flame is an indispensable guidebook to the future: a Baedeker for the Brave New World.A Bradford Book

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Moths to the Flame is a heady mixture of futuristic prophecy and historical perspective covering all aspects of computer technology, some frightening, some practical, some fanciful. It seems that technology is spinning out of control, though Rawlins reminds us that computers can only reflect the needs and values of their users. He covers the topics of the paperless book, the problems of privacy and censorship and crime and the power computers have over our lives. Computers are already displacing many workers, but human error will always be a factor. "The more complex the system, the harder it is to get it right." He cautions that smart bombs, smart mines and smart weapons are only as "smart" as the humans who develop and control them. Luckily, intelligent lay readers will find that Rawlins, although a professor of computer science mathematics at Indiana University and a specialist in AI, is plenty smart without being obscurantist. Economic effects of such high speed change are also unpredictable and somewhat chilling as are some of Rawlin's 21st-century scenarios. Ultimately, his stance is a cautious one: "Computers won't bring about a better world?perhaps nothing can do that. But they certainly can change the world: in some ways for the better; in others, for the worse."
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Rawlins (computer science mathematics, Indiana Univ.) here offers a unique and easily understood perspective on the Information Age. Using clear analogies and well-documented historical events, he looks at the issues behind such controversies as privacy, cryptography, and the control of information. Drawing on his background in mathematics, genetics, and electronic publishing, he effectively plumbs such diverse and complex topics as virtual reality, publishing, and computer networks. In examining the possible effects of computer technology on society, Rawlins maintains a balanced perspective offering other future scenarios besides those of the "gloom and doom" category or the utopian view of computers as the answer to all the world's problems. Without ever mentioning the Internet or World Wide Web, Rawlins handles most of the issues mentioned in the popular and professional press. This is essential reading for anyone with any interest in the future, namely, all of us. Highly recommended for academic and public libraries.?Wilfred Drew, SUNY at Morrisville Coll. Lib.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (May 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262680971
• ISBN-13: 978-0262680974
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,702,313 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A poor treatment of a serious topic, January 20, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology (Bradford Books) (Hardcover)

There are a lot of reasons for thoughtful concern about the proliferation of computer technology in our society. Invasions of privacy, loss of contact with our fellow beings, etc., are all very valid concerns! To his credit, the author (obviously a well-accomplished professional in the computer science area) raises these perhaps unpopular themes. However, having once raised the issues he does not follow through with sound analyses of the problems and recommendations for their amelioration. Frankly, some of what he has to say comes across as barely thought out and silly. At one point he discusses a particular negative ramification of computer technology (I don't have the book in front of me so I cannot be certain which one it is. He describes the problem, indicates that it may have an adverse effect on us, and concludes that the presence of the problem has many implications, and then drops it. I, personally, would have liked to have known what some of those implications are! The whole book looks like it was written too fast and edited poorly. Save your money.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Painfully Trite, September 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology (Paperback)

"For two decades now I've been awaiting a book explaining computers and their social consequences to literate readers," claims the author. Readers with similar hopes will not find satisfaction in this book. Rather, Rawlins casually addresses important issues concerning the role of computers concerning privacy, war, and poverty with no apparent insights or solutions. His descriptions of technologies are insultingly simplistic; one wonders if an average high-school student might have more interesting views on computers. This book's lack of footnotes and bibliography adds support to this reader's suspicion that the author just wrote down whatever came to mind. If Rawlins still wonders about computers and "their social consequences," he might try reading Niel Postman's "Technopoly" or any of the brilliant works of Theodore Roszak.

2.0 out of 5 stars An unengaging read., November 4, 2004

By 

Doshi - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moths to the Flame: The Seductions of Computer Technology (Paperback)

In the preface, the author poses many naturally interesting questions like "Who will become the information aristocracy and who will becomes the infoserfs of the next generation?". The book proper, however, doesn't do much to answer them.

Primarily, the author rambles on vaguely about the possible synergy between humans and computers/robots in the near future. He also highlights the challenges that the complexity of recent and future technologies pose. There do appear some interspersed interesting tidbits, as well. But, in the end, this book is not really thought-provoking. If you are even moderately aware of modern technologies that pervade human societies in developed economies, you will not gather any novel impressions from this book.