Naturally Intelligent Systems (Bradford Books) (Paperback)

~ Maureen Caudill (Author), Charles Butler (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Neural networks are information-processing computers whose ever-shifting pattern of activity resembles the workings of the human brain. Once hailed as the next great breakthrough in computer science, this nascent technology is now, the authors concede, a fragile sapling. Yet Caudill, a regular contributor to AI Expert , and Butler, a specialist in neural network development, point out that these brainlike devices have found practical uses in such areas as speech recognition, robotics and signal processing. Future applications might include vision systems, quality control and independent robots capable of autonomous learning. This accessible if demanding primer leads the reader gradually from basic principles to techniques and applications. A sprinkling of cartoons, diagrams and anecdotes lightens the presentation.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The "naturally intelligent systems," also known as neural networks, neurocomputers, or neural computers, are the newest generaton of computer systems. Their basic architecture is designed to imitate the structure of the brain by attempting to replicate some of its functions. Caudill and Butler cover the subject xlcomprehensively. There are detailed explanations on different system designs; how these systems "learn"; and what types of tasks they can handle. However, despite the fact that the book has a glossary and does not carry a single mathematical formula, numerous ideas are expressed with mathematical, computer science, and electrical engineering terminologies, which can be hurdles to readers without the appropriate background. Nonetheless, this is one of a very few books (if not the only one) on neural networks that is written for the layperson. This is a suitable addition to undergraduate collections, but is not recommended for public libraries.
- May Rathbone, Univ. of Washington Libs., Seattle
Copyright 1990 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: 314 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press (September 8, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262531135
• ISBN-13: 978-0262531139
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,130,437 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needs more pictures, February 15, 2001

By A Customer

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, this book chose the thousand-word route in most cases. Neural nets are ideal candidates for illustrations. So, why they decided to use endless descriptions is beyond me. It is like giving directions over the phone when a map would get to the point much faster.

It also needed to explain more conceptually how neural nets actually work, not just how they are arranged. Examples where the net matches one-to-one with an actual image or pattern are easy to follow, but how they recognize different variations of patterns (variety) I never got a good feel for from this book. However, the description of an Adeline node was pretty good.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good intro to neural network concepts, March 18, 2002

By	Josh Daniel S. Davis "xaminmo" (Highland Village, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book walks through practical examples of various neural network designs and their relationships among eachother.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction to Artificial Neural Systems, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Naturally Intelligent Systems (Hardcover)

The book is a very inspiring introduction to artificial neural computing. It explains the intutive motivation behind the design of almost all major artificial neural models. It explains insight in simple english. This book along with a mathematical rigourous book can provide a very good understanding on the modern neural network research.