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Norbert Wiener

The Human Use Of Human Beings Paperback – March 22, 1988

by Norbert Wiener (Author)

4.4 229 ratings

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Only a few books stand as landmarks in social and scientific upheaval. Norbert Wiener's classic is one in that small company. Founder of the science of cybernetics—the study of the relationship between computers and the human nervous system—Wiener was widely misunderstood as one who advocated the automation of human life. As this book reveals, his vision was much more complex and interesting. He hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery in order to achieve more creative pursuits. At the same time he realized the danger of dehumanizing and displacement. His book examines the implications of cybernetics for education, law, language, science, technology, as he anticipates the enormous impact—in effect, a third industrial revolution—that the computer has had on our lives.

Print length

199 pages
Language

English
Publication date

March 22, 1988
Dimensions

8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
ISBN-10

0306803208
ISBN-13

978-0306803208
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Norbert Wiener received his Ph.D. from Harvard at the age of eighteen, and joined the mathematics department at M.I.T. when he was twenty-five. Honored throughout his life with numerous scientific awards, he was the author of two autobiographies, Ex-Prodogy and I Am a Mathematician, as well as several important books and basic papers on the theory and practice of cybernetics.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo Press; New edition (March 22, 1988)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 199 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306803208
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306803208
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #192,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #27 in Cybernetics (Books)
- #59 in Human-Computer Interaction (Books)
- #7,000 in Social Sciences (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 229 ratings

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4.4 out of 5

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Gary L. Herstein

Slightly dated, but still full of insights

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2021

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As noted in the title, the text is somewhat dated, but Wiener still has many insights worth attending to. Wiener was primarily a mathematician and logician, so one direction the interested reader might go is to supplement with more philosophically centered works. (Dewey's "Democracy and Education" and "The Public and its Problems" leap to mind here.)

Wiener's 'cybernetics' is not the simplistic reduction of the human mind to a computer that many folks seem to take it to be. With that in mind, his discussion of feedback and control can be understood in a far more nuanced manner than some later individuals have offered. Thus, it remains a worthwhile text to read, especially if one reads it in context and with care.

2 people found this helpful

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M. Liao

Just here to add my positive recommendation for this book

Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2021

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It seems like a pretty critical science and education for our 21st century and on if we're to advance as a human race to the stars yet have an understanding behind our motivations if what we're all gonna' be anyways is doomed eventually just as this planet, the sun and all the stars and even the universe. If you want o find out what cybernetics is this is more than a great primer.

One person found this helpful

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ts supernatural

Bureaucracy

Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2021

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The books are supportive to my research into Government Philosophy, Governmental Functions, and Bureaucracies as they relate to pharmacology, political science, and public policy generally as I compare one expert's opinion to others.

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Technophobe01

A fabulous and thoughtful discourse on human feedback systems

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018

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I admit this is a book I have read multiple times. It is a book I have a strong affinity for. I come back to it every few years. Why? Norbert's views of the future were prescient of our times. He does a fine job of hi-lighting the dangers of a "machine à gouverner" and the implications thereof. In essence he describes what can happen if you were able to apply probabilistic control to humans and tie this back to feedback systems.

The book is wide ranging in its scope of thought and for that reason and more highly recommended.

6 people found this helpful

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Roberto Rigolin F Lopes

The beginning of the information revolution supported by computers

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2017

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We are in 1949, Wiener is lecturing us on communication of humans and its machines; the scope is broad: from physics to society. Regarding information, humans are patterns trying to perpetuate themselves fighting nature’s probabilistic tendency to disorder (second law of thermodynamics). How we are doing it? Well, the whole discussion unveils the beginning of the information revolution supported by computers. Hey, just 70 years ago, geniuses like Wiener and von Neumann weren't sure about machines beating humans on chess!

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

This is a book from a very intelligent and prescient man.

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2019

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This first half of this book was interesting, especially his description of control mechanisms. The book crescendos with a succinct description of the first and second industrial revolutions, and reaches its climax with his warning to us (70 years in the future) of the dangers we are flirting with concerning the development of artificial intelligence. I also listened to a lecture he gave in New York, available on YouTube, that accentuates some of his more important points.

5 people found this helpful

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Dia

If you love Kubrick’s 2001

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2021

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If you loved Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece about man and machine (and man within the machinery) then you should read this. He probably did. This 1950’s classic was ahead of its time.

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Tookie Smith

The greatest informational and educational read ever!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Pease everyone get this book and read it two to five times!
Pass it down to your children and grandchildren.
I truly believe that the brain as well as your mind is a real,
"Human Computer that you can use to program your self" to accomplish all goals in life, including losing weight and healing all diseaeses!

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

mf

landmark book

Reviewed in Canada on April 21, 2023

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Very rewarding reading for those who are partial to mathematical thinking and concerned with understanding and guiding the interaction between AI and society. This book - written over 50 years ago by Norbert Wiener, a mathematician who was also considered the founder of cybernetics, later leading to modern-day AI - is still highly insightful and relevant today. It provides a wide foray into Wiener's pioneering thinking on the relationship of computers to the human nervous system and society as a whole. Wiener, a mathematician at MIT, was also a keen observer of society and an active contributor in several disciplines outside mathematics, such as engineering and biology: one of the last true polymaths in research mathematics. This book offers a unique opportunity to experience his insight in action.

Dragon123

Inquies but after a time there is no inquiry rather the authors thougt.

Reviewed in India on November 30, 2022

Verified Purchase

I Will not say this is a great book rather this is a good book depicting the thoughts of a great person -- The thoughts which ar enot much of practical use though half of them are extremely important and useful. I would say read it.

Luis fernando

Great book great info

Reviewed in Mexico on October 20, 2020

Verified Purchase

Great book , I am studying psicology , thru correct input they manipulate our subconcient, with subliminal audio or video

rose

old but gold

Reviewed in Germany on May 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

well written, and still hold so much tith and inspiration. if you're thinking about buying thiy book, you absolutely should.

Mr. M. Sanders

Norbert Wiener the human use of cybernetics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2015

Verified Purchase

Norbert Wiener was the father of Cybernetics (although please do check out Stafford Beer's work on this subject, he was the father of one of my best friends).

The book although written some years ago is still relevant, although computer technology has advanced immensely since this time.

Cybernetics is the study of control and feedback mechanisms and makes perfect sense when you read about it. Here in this book, Norbert Wiener explains in simple terms the bases of his findings.

Wiener warned early on that computers would take human jobs through automation and he was very right about that. I bought this to help me with research on a book about robotics I am looking to write and the book was very useful.

5 people found this helpful

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