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Joseph Weizenbaum
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Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgment to Calculation First Edition

by Joseph Weizenbaum (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 34 ratings
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Examines the sources of the computer's powers and offers evaluative explorations of what computers can do, cannot do, and should not be employed to do. Bibliogs
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  1. ISBN-10
    0716704633
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0716704638
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    W H Freeman & Co
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 1976
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
  8. Print length
    300 pages
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W H Freeman & Co; First Edition (January 1, 1976)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0716704633
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0716704638
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.9 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 34 ratings

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Joseph Weizenbaum

Joseph Weizenbaum

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4.5 out of 5 stars
34 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • S. Sagarin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not just for the computer-savvy
    Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    After reading through the other reviews, it strikes me that most of them are by and for--and make the assumption that the book is by and for--those engaged actively in making and programming computers. But it's not.

    Virtually every life on earth--and certainly every life in the "first world"--is now intimately bound up with computers and the services they provide and the challenges they offer. This book examines these as thoughtfully as any book on the topic. Yes, Weizenbaum got some things wrong, but he's still among the most prescient writers on the topic, 35 years later!, and the ethical basis of the book--the reason we all should read it, whether or not our livelihood depends on knowing anything about computers--is well nigh eternal.

    More important, the book isn't just about computers, it's about the relationship of human beings to technology.

    Here's one of my favorite passages: "The salvation of the world depends only on the individual whose world it is. At least, every individual must act as if the whole future of the world, of humanity itself, depends on him. Anything less is a shirking of responsibility and is itself a dehumanizing force, for anything less encourages the individual to look upon himself as a mere actor in a drama written by anonymous agents, as less than a whole person, and that is the beginning of passivity and aimlessness."

    (Apologies, in your absence, Joe, for the dated, sexist language, but the point is clear.)
    30 people found this helpful
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  • 1Fatts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ideas Worth Considering
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2019
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    A book which is, in some ways, more relevant today than it was when it was written some 40 years ago. Is it inevitable that we will cede all decision-making to the computing machines we created as tools to help us? What would be the consequences of that for society? A must-read, and not just for scientists.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Alec Walker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Still on the money
    Reviewed in the United States on June 29, 2015
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    This is an extended reflection on the capacity of informed people to project autonomy, even consciousness, onto machines. It's based on his experience with ELIZA, a 1960's computer program that mimicked a simple psychiatric interview. We made not need introductions to bits and flip-flops anymore, but the psychological insights are right on in an era when many people hope that Big Data and AI will solve big problems.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Laurence Marks
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic
    Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2016
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    A classic book from the 1960s from one of the early researchers (fathers) of Artificial Intelligence. Not too dated, but Weizenbaum does makes some assertions like "there will never be enough power in a computer to understand human speech" which are clearly wrong only fifty years later. The jump he takes from very basic computer design to types of simulated intelligence is a little jarring.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Bradford Needham
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent argument against abdicating responsibility to algorithms; very dated details
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2018
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    A classic. I've posted an extensive review on GoodReads. Weizenbaum - the creator of the original chatbot, Eliza - makes a solid argument that however intelligent computers may become, they are still a different species than humans, and because they are algorithmic they cannot make decisions based on moral judgement rather than utilitarian optimization. That last point took me 20 years to understand, and has to do with the Materialism (in a philosophical sense) of engineers.

    A caution: the book contains so many details of 1970's computer theory and design that it's most useful and enjoyable as a History of AI Arguments book. Several chapters attempt to cover the whole of computer and software theory - which was possible in the 1970's - but now seem quaint and naive.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Robert Aarhus
    1.0 out of 5 stars This is for the Kindle Edition
    Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2023
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    There is no problem with this book's content. However, the Kindle edition as published by Amazon is improperly formatted (rotated 90 degrees) and the scans break up lines and omit text. It is fundamentally unreadable.
    10 people found this helpful
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  • JLA
    5.0 out of 5 stars The book safely arrived as described.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2021
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    Thanks.
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  • Steve Vaughn
    5.0 out of 5 stars An anchor book in understanding the modern Matrix
    Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2014
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    From the basics, Weizenbaum lays out the fundamentals of computation starting at Turing's postulate. A must-read for those who wish to understand the direction of computers and technocracy in society.
    2 people found this helpful
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