The Brain Makers

by H.P. Newquist

This work provides a look at the individuals and companies that have sought to develop and market the technology known as artificial intelligence. The driving force behind AI is to create computers... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0672304120
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Sams
• Length: 488 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.5" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

A good history of AI . . .

Having been involved in the technology business for way too many years, I found Newquist's book to be a pretty accurate account of what went on in the AI world. It's not a book about technology or programming, so if you're looking for technical data, try a textbook. But if you want to know why artifical intelligence died a slow and ugly death, you'll have all your questions answered here. The book, as its subtitle suggests, is about "genius, ego, and greed"--the personalites involved in AI. It's not about the importance of neural networks vs the relevance of expert systems. As for the "discot" review that says to take some of the information with a grain of salt, Newquist includes nearly 15 pages of footnotes to back up his research. That should be good enough for most readers. All in all, I found this book to be an insightful observation and reflection on what AI could have been. I'd recommend it over books by AI participants like Raymond Kurzweil, who obviously have personal motivations to keep selling AI snake oil in their self-promoting books.