Machinery of the Mind

By George Johnson

This book was published in Fall 1986 by Times Books/Random House and in paperback a year later by Tempus/Microsoft Press. Other editions were published in Italy and Japan. It is now, to my great annoyance, out of print. There are, however, used copies at Amazon and I have put two chapters on the Web:

Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

"An ideal presentation of what artificial intelligence is all about . . . a charming collage that excellently portrays what a complex challenge A.I. truly is, and how easy it is to be misled by hype and slick demos. Johnson's fascination with the artistic and philosophical aspects of artificial intelligence, evident throughout, makes the book lively and provocative, and his deft literary touch, peppered with wit, makes it a delight to read." -- Douglas Hofstadter

"A solid, well-researched, honest piece of work." -- Lee Dembart, The Los Angeles Times

"The best general survey we have encountered . . . Machinery of the Mind should become a standard reference." -- Jerry Pournelle and Barbara Clifford, The Washington Post


how to order a copy