Moths to the Flame - The Seductions of Computer Technology - bk1209

In "Moths to the Flame", the author takes us on a tour of the world wrought by modern technology, a technology he points out that is rooted deep inside the military: a technology that when applied to everyday life, may have startling results. Unlike space technology, today's technological race won't simply bring us Tang-flavoured Velcro. Rawlins' stories and anecdotes increase awareness of technology itself as a player in the political and commercial climate of our times. In our head-long rush toward networked humanity Rawlins raises serious concerns about our future jobs and our future wars: we can figure out what kind of job to get today if we know where technology is taking us tomorrow. The book's first four chapters explore the worlds of privacy, virtual reality, publishing and computer networks, while the last four focus on social issues such as warfare, jobs, computer catastrophes, and the future itself. Throughout unusual, eye-opening analogies and historical comparisons - from Egyptian hieroglyphics to the sewing machine to the codebreakers of World War II - give us a context for the computer age, showing how new technologies have always bred intertwined hope and resistance.

-- Deborah Fitzgerald, Program on Science and Technology, MIT -- Raymond Kurzweil, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Kurzweil Applied Intelligence, Inc; Chairman, Kurzweil Technologies, Inc; Author of "The Age of Intelligent Machines" (MIT Press) " Rawlins is a terrifically angular writer, crisp and fluid and recognizable. Very nice staccato in the vignettes and stories he uses to illustrate his notions, VERY interesting metaphors, almost anthropological in its reach and ability to hang in one's memory like an afterimage." -- Deborah Fitzgerald, Program on Science and Technology, MIT " Total immersion in artificial environments, integration of computer networks with the human nervous system, intelligent weapons that stalk their targets, the triumph of intellectual resources over natural resources, well I could go on. Rawlins weaves these inexorable trends and more into a highly engaging and, yes, suspenseful tale of the past exponentially transforming itself into the future. Highly recommended for readers who plan to be around during the early twenty-first century." -- Raymond Kurzweil, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Kurzweil Applied Intelligence, Inc; Chairman, Kurzweil Technologies, Inc; Author of "The Age of Intelligent Machines" (MIT Press) & quot; Rawlins is a terrifically angular writer, crisp and fluid and recognizable. Very nice staccato in the vignettes and stories he uses to illustrate his notions, VERY interesting metaphors, almost anthropological in its reach and ability to hang in one's memory like an afterimage.& quot; -- Deborah Fitzgerald, Program on Science and Technology, MIT & quot; Total immersion in artificial environments, integration of computer networks with the human nervous system, intelligent weapons that stalk their targets, the triumph of intellectual resources over natural resources, well I could go on. Rawlins weaves these inexorable trends and more into a highly engaging and, yes, suspenseful tale of the past exponentially transforming itself into the future. Highly recommended for readers who plan to be around during the early twenty-first century.& quot; -- Raymond Kurzweil, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Kurzweil Applied Intelligence, Inc; Chairman, Kurzweil Technologies, Inc; Author of The Age of Intelligent Machines (MIT Press) "Total immersion in artificial environments, integration of computer networks with the human nervous system, intelligent weapons that stalk their targets, the triumph of intellectual resources over natural resources, well I could go on. Rawlins weaves these inexorable trends and more into a highly engaging and, yes, suspenseful tale of the past exponentially transforming itself into the future. Highly recommended for readers who plan to be around during the early twenty-first century."--Raymond Kurzweil, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Kurzweil Applied Intelligence, Inc; Chairman, Kurzweil Technologies, Inc; Author of "The Age of Intelligent Machines" (MIT Press) "Rawlins is a terrifically angular writer, crisp and fluid and recognizable. Very nice staccato in the vignettes and stories he uses to illustrate his notions, VERY interesting metaphors, almost anthropological in its reach and ability to hang in one's memory like an afterimage."--Deborah Fitzgerald, Program on Science and Technology, MIT