The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil.
Reviewed by Gregg J. Donaldson
Published by Viking, in 1999
Cost: $25.95 U.S., $36.99 Canada
A Member of Penguin Putnam Inc.
Web: http://www.penguinputnam.com
"Imagine a world where the difference between man and machine blurs, where the line between humanity and technology fades, and where the soul and the silicon chip unite. This is not science fiction. This is the twenty-first century according to Ray Kurzweil.
In The Age of Spiritual Machines, the brains behind the Kurzweil Reading Machine, the Kurzweil synthesizer, advanced speech recognition, and other technologies devises a framework for envisioning the next century."
-From the Book Jacket-
In thumbing through the book, (not having thoroughly read it yet, having just picked it up). I was struck by four unique things:
1. The unique design of the book jacket, silver in color, but as light is reflected upon it, it breaks out into a brilliant prism of rainbow colors. Suggesting a futuristic feel to the reader, of what is to come.
2. The paragraph synopsis of each Chapter in the Contents. Everything from Part One: Probing The Past, and The Law of Time and Chaos, to Part Three: To Face The Future, and 2099 including a Prologue and Epilogue. Giving the reader a choice, as to what they might like to read first.
3. An appreciation of the research that went into the entire book; and
4. Not only the marriage of science and science fiction, but the thoughts and references to literary greats, such as; Robert Frost, Edgar Allan Poe, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
I saw him recently in April, at the Carmichael Auditorium, National Museum of American History, where he expanded upon the theories in his book. Mr. Kurzweil was interviewed by Marc Pachter, Counselor to the Smithsonian Secretary. The event was sponsored by the Smithsonian's Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation.
