Review by Hal Linstone

Excerpts from: (draft book review, Technological Forecasting and Social Change)

The volume offers much food for thought. It is well organized with twenty essays and commentary that make for stimulating reading. The essays are grouped into four parts, three of which focus on superintelligence (artificial and posthuman) and the fourth deals with skepticism. I have only one complaint: the neglect of some of the most incisive writing on the subject. (1) ... Theodore Modis, has an essay in this book, indeed an excellent one which engenders an interesting response by Kurzweil and displays the value of the format of Singularity Hypotheses. (2) Christopher Magee (MIT) and Tessaleno Devezas (Portugal) on “How many singularities are near and how will they disrupt human history?”... All in all I found the book very thought-provoking, with Part IV on skepticism the most provocative.

Harold Linstone, editor in chief, Technological Forecasting and Social Change

(The complete book review)

(All reviews)