Artificial Intelligence: An Illustrated History

Clifford A. Pickover has published more than 50 books, translated into a dozen languages, on topics ranging from science and mathematics to religion, art, and history. He received his PhD from Yale University and has been granted more than 400 US patents. Pickover has nearly 32,000 Twitter followers and three million tweet-views a month. His book, The Math Book, won the Neumann Prize, awarded every two years for the best book on the history of mathematics aimed at a broad audience. His other books include The Physics Book and Death & the Afterlife.

“This is an addictive stroll through the annals of artificial intelligence, highlighting almost 100 innovations developed between 1300 BCE and 2018. The chronologically arranged, brief (three or four paragraphs), but authoritative entries are complemented by full-page illustrations and range from the mythological (Lancelot's copper knights, The Terminator) to the actual (da Vinci's robot knight, the Roomba) and from gaming (tic-tac-toe, backgammon, the Rubik's Cube, Jeopardy) to more serious pursuits (face and voice recognition, autonomous robotic surgery). Readers will find basic information regarding the who, what, when, where, and how of each subject, plus accounts of public reception and practical applications, if any. Many familiar names appear: Aristotle, Tesla, ENIAC, Hal 9000; other references may be a bit more obscure, like The Steam Man of the Prairies, a sf novel published in 1868. Features include an index, cross-references to related articles within the book, and recommendations for more comprehensive further reading selections. This is an enjoyable diversion to read cover to cover, follow along common strands, or dip into for random bits.” —Booklist