Synopses & Reviews
The bold futurist and bestselling author explores the limitless potential of reverse-engineering the human brain.
Ray Kurzweil is arguably today’s most influential — and often controversial — futurist. In How to Create a Mind, Kurzweil presents a provocative exploration of the most important project in human-machine civilization — reverse engineering the brain to understand precisely how it works and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines.
Kurzweil discusses how the brain functions, how the mind emerges from the brain, and the implications of vastly increasing the powers of our intelligence in addressing the world’s problems. He thoughtfully examines emotional and moral intelligence and the origins of consciousness and envisions the radical possibilities of our merging with the intelligent technology we are creating.
Certain to be one of the most widely discussed and debated science books of the year, How to Create a Mind is sure to take its place alongside Kurzweil’s previous classics which include Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever and The Age of Spiritual Machines.
Review
"Kurzweil's vision of our super-enhanced future is completely sane and calmly reasoned, and his book should nicely smooth the path for the earth's robot overlords, who, it turns out, will be us." The New York Times
Review
"Kurzweil writes boldly and with a showman's flair, expertly guiding the lay reader into deep thickets of neuroscience."
Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe
Review
"This book is a breath of fresh air....Kurzweil makes an argument for optimism."
Laura Spinney, New Scientist
Review
"A fascinating exercise in futurology."
Kirkus Reviews
Review
"It is rare to find a book that offers unique and inspiring content on every page. How to Create a Mind achieves that and more. Ray has a way of tackling seemingly overwhelming challenges with an army of reason, in the end convincing the reader that it is within our reach to create nonbiological intelligence that will soar past our own. This is a visionary work that is also accessible and entertaining.
Rafael Reif, president, MIT
Synopsis
The bestselling author of
The Singularity Is Near explores the limitless potential of reverse-engineering the human brain.
Ray Kurzweil is arguably today's most influential futurist. In How to Create a Mind, he presents a provocative exploration of the most important project in the human-machine civilization: reverse-engineering the brain to understand precisely how it functions and using that knowledge to create even more intelligent machines. Kurzweil discusses how the brain works, how the mind emerges, brain-computer interfaces, and the implications of vastly increasing the powers of our intelligence to address the worlds problems. Certain to be one of the most widely discussed and debated science books of the year, How to Create a Mind is sure to take its place alongside Kurzweil's previous classics.
About the Author
Ray Kurzweil is a prize-winning author and scientist. Recipient of the MIT-Lemelson Prize (the world’s largest for innovation), and inducted into the Inventor’s Hall of Fame, he received the 1999 National Medal of Technology. His books include The Age of Spiritual Machines and The Age of Intelligent Machines.
Visit Ray Kurzweil on the web:
http://www.kurzweiltech.com
http://www.kurzweilai.net/