“The inventor of Palm Pilot technology and neuroscience enthusiast describes the brain and a new theory of how the brain works- something that Hawkins, the author, realized there wasn't much of when he was young. "No one had any idea how the brain actually worked." This set him off on a path of trying to uncover the mysteries of the brain such as how the brain can do something like catch a ball without much thought, but we haven't been able to create a smart robot that can do this without making the programming look like the US federal tax code (i.e. ridiculously lengthy). 25 years later, Hawkins created this book, with the help of writer Sandra Blakeslee, as a concise description of intelligence and what we can do to emulate it.
Throughout the book, the author combines stories of his personal life with discoveries in the brain science field in an entertaining way. Hawkins uses easy-to-grasp analogies to show how complex brain activities happen and while the biological jargon gets a little hairy at times, the book is fluid and enlightening. Hawkins ends the book with some potential uses of an intelligent machine. This section is not as visionary as one would expect, but the author does leave open the probability of artificial intelligence technology benefiting us in ways we can't even comprehend now.
This is a great book, but not complete. I recommend reading Mind Wide Open and Stumbling on Happiness in addition to this book, which would add more personal perspectives on the brain and psychology.”
J wrote this review Saturday, April 14 2007.
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