Book Review (Posted on 02-17-2018)

Written in 1999, released in 2000, this book reads like it was just published today (2018). While the reflective cover is a nice eye-catching design, the book itself is enough to terrify folks unwilling to know the Fate of how far computers will be injected into our already tech-dependent society. I say "terrified" for a reason, so let's put it this way: What was the first thing that came to mind when the android robot named 'Sophia' became a citizen in a human-governed society? Reactions synonymous to "freaked out" is one of the reasons.

Author Kurzweil did a fantastic job writing, what brewed to be, humans entering an era totally implementing computers made to serve nearly every purpose—to make things easier for us to work, and produce things that we couldn't organically do. While the first and second parts reads like a newspaper and a reference book, Kurzweil often mentions his personal points on what could and may be in the coming future, and what consumers are expected to have access to in their everyday lives. Along with it, Kurzweil talks about a bot and some software he wrote and built showcasing the intelligence and the fast learning of Artificial Intelligence. This includes writing poems, painting, video editing (!) and even reading comprehension. You think robots taking our [retail] jobs is scary, wait until they take over producing art, like music, editing films, reviewing books....holy crap.

In with the discussions of computers, and the rate of "intelligent" machines becoming smarter, Kurzweil talks a lot about virtual reality. Makes sense since virtual reality pornography and video gaming has been in rapid development already, and continues to improve. Very soon, you can change the area in your room with the touch of a button without leaving your room. Also, when making love to your partner, you can change their looks and body type without them knowing. Freaked out yet? Yeah, it's coming.

While all that information was enough to give the reader some basic knowledge, I was truly excited when I read Part 3 of the book which features titles of specific years in the future. In this case, the title of those chapters are 1999, 2009, 2019, 2029 and 2099. Since two of those years have passed, and we happily lived through, we still have 2019 and on. What are Kurzweil's predictions? Let me mention this first: at the rate intelligent machines are going, we have until 2020 to pull the plug and say all that we have is enough, but that would be a ridiculous decision. Why? Our research, our demand and our search for a simpler, easier life will never stop, and because we're so in tuned with technology, it makes sense to keep going and going with such development. Unfortunately, the year 2020 is when the average machine has reached the same level, if not higher, intelligence of the average human being.

Alright, so what about the future? Here you go: Around 2029, robots will be protesting for their rights. They will claim they're as conscious and intelligent as we humans are....and we'll believe them. By the year 2040, nano-produced food will completely create and even replace our everyday food, eliminating the chaos and shortage of food production. By 2099, humans an robots are melded as one. Why? How? Snatch this book to find out. It's best you know about it now than to be surprised when the time comes.

While this book is chocked full of information easily understandable to the average reader, it's enough to make your bone marrows tingle. Robots demanding equal rights as we huamsn have? The subjects of politics and philosophy will be incredibly crucial to future lawmakers and politicians. Oh, and you know how some astronomers/astrophysicists claim the Universe is a computer simulation? Our lives may just be that way as well. In the virtual reality world, you can travel and visit any destination without paying for airline tickets.

This is one of those books people shrugged off when it was released. However, now that we've gotten this far, and standards have drastically changed, watch this book come back into the spotlight.

For that I say, this book is here. You all have no excuses whatsoever when the time comes. Author Kurzweil has already told us; It's up to you to read about it.

Besides that, amazing book! You better take time to read it....the robots are coming!

Finally, check out your favorite books at discount prices at eBooks.com! Always there for your new semester:

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