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Electronic calculators
Infonotion
Processing & Managemmr.
Vol. 12. pp. 125433.
PergamonPress 1976. Prinkd in Great Britain
BOOK
REVIEWS
Electronic Calculators. H. E. ROBERT.Howard W. Sams and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1974, pp. 176, $5.95 softbound. Small electronic calculators seem to be almost everywhere and used by almost everyone-housewives in the marketplace, students in school, and researchers in the laboratory. The interest in small calculators is high, and yet few of the users know very much about the components of the machine and especially about how they work or how they are manufactured. Of course, not everyone cares to know about the inner workings of the calculator, and so this book is not for everyone. The book begins with a 20 page chapter on the “Evolution of the Electronic Calculator”. The history is very brief, mentioning only a few highlights. The sections on semiconductor electronics provide an overview of current developments in the field touching upon large scale integrated circuits (LX) and metal-oxide semiconductors (MOS). These MOS transistors are the heart of most calculator chips, and a simplified diagram explains what they consist of and how they work. Later chapters discuss the logic circuits of binary arithmatic, memory and shift registers, calculator organization, keyboards, display devices and operations. The last few chapters consider various types of calculator printers, e.g. impact, electrostatic and thermal. Also considered are various ways of interfacing the calculator with other input-output devices in more complex data processing systems. There is even a brief section on servicing electronic calculators and some predictions on possible future developments. It is worth quoting one of these predictions. “For example, it will be possible to use a pocket-sized machine as a combination telephone directory, diary, notebook, appointment calender and dictionary. Frequently used formulas, equations, hard to spell words, phone numbers, addresses, buisness contacts, ad infinitum, could be stored in machine memory simply by keying in the appropriate data. Readout could be achieved by a paper tape which would rapidly and silently print the requested information when an encoded instruction was keyed into the machine” (p. 169). Mr. Roberts, the author, is an engineer, and the book has a distinct engineering orientation. The book is reasonably well written; the language is understandable, and the style is lucid. There are, however, two things about the writing that annoyed this reviewer. One was the overuse of acronyms. True, each acronym was defined the first time it was used, but the density of acronyms to normal text was much too great. A second source of annoyance, and a much more serious one, was the tendency of the author to advertize the products of MITS Inc. of which he is president. This was overdone and out of place. In spite of these faults, the book does contain a lot of useful information for anyone who wants to know more about electronic calculators than simply how to use them. University ofCalifornia Los Angeles CA 90024 U.S.A.
H. BORKO
Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgement to Calculation. Francisco, California, 1976, pp. 300, $9.95.
JOSEPH WEIZENBAUM.
W. H. Freeman and Co., San
This is a provacative book. Reading it disturbs one’s equilibrium by questioning one’s basic assumptions about computers and their use. Thus, this is an important book which people working with computers should read. It is not a book about computer hardware or software. It is not even a book about computer applications in the usual meaning of that term. It is a book that discusses the relationship between people and computers, the limitations of computer power, and what computers are not and ought not to be made to do. It is also a book that argues against the metaphor of the computer as a “giant brain”, and very specifically it argues against the position of Newell and Simon as presented in their book, Human Problem Solving, Prentice Hall, 1972. Now, when computers are becoming ever more ubiquitous, when the application of computers seem unlimited, when there are commissions studying privacy and the implications of computers on society, this book forces us to examine the morality of computer science and not just the technology. The essential question which Weizenbaum asks, “is whether or not every aspect of human thought is reducible to a logical formalism, or to put it into the modern idiom, whether or not human thought is entirely computable” (p. 12). He states his position as follows, “I would argue that, however intelligent machines may be made to be, there are some acts of thought that ought to be attempted only by humans. One socially significant question I thus intend to raise is over the proper place of computers in the social order” (p. 13). These two quotes are taken from the introductory chapter. Later on in chapters entitled “Theories and Models”, Computer Models in Psychology”, “The Computer and Natural Language”, “Artificial Intelligence”, “Incomprehensible Programs”, and “Against the Imperialism of Instrument Reason”, the question is raised again and again in these different contexts, and arguments are presented for limiting the application of computers. The book derives its importance from the man who wrote it. Joe Weizenbaum is no Ludite fighting machines; he is one of the most respected computer scientists working today. He is the designer of SLIP, an early list processing language, and most significantly in 1964-65 he programmed ELIZA-A Computer Program for the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man and Machines. ELIZA is a computerized psychotherapist that interacted with and responded to patients in a therapy situation. And the patients responded to DOCTOR, as ELIZA came to be known, and developed transference relationships, and some even claimed to have gotten better. Weizenbaum now deprecates this program and calls it a parody. Computers, he believes, should not play doctor. “The question is not whether such a thing can be done, but whether it is appropriate to delegate this hitherto human function to a machine” (p. 207). As I said, this is a provacative book. It should be read, and whether or not you agree with the author, you will be provoked to consider the issues. Is there a morality in science and particularly in computer science? What are the ethical responsibilities of the computer professional? Uniuersityofcafijornia Los Angeles CA 90024 U.S.A.
H. BORKO
225
Processing & Managemmr.
Vol. 12. pp. 125433.
PergamonPress 1976. Prinkd in Great Britain
BOOK
REVIEWS
Electronic Calculators. H. E. ROBERT.Howard W. Sams and Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1974, pp. 176, $5.95 softbound. Small electronic calculators seem to be almost everywhere and used by almost everyone-housewives in the marketplace, students in school, and researchers in the laboratory. The interest in small calculators is high, and yet few of the users know very much about the components of the machine and especially about how they work or how they are manufactured. Of course, not everyone cares to know about the inner workings of the calculator, and so this book is not for everyone. The book begins with a 20 page chapter on the “Evolution of the Electronic Calculator”. The history is very brief, mentioning only a few highlights. The sections on semiconductor electronics provide an overview of current developments in the field touching upon large scale integrated circuits (LX) and metal-oxide semiconductors (MOS). These MOS transistors are the heart of most calculator chips, and a simplified diagram explains what they consist of and how they work. Later chapters discuss the logic circuits of binary arithmatic, memory and shift registers, calculator organization, keyboards, display devices and operations. The last few chapters consider various types of calculator printers, e.g. impact, electrostatic and thermal. Also considered are various ways of interfacing the calculator with other input-output devices in more complex data processing systems. There is even a brief section on servicing electronic calculators and some predictions on possible future developments. It is worth quoting one of these predictions. “For example, it will be possible to use a pocket-sized machine as a combination telephone directory, diary, notebook, appointment calender and dictionary. Frequently used formulas, equations, hard to spell words, phone numbers, addresses, buisness contacts, ad infinitum, could be stored in machine memory simply by keying in the appropriate data. Readout could be achieved by a paper tape which would rapidly and silently print the requested information when an encoded instruction was keyed into the machine” (p. 169). Mr. Roberts, the author, is an engineer, and the book has a distinct engineering orientation. The book is reasonably well written; the language is understandable, and the style is lucid. There are, however, two things about the writing that annoyed this reviewer. One was the overuse of acronyms. True, each acronym was defined the first time it was used, but the density of acronyms to normal text was much too great. A second source of annoyance, and a much more serious one, was the tendency of the author to advertize the products of MITS Inc. of which he is president. This was overdone and out of place. In spite of these faults, the book does contain a lot of useful information for anyone who wants to know more about electronic calculators than simply how to use them. University ofCalifornia Los Angeles CA 90024 U.S.A.
H. BORKO
Computer Power and Human Reason: From Judgement to Calculation. Francisco, California, 1976, pp. 300, $9.95.
JOSEPH WEIZENBAUM.
W. H. Freeman and Co., San
This is a provacative book. Reading it disturbs one’s equilibrium by questioning one’s basic assumptions about computers and their use. Thus, this is an important book which people working with computers should read. It is not a book about computer hardware or software. It is not even a book about computer applications in the usual meaning of that term. It is a book that discusses the relationship between people and computers, the limitations of computer power, and what computers are not and ought not to be made to do. It is also a book that argues against the metaphor of the computer as a “giant brain”, and very specifically it argues against the position of Newell and Simon as presented in their book, Human Problem Solving, Prentice Hall, 1972. Now, when computers are becoming ever more ubiquitous, when the application of computers seem unlimited, when there are commissions studying privacy and the implications of computers on society, this book forces us to examine the morality of computer science and not just the technology. The essential question which Weizenbaum asks, “is whether or not every aspect of human thought is reducible to a logical formalism, or to put it into the modern idiom, whether or not human thought is entirely computable” (p. 12). He states his position as follows, “I would argue that, however intelligent machines may be made to be, there are some acts of thought that ought to be attempted only by humans. One socially significant question I thus intend to raise is over the proper place of computers in the social order” (p. 13). These two quotes are taken from the introductory chapter. Later on in chapters entitled “Theories and Models”, Computer Models in Psychology”, “The Computer and Natural Language”, “Artificial Intelligence”, “Incomprehensible Programs”, and “Against the Imperialism of Instrument Reason”, the question is raised again and again in these different contexts, and arguments are presented for limiting the application of computers. The book derives its importance from the man who wrote it. Joe Weizenbaum is no Ludite fighting machines; he is one of the most respected computer scientists working today. He is the designer of SLIP, an early list processing language, and most significantly in 1964-65 he programmed ELIZA-A Computer Program for the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man and Machines. ELIZA is a computerized psychotherapist that interacted with and responded to patients in a therapy situation. And the patients responded to DOCTOR, as ELIZA came to be known, and developed transference relationships, and some even claimed to have gotten better. Weizenbaum now deprecates this program and calls it a parody. Computers, he believes, should not play doctor. “The question is not whether such a thing can be done, but whether it is appropriate to delegate this hitherto human function to a machine” (p. 207). As I said, this is a provacative book. It should be read, and whether or not you agree with the author, you will be provoked to consider the issues. Is there a morality in science and particularly in computer science? What are the ethical responsibilities of the computer professional? Uniuersityofcafijornia Los Angeles CA 90024 U.S.A.
H. BORKO
225