||boek: Fuzzy Logic|De ontdekking van een revolutionaire computertechnologie ...|Bodoni

||door: Daniel McNeill, Paul Freiberger

||taal: nl
||jaar: 1994
||druk: ?
||pag.: 319p
||opm.: paperback|zo goed als nieuw

||isbn: 90-5526-013-4
||code: 1:000485

--- Over het boek (foto 1): Fuzzy Logic ---

Fuzzy logic is a way to program computers so that they can mimic the imprecise way that humans make decisions. This technology allows for many innovative applications, including cars that virtually drive themselves, washing machines that pick the right wash cycles and water temperature automatically and air conditioning and heaters that adjust to the number of people in the room. This book traces the dramatic story of Lotfi Zadeh, an Iranian-American professor at Berkeley who began developing fuzzy logic more than 27 years ago, and his struggle and subsequent failure to sell his idea to the American academic and business communities.

[source: https--www.bol.com]

General readers who are curious about how a new paradigm is created in basic science will find much of interest in this tight, sharp journalistic treatment of the development of "fuzzy" logic--that is, the mathematics of complexity, which in its more practical applications enables the design of machines that can perform a variety of tasks without detailed human instructions. The authors, both computer writers, chronicle the discipline's beginnings in the early 1960s and the academic battles over its worth that delayed its use in American applied science for years (the Japanese picked it up more quickly), showing how the combined inertia of 20th-century business and science resisted such a major shift in thinking. The mathematicians who created fuzzy logic (and may well regret the playful name they gave it) take center stage here, but the authors' journalistic skills enable them to vividly report on the insular world of high-level research, making the heated debates over fuzzy logic that much more interesting. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Publishers Weekly [source: https--www.amazon.com]

"Fuzzy logic" is a mathematical model of artificial intelligence that simulates human thinking by quantifying subjective concepts and reducing an infinite spectrum of numbers into a few categories. Initially scorned by American firms, it has been embraced commercially by Japanese companies for more than five years in the manufacture of innovative "smart" products such as camcorders, washing machines, air conditioners, and subway systems. The authors rebuke U.S. manufacturers for being shortsighted in rejecting this technology while Japanese corporations are now positioned to earn billions selling smart appliances to American consumers. While a few U.S. companies have recently begun to apply fuzzy logic, the gap with Japan remains wide, and narrowing it will be a considerable challenge. This is a good complement to Charles Ferguson's Computer Wars (LJ 1/92), which discusses the hardware challenges that lie ahead for American companies. Both would be of interest to public and academic libraries. --Joe Acccardi, Northeastern Illinois Univ. Lib., Chicago

Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal [source: https--www.amazon.com]

Imagine a technology so revolutionary that it gives computers the ability to make decisions more like human beings. Professor Lofti Zadeh masterminded "fuzzy logic"--a way of programming computers to "make decisions" based on imprecise data and complex situations. In "Fuzzy Logic," Daniel McNeill and Paul Freiberger relate the compelling tale of this remarkable new technology, the genius who brought it to life, and how it will soon affect the lives of every one of us.

[source: https--www.goodreads.com]

The concept of fuzzy logic has been surfacing as the wave of the future on the business pages and in articles on Japan. Fuzzy designs, science/computer-writers McNeill and Freiberger tell us, are generating self-parking cars, intelligent TVs and VCRs, and self-adjusting vacuum cleaners; eventually, they will enable computers really to read, listen, and talk back. That's the bright side. The dark side is the view of many academics and entrepreneurs-whose careers and companies are based on "crisp" logic-that statement A and its denial, not-A, cannot both be true: "A sheep cannot be both white and non-white." In fuzzy logic, though, sheep can be both or neither. It's a matter of degree along a continuum. Once you start thinking this way, it's clear that language itself is fuzzy, full of gray areas of "more or less." This idea has given rise to a theory of sets and subsets with varying degrees of membership-which in turn has yielded a theory and proofs that have enabled innovators to devise circuits or collections of if-then statements that can be programmed into chips to make decisions in controlling a variety of processes, from purifying water to diagnosing disease. The authors enthuse and argue about fuzzy logic, providing a history of movers and shakers like Lotfi Zadeh and Bart Kosko. To their credit, they also present the loyal opposition. The big issue is that, while the ideas originated in America, Japan has lapped them up, not only to make supertrains run superbly but to do all of the tricks above and more to come. Will the US catch on? Maybe, the authors suggest, but we'll still be playing catch up. Part of the problem is the paucity of books on the subject. This one, while fuzzy in details, at least serves to introduce readers to the concepts and a dazzling cast of characters.

[source: https--www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/daniel-mcneill/fuzzy-logic]

Fuzzy logic is an eye-opening book - an exciting tour of a high-tech world where visionary computer scientists are inventing the future, and a disturbing lesson in shortsighted business practices. Imagine tossing your laundry into a "fuzzy" washing machine, pushing a button, and leaving the machine to do the rest, from measuring out detergent to choosing a wash temperature. Imagine a microwave oven that watches over meals with more sensitivity than a human cook. Imagine a subway system that stops and starts so smoothly that passengers don't bother holding on to straps. Futuristic fantasy? No. In Japan, this is reality - and it's starting to explode into our marketplace. Lotfi Zadeh, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, invented fuzzy logic in 1964. Conventional logic divides the world into yes and no, black and white. Fuzzy logic deals in shades of gray. It can thus make computers think like people. But when Zadeh tried to sell his idea to the American academic community and to American companies, he met with ridicule and scorn. Only the Japanese saw the logic of fuzzy logic, and soon such companies as Matsushita and Sony will earn billions selling it back to us. And they will have a head start on the dazzling future possibilities of fuzzy logic: software that predicts the stock market based on the daily news, cars that drive themselves, sex robots with a humanlike repertoire of behavior, computers that understand and respond to normal human language, and molecule-sized soldiers of health that roam the bloodstream, killing cancer cells and slowing the aging process. Fuzzy logic is the compelling tale of this remarkable new technology and the fascinating people who made it happen. It is also the story of what it took for American business to catch on to fuzzy logic - and how it will soon affect the lives of every one of us.

[source: https--www.librarything.com/work/284708]

--- Over (foto 2): Daniel McNeill ---

Daniel McNeill - Ghostwriter (Los Angeles, United States)

Prize-winning, best-selling, Harvard-educated ghostwriter. Author of acclaimed books in science, business, and many other fields.

A book is a brilliant ship out sailing the oceans of the world, beyond your view. But it takes time and dedication, so most great book ideas never reach the printed page.

Yet a book can be deeply rewarding. It can convey the perspective of a lifetime. It can introduce you to people across the globe. It can give you the glow of applause. It can make you a well-known expert and a sought-after interview. It is typically a high point in one's biography.

I bring you commitment. I work on one book at a time. It becomes my life and I hardly step outside it until I'm done.

I bring you proven quality. My books have included a Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, a nominee for the National Book Award, and a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. My books won praise in such publications as the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, The Economist, the London Times, Milan's Corriere della Sera, and Seoul's Chosun Ilbo. A Nobel laureate called one of my books "fascinating on every page."

I bring sensitivity to your voice, your goals. A book is more than your thoughts. It is you. I highlight your special traits to your readers.

I bring you broad background. I have written to widespread praise on a variety of topics, some of which I knew little about initially. But I am an expert, experienced researcher, and my degree from Harvard Law School gives me depth on many social issues.

And I come with excellent recommendations, such as the following:

From a Harvard scientist to agent: "I just want to state for the record that you found me the best possible person to write with, Dan."

From a contact at Fortune 500 company: "We can't thank you enough for all the fantastic work on this. It really was a tremendous effort and we think it's a really powerful piece of writing."

From the client on a memoir: "Dan discovers the essence of the writer's intent, while preserving his voice. We are so grateful that you [Dan] helped us fulfill my husband's legacy by working on his memoir with such sensitivity and compassion."

[source: https--reedsy.com/daniel-mcneill]

I am a writer living by the sea in Southern California. My books include:

• FUZZY LOGIC. A best-seller and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
• THE FACE. "Downright beautiful." -- Washington Post
• MORALS AND MARKETS (forthcoming, with Daniel Friedman).

-- "Fascinating on every page." -- George Akerlof, Nobel laureate in economics
-- "An engrossing and insightful read . . . should be mandatory reading for ideologues on both sides " -- Daniel McFadden, Nobel laureate in economics
-- "The writing is exceptionally vivid, the conceptual framework penetrating. It's a real achievement." -- Kim Stanley Robinson, novelist, author of 2312 and Red Mars
-- "The story is told masterfully." -- James Spohrer, Director, IBM University Programs World-Wide
-- "Anyone interested in markets and morals--perhaps the central issue of our time--should read this very interesting and thoughtful book." -- Tyler Cowen, Professor of Economics, George Mason University

[source: https--www.amazon.com]

--- Over (foto 3): Paul Freiberger ---

Paul Freiberger, author of "When Can You Start?" is an award-winning writer. His work has been widely praised for its effectiveness and compassion. As President of Shimmering Resumes, Paul helps individuals throughout the world improve their careers with job interview preparation, resumes and job search.

Paul won The Los Angeles Times Book Award as co-author of "Fuzzy Logic" (Simon & Schuster, 1994) and he co-authored the best-selling "Fire in the Valley: The Making of the Personal Computer" (McGraw-Hill, 1984, rev. 2000), translated into many languages and later made into the Hollywood movie Pirates of Silicon Valley. He has produced reports for National Public Radio programs, including All Things Considered and Morning Edition. He is a former columnist for the San Jose Mercury News and a reporter for the San Francisco Examiner. He directed communications for McKinsey & Company, the world's most respected global management consulting firm.

Paul has gone through several job transformations himself. He has worked as a teacher, a night porter, a newspaper reporter, a technology project manager, a chef, a communications executive, and an entrepreneur. He knows the job search process and how to make it work. He earned a B.A. in history at the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Masters in Italian from Middlebury College.

He is working on a book on job search strategies for new graduates.

[source: https--www.amazon.com]

Paul started out as a reporter for NPR programs including "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition." He then covered Silicon Valley and the high-tech sector as a founding editor of the magazine InfoWorld, and at the San Francisco Examiner and San Jose Mercury News. Through interviewing business leaders, Paul discovered that he had an extraordinary ability to draw out what makes a person special and then convey it quickly and effectively on the page - a talent that enables him to create truly exceptional resumes, cover letters, bios and LinkedIn profiles.

Paul's time as a journalist gave him privileged access to Silicon Valley pioneers and a ringside seat for the personal computer revolution. He was there to introduce the world to Steve Jobs's first Macintosh computer and to IBM's first PC. Paul captured the era in his best seller Fire in the Valley (with Michael Swaine), which was turned into the Emmy-nominated movie Pirates of Silicon Valley and was named one of the 100 Best Business Books of All Time by Business 2.0 magazine. For his book Fuzzy Logic (with Daniel McNeill), Paul was awarded a Los Angeles Times book award.

[source: https--www.shimmeringcareers.com/about]