On Intelligence

By Jeff Hawkins & Sandra Blakeslee

On Intelligence - Jeff Hawkins & Sandra Blakeslee
  • Release Date: 2007-04-01
  • Genre: Computers & Internet
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 29 Ratings

Description

From the inventor of the PalmPilot comes a new and compelling theory of intelligence, brain function, and the future of intelligent machines

Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself.

Hawkins develops a powerful theory of how the human brain works, explaining why computers are not intelligent and how, based on this new theory, we can finally build intelligent machines.

The brain is not a computer, but a memory system that stores experiences in a way that reflects the true structure of the world, remembering sequences of events and their nested relationships and making predictions based on those memories. It is this memory-prediction system that forms the basis of intelligence, perception, creativity, and even consciousness.

In an engaging style that will captivate audiences from the merely curious to the professional scientist, Hawkins shows how a clear understanding of how the brain works will make it possible for us to build intelligent machines, in silicon, that will exceed our human ability in surprising ways.

Written with acclaimed science writer Sandra Blakeslee, On Intelligence promises to completely transfigure the possibilities of the technology age. It is a landmark book in its scope and clarity.

Reviews

  • Plausible and compelling story of how intelligence works

    5
    By metadD
    Jeff Hawkins tackles the subject of how the brain works 'head on' - pun intended :-) This book is both deep and accessible. A more timid soul would would not have had the ambition and hubris to tackle a subject covered by many brilliant minds and bearing so much academic weight. Jeff's legacy is this writing and research. His creation of the pda industry, the smartphone and his futurism were side-effects and side-stories to this passion. Whether researching AI, soul seeking or wishing to understand memory, this is an essential read. In the spirit of full disclosure, I used to work with Jeff at Handspring - not as a friend but as an employee inspired to work with a great mind.