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A review by grantkeegan
How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed by Ray Kurzweil
5.0
How To Create a Mind is my first dive into Ray Kurzweil’s work, and I have to say that it exceeded my expectations. I can already tell that he will be an important influence on me, and I can’t wait to learn more from him. This book focuses on two key aspects: What makes our human brain do the wonderful things it does, and how can we replicate it through technology. I found it fascinating and scary at the same time.
The subject matter is intense, one that most people are not, and will not be used to for a while. But the intersection of psychology and technology is something I am passionate about; the way Kurzweil leads us through the workings of the human mind in a scientific way, but also breaking down the implications of the technology that can be achieved by learning how it works. Although I enjoyed the level of depth and complexity Kurzweil goes into, it can become overwhelming at times. So, this book is not recommended for readers without a background in neuroscience or psychology.
However, in the more casual paragraphs he goes into the large-scale fascinating aspects of AI. I loved reading about everything from self-driving cars to the implications of computer-brain interfaces. The second half is arguably much better for this reason, but the whole book kept me interested in what Kurzweil was writing. The ninth chapter: Thought Experiments on the Mind, is by far the best one in the book. Here, Kurzweil dives into deep, philosophical questions that concern AI and their relationship to us humans.
In the end, I think this is a well-written, medium-level, balanced book. I loved the philosophical and technical aspects of it, and it truly lives up to its title. Kurzweil brilliantly summarizes all the main ideas behind neuroscience and AI history, current developments, and its future. I am sure that I will come back and reference this book a lot, and I think anyone can find something important in it.
Final Score: 90/100
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The subject matter is intense, one that most people are not, and will not be used to for a while. But the intersection of psychology and technology is something I am passionate about; the way Kurzweil leads us through the workings of the human mind in a scientific way, but also breaking down the implications of the technology that can be achieved by learning how it works. Although I enjoyed the level of depth and complexity Kurzweil goes into, it can become overwhelming at times. So, this book is not recommended for readers without a background in neuroscience or psychology.
However, in the more casual paragraphs he goes into the large-scale fascinating aspects of AI. I loved reading about everything from self-driving cars to the implications of computer-brain interfaces. The second half is arguably much better for this reason, but the whole book kept me interested in what Kurzweil was writing. The ninth chapter: Thought Experiments on the Mind, is by far the best one in the book. Here, Kurzweil dives into deep, philosophical questions that concern AI and their relationship to us humans.
In the end, I think this is a well-written, medium-level, balanced book. I loved the philosophical and technical aspects of it, and it truly lives up to its title. Kurzweil brilliantly summarizes all the main ideas behind neuroscience and AI history, current developments, and its future. I am sure that I will come back and reference this book a lot, and I think anyone can find something important in it.
Final Score: 90/100
For more reviews and cool content follow me on: