This book addresses the real-life problems, social or ethical, encountered when using or misusing computers. It is interesting to know that most of the bad guys are either in government or working for a large cooperation.

When I was at the university, I took the Software Engineering lectures as a part of curriculum. Our instructor, Dr. Tunc Balman, gave us many interesting aspects of computing from a social point of view. The most interesting one of these lectures (to me) was the "Code of Conduct" of ACM. Years later, I wanted to get the whole text of this document and found it in this book as an appendix. This is why I had bought the book in the first place. However, the other parts are as useful as the appendix. The book has chapters on computer crime, software theft, AI, viruses and hackers.

On general the essays are of good quality, some are really nice and not so nice ones can be skipped without effecting the integrity of the book.

In this book, Hofstadter is going over similar ideas that he had discussed in Gödel, Escher, Bach. If you have read GEB, this book is no match. But it makes a good reading. Interesting items ile logic games, word plays, paradoxes, Rubik's Cube, Gödel's Theorem and many others are discussed in the articles.

This book is one of the many books Dawkins wrote about Darwin's evelution theory. This time his purpose is to confront religious beliefs on creation of life on earth. Darwin's theory had long been a headache for religion. Now Dawkins attacks directly.

Short summary : It happens if all goes well and Darwin's theory explains why it all goes well so it happens.

Actually this looks like a very popular explanation nowadays since Hawkins had explained first nanoseconds of the Big Bang in the same fashion: If you wait long enough it may happen.

A very good book indeed. A must to read.

The idea is based on the Gene as the unit of genetical selection and genes are doing all they can do to pass to the next generation. Genes shape the structure and behaviour of the species they live in and the genes that are best at it pass to future generations.

A simple approach but the book provides a very detailed explanation of various aspects of this theory.

I am very pleased to learn that I am just a container to preserve my genes and pass them on to the next generation. We all are just living machines. It somehow explains the purpose of life!!!

In the year 3001, the lost astronaut of 2001 is revivied after 1000 years. Frank Poole will join his old friends Dave Bowman and HAL on the Jovian moon of Europe to save humanity from disaster.

Not a masterpiece but still readable and Mr. Clarke's vision of the future technological achivements are as enjoyable as always.

A Russian-American space mission is set up to recover Discovery and its data banks. After the randevous with Discovery, The famous monolith takes over and turns Jupiter into a mini sun.

This book as very creative ideas supported with astronomical findings.

Highly readable.

After the magnificent start with 2001, unfortunately there is little room left for improvement and the rest of the books are unable to catch the quality and originality of 2001.

But still, this book is quite nice and readable. Arthur C. Clarke's immense theoretical knowledge on the subject makes it even more interesting.

On this book, there is an unplanned landing on the forbidden Jovian moon, Europe. It is an old "Gold hunt" story told in a space age fashion.