Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (199016,287-288

5ook Review
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Title: Computers and Thought

Subtitle: A Practical Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Mike Sharples, David Hogg, Chris Hutchison, Steve Torrance
and David Young
Publisher/Date: MIT Press 1989
ISBN: 0-262-19285-3
Price: paperback €13.95; cloth €22.50;
related software (one Mac disk) €5.39 or $8.50 in Europe inc VAT

In general terms, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an investigation of the nature of

intelligence and the principles and mechanisms that might give rise to it. A1 is
largely concerned with human intelligence but it also extends to the study of
possible intelligent systems not modelled on human capacities. There are two
basic hazards facing this wide-ranging endeavour. First, there might not be a
small set of general principles which together give rise to what we call
intelligence; the functioning of minds might be the result of some immense
evolutionary patching job. Second, even if there are a few general principles, we
might not have suitable communicative formalisms yet to be able to discuss,
verify or apply them. However, those who are deeply pessimistic about these
issues tend to find other things to do instead, and there is no doubt that the
study of A1 is highly challenging and stimulating even if the pessimists turn out
to be right in the end.
The trouble, however, is that it is so hard to reach even the starting point. A1
is multi-disciplinary, with roots in psychology, philosophy, linguistics, neuro-
biology and other fields. Since A1 is largely concerned with the study of
properties which emerge from the functioning of some sort of system, rather than
with any static properties of a system, its dominant methodology is to formulate
models and then to implement them computationally. The A1 neophyte thus
needs to be able to program too, and to know something of computer science.
Where should he begin, and how can his interest be sustained while he learns
something of all the different aspects of AI?
Computersand Thoughtis a n attempt to tackle the problem of introducing A1
without trivializing it. The material in the book was developed, over several years
at the University of Sussex, for a 10-week introductory course for first-year arts
students with no computing experience. The programming language POP-11 is
introduced early on and is used throughout the book-this rather limits the
usefulness of the book to those who do not have access either to the very large
and powerful Poplog software or to AlphaPop, a version of POP-11 which runs
on Macs. A demonstration disk for a Mac containing AlphaPop and programs
from the book can be bought separately: in a somewhat unusual attempt to
protect the market for the full AlphaPop system, the version on this disk is
time-limited. After 10 minutes of use, you are invited to save any POP-11 files you
have been working on and then you are forced to restart. It is easy to use up 10
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minute slices; the demonstrations are not meant to be comprehensive displays of

the state of the art but a tyro POP-11 user will probably need to refer to the book
quite a lot in order to learn how to drive them well. Some of the exercises in the
book are about making modest improvements to the programs, and the 10 minute
limit will certainly discourage students from trying to program without thinking
out the answers beforehand.
The book consists of 11chapters, each largely the work of just one of the five
authors. The main chapters each address one aspect of A1 technology: search, the
representation of knowledge, natural language processing, cognitive modelling,
basic visual processing and so on. There are two themes which hold them
together well. One is the systematic use of POP-11 code to illustrate the practical
side, the other is a programming project called ‘The Automated Tourist Guide’.
The aim of this project is to produce a system to advise a tourist about what there
is to see and do around London, and how to get around on the London
Underground. Even the chapter on basic vision processing manages to sustain
this theme by using the example of processing a digitised image of the London
Underground sign. The complete code of a version of the automated tourist guide
is given in an appendix. Each chapter ends with a mix of practical and
theoretical exercises-answers not supplied-and the book itself ends with a
brief glossary of A1 terms.
Overall, 1 was very impressed. The basics of the philosophy of mind are
introduced a s well as the technological aspects of the subject, and connectionism
gets more than a passing mention even though the bulk of the book is very
solidly rooted in the symbol-processing school of AI. The text gives many
references for further reading, and there is a good basic bibliograhy. Moreover, it
does not try to go too deeply into anything, thus leaving the teacher who might
want to use it as a course textbook useful things to do and say. For example,
although production rules are introduced (twice), little is said about conflict
resolution strategies and nothing at all about issues such a s refractoriness or
efficiency. On the down side, a few production problems are evident. The text
was produced a s LaTex source, and in one or two places the cross-references
have suffered: LaTex users will recognize references to ‘Figure ??’ with some
affection. The book’s index is extensive but idiosyncratic. Although it contains
entries for ‘DNA-based cell tissue’, ‘intentional stance’, ‘kludge’ and ‘phantom
limb’, the entry for ‘POP-11’ refers you to a single page, about 40 pages after the
first 10 page introduction to the language, I was also sorry to see a version
of the over-exposed ELIZA program getting an early chapter largely to itself,
even though the chapter was entitled ‘Performance without knowledge’.
The cover of the book is unusual. It shows a drawing done by Harold Cohen’s
program AARON, subsequently coloured by Cohen himself. Cohen’s program
has been producing jungle-like drawings for many years, a s part of his own
attempt to understand how people create and understand images. He is an artist
and has exhibited AARON’S work around the world many times-he likes to
joke that he will be the first artist ever to give a posthumous exhibition of new
work. In all, the whole book is an unusual and highly commendable attempt to
introduce A1 ideas to complete novices. I am sorry that its reliance on POP-11
means that it will be largely ignored by the wide world of PC users.
Or. PETER ROSS
University of Edinburgh