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The Brain is Wider Than the Sky
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Review
As readers have come to expect from Bryan Appleyard, his new book is another literate and sensitive reflection on how science is changing our self-understanding. (Steve Fuller The Literary Review )
an acerbic expose of the empty promise of the computer age. (James McConnachie Sunday Times )
Brian Appleyard's 'The Brain is Wider than the Sky' is a beautifully written defence of human complexity in the face of the corporate mechanisation of our lives. If you are frustrated by automated queuing, this is one for you. (Michael Burleigh The Sunday Telegraph )
Appleyard is scientifically literate, vigorous and intelligent...Appleyard's meditation is essential reading. (Simon Ings The Observer )
Appleyard is a gifted writer, able to explain both the beauty of a Hockney drawing and the mathematical unit used to measure how many computations processors like our brains are capable of performing...it's always fascinating, and always clearly expressed. (Helen Lewis-Hasteley NEW STATESMAN )
In an engaging style, drawing on personal meetings with key figures, cultural analysis and scientific evidence from a wide variety of areas, Appleyard explains how simplification, whereby technology provides simple solutions to complex problems, has been unable to capture the full depth and complexity of human experience...A fascinating and informative read. (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
He has an Olympian perspective on the major issues of our times... a truly fascinating book. (James Le Fanu THE OLDIE )
an acerbic expose of the empty promise of the computer age. (James McConnachie Sunday Times )
Brian Appleyard's 'The Brain is Wider than the Sky' is a beautifully written defence of human complexity in the face of the corporate mechanisation of our lives. If you are frustrated by automated queuing, this is one for you. (Michael Burleigh The Sunday Telegraph )
Appleyard is scientifically literate, vigorous and intelligent...Appleyard's meditation is essential reading. (Simon Ings The Observer )
Bryan Appleyard is our foremost guide to understanding contemporary culture. This exploration of what it means to be human today grips the reader from the first page.
(John Gray )
There are great science writers and there are great arts writers - and then there's Bryan Appleyard. He's both
(John Humphrys )
Bryan Appleyard is that rarest of rare birds, a journalist who can mine factual subjects for their poetic resonance right across the spectrum. He is our main man for this kind of writing
(Clive James )
One of the most interesting, curious, cultured and trenchant writers on this planet
(Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Author Of The Black Swan )
Appleyard is a gifted writer, able to explain both the beauty of a Hockney drawing and the mathematical unit used to measure how many computations processors like our brains are capable of performing...it's always fascinating, and always clearly expressed. (Helen Lewis-Hasteley NEW STATESMAN )
In an engaging style, drawing on personal meetings with key figures, cultural analysis and scientific evidence from a wide variety of areas, Appleyard explains how simplification, whereby technology provides simple solutions to complex problems, has been unable to capture the full depth and complexity of human experience...A fascinating and informative read. (GOOD BOOK GUIDE )
He has an Olympian perspective on the major issues of our times... a truly fascinating book. (James Le Fanu THE OLDIE )
Book Description
A clarion call against simplification in modern society
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Having heard a review/discussion on Radio 4 recently, I was intrigued enough to buy this book; I'm very glad I did! Although at times it is not easy to follow the thread, or see the links between one strand and the next, the ideas are very interesting, challenging and thought-provoking. The nature of the relationship between human (brain) and machine (computer) is one central theme; and how this plays out in the realms of music, industry, science and art makes for an entertaining, informative and, at times, chilling read. If you have noticed that laptops, notebooks and mobile phones are proliferating, you will love this insightful glimpse of the possible road ahead.
Format:Hardcover
The human brain is the most complex entity that we know of and it remains far beyond our ability to comprehend. Appleyard opens his book by describing the recent developments in fMRI scanning technology to demonstrate just how little we know about how our minds emerge from our brains. Brain activity cannot be translated into thoughts, images, ideas or language -- and we still have no idea how this happens.
He then looks at our current obsession in the West with electronic gadgetry, and the false philosophy which underpins much of modern artificial intelligence. People are increasingly addicted to the short term stimulation of using this gadgetry especially the false notion that we are communicating meaningfully with large numbers of (often) anonymous people via social network sites. Yet all of this electronic wizardry and artificial intelligence misses a key point: that as sentient beings we are creative, feeling, thinking, living animals. No computer has ever been able to demonstrate properties of creative thought, and there is absolutely no sign of one appearing because we do not know how this ability is generated in our brains. In short, our brains are not highly sophisticated versions of modern computers: the fallacy of artificial intelligence is to assume that they are.
He also makes important critical comments about the mathematisation of important parts of our lives, especially finance and banking, were highly intelligent mathematicians have deceived themselves and deluded many others into thinking that their models can predict the future behaviour of complex systems. They cannot and Appleyard explains why. We are complex beings who live in a complex world -- a problem that too many influential people think can be resolved by building solutions from simple components when they cannot. Societies have always had to face multifaceted, difficult issues and we still do, but we still have to learn that to solve them we need complex, multifaceted answers using creative ideas. Computers can help us in this process but we must never forget that they are only machines and will only ever do what we programme them to do. Mistakes in the assumptions that we feed into computers will invariably lead to incorrect answers: computers are no more infallible than we are.
This is an important message which needs to be got through to many more people, especially those who have access to the levers of change. This is a well-written, clear text which makes complex ideas and their implications much easier to understand.
He then looks at our current obsession in the West with electronic gadgetry, and the false philosophy which underpins much of modern artificial intelligence. People are increasingly addicted to the short term stimulation of using this gadgetry especially the false notion that we are communicating meaningfully with large numbers of (often) anonymous people via social network sites. Yet all of this electronic wizardry and artificial intelligence misses a key point: that as sentient beings we are creative, feeling, thinking, living animals. No computer has ever been able to demonstrate properties of creative thought, and there is absolutely no sign of one appearing because we do not know how this ability is generated in our brains. In short, our brains are not highly sophisticated versions of modern computers: the fallacy of artificial intelligence is to assume that they are.
He also makes important critical comments about the mathematisation of important parts of our lives, especially finance and banking, were highly intelligent mathematicians have deceived themselves and deluded many others into thinking that their models can predict the future behaviour of complex systems. They cannot and Appleyard explains why. We are complex beings who live in a complex world -- a problem that too many influential people think can be resolved by building solutions from simple components when they cannot. Societies have always had to face multifaceted, difficult issues and we still do, but we still have to learn that to solve them we need complex, multifaceted answers using creative ideas. Computers can help us in this process but we must never forget that they are only machines and will only ever do what we programme them to do. Mistakes in the assumptions that we feed into computers will invariably lead to incorrect answers: computers are no more infallible than we are.
This is an important message which needs to be got through to many more people, especially those who have access to the levers of change. This is a well-written, clear text which makes complex ideas and their implications much easier to understand.
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
A wonderfully thought provoking sequence of essays. Ignore foolish & ill informed remarks from 1 previous reviewer.
One of the most interesting things I've read in a long time!!
One of the most interesting things I've read in a long time!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
fluid conciousness
Hi,I am just over half way through reading this, and am aware of the lack of constructive usefull infomation on Amazon(here), to me there are is a great deal of cross over with the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by J. mason
usual human chauvinism
Human mind remains a mystery? And what about dog, dolphin, raven, parrot's minds?
Bryan, back to school.
You can't trust someone who builds s system the Scholastic way.
Bryan, back to school.
You can't trust someone who builds s system the Scholastic way.
Published 5 months ago by Philip Shea
Listmania!
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