History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-Century Chess-Playing Machine

Average customer rating:

By-the-numbers short history
I bought this book from here (AMAZON) and revealing secret
The man machine says yes
I confess I read the last two chapters first
Theory of a Magician. Of how the Turk Worked.

The Turk: The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth-Century Chess-Playing Machine
Tom Standage
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0425190390
Release Date: 2003-08-05

Book Description

This is the true account of the 18th-century mechanical man, powered by clockwork, dressed in a Turkish costume, and capable of playing chess. Created by a Hungarian nobleman, the machine-man known as The Turk traveled Europe and America, made the acquaintance of Benjamin Franklin, Catherine the Great, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Customer Reviews:

By-the-numbers short history.......2006-07-15

A short and easy read recounting the history of the chess-playing automaton. I'm surprised at how workmanlike this book is. It reads like a very good graduate student's work: readable, but unimaginative prose. Facts follow facts in a relentlessly straightforward way. Not that straightforward facts are bad, but it's tedious to read "first this happened, then this happened,then something else happened." It's clear that this book's little more than a distillation of an existing body of historical work on the Turk.

It's really dissapointing that the author doesn't bother to explore the Turk's role in the history of technology beyond some general mentions of how more sophisticated gears and cams were later adopted in other areas. Ho-hum.

Much more interesting would be a consideration of the Turk as the starting point for the relationship of technology and marketing, or how the sort of road-trip showcase Kempeln took to show off his invention is *exactly* how hopeful technology inventors still pitch ideas to investors. The final chapter discusses IBM's Deep Blue, a machine that really did play chess, and well, but it's perfunctory, mostly there to say, "...and finally Kempeln's vision came true. The End."

What caught my interest was the role that stage magic played in Kempeln's shows. "Magic" is one of the most enduring and compelling metaphors in technology--it continues to be evoked in product names, marketing materials, and product interfaces--and it seems clear that the Turk and other automata were the first peices of complex technology that used the promise of "magic" and the techniques of the stage-conjurer to find an audience.

I'd hoped those were the sorts of ideas Standage would explore here, as Simon Signh's jacket blurb suggests. Too bad.

I bought this book from here (AMAZON) and revealing secret.......2006-06-05

I read this book, and Yes there was a man in the Turk. In the later chapters it said that the man was French(the operator inside the Turk. He was a strong chess player), the assistant person who was with Maelzel and they toured America (the big cities, like the big Apple, and Philadelphia, and Boston). You can say that he was like the David Lee Roth of his time. He was able to draw crowds to his machine...his machine was very elaborate in dress and Maelzel had a way with words so the living legend lived until Maelzel's assistant died and that was when things went down hill for the operator Maezel. Maelzel died at sea and his body was casted into the ocean . The last owners were the Mitchell's but they did not bring fame and fortune when they got hold of the Turk. The man inside was simply in a crowded position but the size of the so called Turk machine was able to hide him, and the crowds who watched this machine never found out the secret. The Mitchells' exposed the secret but for some strange reason it never clicked with the people, they wanted more. In the end, the Turk was burned in an accident in the city of Philadephia, it was stored in a Chinese Museum.

Oh yes, this fantastic book states that the American's, inventor's by the name of Walker, the Walker Brother's created their own Turk, it was called the "American chess player." It was the rival to the Turk but in the end (rumor has it) that the American Chess player was bought by Maelzel and was destroyed by him. The first owner and creator was Wolfgang Kempelen but then with time it came to different hands, and then it ended in the hands of Maelzel. The Mitchell family got hold of it, but one can say that the secret was never exposed to them because Maelzel disintergrated the machine, and confused it with his other machines so the new owners who would get it would never know the true original secrets of the Original Turk. The Mitchell's guessed at the answer and rebuilt the Turk, but when they exposed their secret to their so called fans, fans really did not buy it. The secrets to this book are in the end chapters, but the whole beginning chapters are really interesting. The writer has alot of flash- in his writing. It keeps you glued. I recommend this to you. I am not being stingy but i want people to know this secret (from the book). Ten stars. Super excellent.

The man machine says yes.......2006-01-30

While we tend to get hung up on the notion of what exactly pure AI is, this book brings us back to square one. Reading the account of The Turk and his exploits it's fascinating to note how little artificial intelligence has changed in 200 years. Regardless of how many advancements have been made in research labs and universities around the world, much of the experience still comes down to trickery orchestrated by humans. The seemingly intelligent Honda robot Asimo is governed by a remote operator. Even less explicit systems such as pattern recognition and neural nets are governed by invisible human hands in the form of their design. Although we've come a long way in terms of technology and computation, anything as fanciful as The Turk is still a long way off.

Tracing the illustrious path of The Turk and his relcutant creator's own life proved to be a rewarding read. The fact that the material here runs a parallel course of science and magic speaks volumes. There's a lot of ground covered; it's well paced and told with a touch of enthusiasm. The sheer number of people The Turk engaged, inspired and challenged is monumental. Considering its subsequent influence on such visionaries as Charles Babbage and Alexander Graham Bell it's a shame that von Kempelen and his most famous creation are widely unknown.

I confess I read the last two chapters first.......2005-12-10

I bought this book because the review in Book Lust got me interested. It arrived and I read the last two chapters first I wanted to know the secret ( and no, I am NOT telling). If the rest of the book is a good as the last two chapters I'll be content.

Theory of a Magician. Of how the Turk Worked. .......2005-06-11

It turns out that the Turk was operated by A human person named "Worousky," he was a polish soldier who by accident got his legs cut off in a fight incident. He was treated by A Russian doctor named Osloff, and during this recovery he was taught to play chess by his medic and with time became a skilled player. Kempelen one day would visit Russia because he wanted to learn Russian and while he was there he came across Worousky, the polish soldier, and this was how he got inspired; when it came to building the Turk. The size of Worousky fit perfectly inside this automaton. The automaton was just a machine not a machine with life. It was human powered but it fooled people quite well, even the rich elite of the past(ignorance of the sciences from their part.) The Turk beat Napoleon Bonapart,but defeated by Worousky himself. One has to think that technology/engineering was a head of its time during that time but not that ahead, everything was still with levers, steam, and old fashion clocks......In todays time one can make a Turk 2, and place inside a person who is like 4 feet tall, as well as he or she being talented in chess. Just think about it. If Worousky had no legs in times past, what would he do according to theory? He most likely would play chess alot. Todays masses are not naive...they are a smart population who know about engines, and frauds, etc. (Maybe if the population were ignorant, a Turk 2 could become an instant hit.) This is like what happened in the wild west days about traveling vendors who went to towns selling their "magic" potions that could heal you, and make you healthy once again. The great thing about the machine (this automaton Turk) was that it inspired people to invent things, etc. Read the book.

Think Like A Grandmaster: Algebraic Edition

Average customer rating:

Think like a Grandmaster
Think Like Agrandmaster, by: Alexander Kotov
Flawed classic
Great Middlegame book for INTERMEDIATE level players...
Great Middlegame book for INTERMEDIATE level players...

Think Like A Grandmaster: Algebraic Edition
Alexander Kotov
Manufacturer: Batsford
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0713478853

Book Description

A classic, now available in modern algebraic notation for the first time! Few books have had as much impact on chess literature as this: the first edition sold out within months, and it was immediately recognized as a masterpiece of chess instruction. Twenty years later, it remains a bestseller in the field and one of the best practical training manuals available.

Customer Reviews:

Think like a Grandmaster.......2006-12-23

Kotov covers the way top players think and common patterns of mistakes that all players make. It's really entertaining and you don't have to wade through miles of chess annotation to benefit from it.

Think Like Agrandmaster, by: Alexander Kotov.......2006-08-09

This book is very good in my study of chess.

Flawed classic.......2006-05-26

This is the book that has spawned a large number of other books on the subject of the Grandmaster's thinking processes. It is a classic and for that reason gets 3 stars from me. However, I do believe that the premise upon which this book is based is flawed and for that reason I do not give it a higher rating. Let me explain what I mean.

In this book, Kotov outlines his theory on why GMs are better than IMs, why IMs are better than FMs etc. It all has to do with analysis. They analyse better. Yes, yes, yes. He is right. They do. But why do GMs analyse better? This is the key question. I think Kotov got the answer wrong.

Kotov claims that he was a poor analyst, but that he improved by doing regular exercises in which he analysed complex positions, writing down all the variations. Each position was analysed only once to create a "Tree of Analysis". Candidate moves are chosen and then each move analysed one by one, branch by branch until the analysis is complete. The problem with this idea is that if flies in the face of contradictory evidence that this approach works. I DO agree with Kotov that improvement in analysis is the key to becoming a stronger player. I do not agree that his method will do more than produce a small change in your playing strength.

The contradictory evidence:
1) As so clearly pointed out by Richard Reti in his classic "New Ideas in Chess" even if there is a choice of only 3 moves at each branch point in the tree of analysis, the number of branches becomes so thick that it is impossible to analyse each branch. What distinguishes a titled players analysis from the analysis of a weaker player is the ability to EXCLUDE irrelevant moves, not include ALL moves. Humans will never be like computers in this regard.
2) Brain imaging studies show very clearly that GMs different from IMs and so on down the food chain by their use of memory patterns. They do not think more deeply. This is clearly the conclusion of a number of serious studies on the psychological basis of chess talent (de Groot for example).
3) Strong players have the capacity to hold positions in their heads more easily that weaker players. But it is clear that this is due to pattern recognition. Give a strong player a random position and they are no more able to remember the position that a weak player. This then is the basis of the stronger players greater ability to visualise the board. It is memory for patterns which creates vision. For example, it doesn't take much effort to remember the position Pf2, Pg3, Ph2, Bg2, Rf1 and Kg1. You can visualise it and remember it in seconds.
4) It is clear that strong players perform extremely well at rapid chess. Visit ICC (www.chessclub.com) and watch a lightning match between two GMs. There is no time for analysis when the clock is set for 1 min. There is only time for pattern recognition. Yet lightning ratings correlate very well with FIDE ratings (they are not the same, but they correlate positively).

Club players often ask why it is so hard to improve. They often spend their money buying books which offer advice. In many cases, these books are written by GMs or very strong players. But just because a player is strong, does not mean that they understand the source of their chess talent.

The reason why improvement is hard is clear. First, playing strength is related to the number of patterns learnt. When a player learns the game, they first learn how to move the pieces and on which squares the pieces move. The number of pattern is much less than 100. They can achieve some success with this number of patterns. But as the player advances the number of patterns needed increases - exponentially. It is sometimes estimated (how, I do not know) that GMs need to know 100,000 patterns. FMs may need 10,000 patterns. Strong club players may get away with knowing only 1000 patterns. Do you see why it is so difficult to improve. To increase your rating by 400-500 points, you probably have to learn at least 10 times as many patterns as you know now.

A second point is that as a player matures, i.e. into the 20s and 30s, the capacity to learn new patterns decreases slightly. The brain is less plastic at later ages. This is a reason why mature players find it difficult to improve. This can only be overcome by increased practice.

A third reason why improvement comes early on, but less later is that there is substantial scope for improvement in the teens and early twenties at the period when the brain is myelinating the frontal cortex. At this stage, the player becomes more cautious and is able to concentrate better.

OK, so I have prattled on about why Kotov is wrong about his famous Tree of Analysis. I do want to add that analysis exercises do help with concentration and visualisation. However, they are not the only answer to improvement. Learning patterns is the key. There are few better ways to do this than by playing through Master games - particularly the games of players like Capablanca, Rubinstein, Botwinnik, Tal... Play them, study them, copy them. At later stages, the student can develop by studying games that are more intimately related to the opening repertoire that he or she adopts.

So is there anything good about the Kotov book? Of course there is. I just wanted to emphasise that this book is NOT the answer to How do you think like a GM? Many GMs would agree with me on this. You can learn from this book, but do not take it as the only or major route of study.

I particularly liked Kotovs anecdote in the book about Capablanca's treatment of an ending. There is much to be learned about endgame play in this chapter. There is also a great deal of good advice interspersed through the book, so it does earn its 3 stars.

Great Middlegame book for INTERMEDIATE level players..........2003-08-21

There are many books out there that claim to teach the Intermediate level player how to look for the best move during middlegame play but fall short of fulfilling their end of the bargain. This book is one of the ones that goes above and beyond what the title promises. Even as far as to show you how to create a PLAN (contrary to what "How To Reassess Your Chess" by IM Jeremy Silman states in regards to books that show one how to form a plan; also another great middlegame book by the way). However, there are some mistakes that must have occured when transposing the original descriptive notation to algebraic notation. But if your're looking to 'really' improve as a chess player then you have to expect to run accross some mistakes along the way. A word of advice: Ignore the mistakes the minute you find them and just forge ahead! There are some great ideas given in the examples of games from many Russian Grandmasters that if looked for in ones own games it WILL help to improve ones overall rating. That is of course, if you're willing to study this book thoroughly by not only setting up the positions given in the book on your own board but also by incorporating the suggestions given into your own chess strategies. So, if you want to know how to train your mind to think like a grandmaster, buy the book!

Great Middlegame book for INTERMEDIATE level players..........2003-08-21

There are many books out there that claim to teach the Intermediate level player how to look for the best move during middlegame play but fall short of fulfilling there end of the bargain. This book is one of the ones that goes above and beyond what the title promises. Even as far as to show you how to create a PLAN (contrary to what "How To Reassess Your Chess" by IM Jeremy Silman states in regards to books that show one how to form a plan; also another great middlegame book by the way). However, there are some mistakes that must have occured when transposing the original descriptive notation to algebraic notation. But if your're looking to 'really' improve as a chess player then you have to expect to run accross some mistakes along the way. A word of advice: Ignore the mistakes the minute you find them and just forge ahead! There are some great ideas given in the examples of games from many Russian Grandmasters that if looked for in ones own games it WILL help to improve your overall rating. That is of course, if you'rewilling to study this book thoroughly by setting up the positions given in the book on your OWN board and incorporate them into your daily play. So, if you want to train your mind to think like a grandmaster, buy the book!

Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion

Average customer rating:

The soul of a new chess player
A really good read...
Very good book.
The soul of a new chess player
A thoroughly engaging and candid account

Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer that Defeated the World Chess Champion
Feng-Hsiung Hsu
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691090653

Book Description

On May 11, 1997, as millions worldwide watched a stunning victory unfold on television, a machine shocked the chess world by defeating the defending world champion, Garry Kasparov. Written by the man who started the adventure, Behind Deep Blue reveals the inside story of what happened behind the scenes at the two historic Deep Blue vs. Kasparov matches. This is also the story behind the quest to create the mother of all chess machines. The book unveils how a modest student project eventually produced a multimillion dollar supercomputer, from the development of the scientific ideas through technical setbacks, rivalry in the race to develop the ultimate chess machine, and wild controversies to the final triumph over the world's greatest human player.

In nontechnical, conversational prose, Feng-hsiung Hsu, the system architect of Deep Blue, tells us how he and a small team of fellow researchers forged ahead at IBM with a project they'd begun as students at Carnegie Mellon in the mid-1980s: the search for one of the oldest holy grails in artificial intelligence--a machine that could beat any human chess player in a bona fide match. Back in 1949 science had conceived the foundations of modern chess computers but not until almost fifty years later--until Deep Blue--would the quest be realized.

Hsu refutes Kasparov's controversial claim that only human intervention could have allowed Deep Blue to make its decisive, "uncomputerlike" moves. In riveting detail he describes the heightening tension in this war of brains and nerves, the "smoldering fire" in Kasparov's eyes. Behind Deep Blue is not just another tale of man versus machine. This fascinating book tells us how man as genius was given an ultimate, unforgettable run for his mind, no, not by the genius of a computer, but of man as toolmaker.

Customer Reviews:

The soul of a new chess player.......2007-03-25

Feng-Hsiung Hsu's story will appeal to anyone who enjoyed Tracy Kidder's Soul of a New Machine or Steven Levy's Hackers. The book captures the thrills and spills of an intellectual steeplechase. Along the way, it reveals the inner workings of the computer science department at Carnegie Mellon University. It's a great read. Feng-Hsiung Hsu, if you're reading this and you ever find yourself in Hortonville, Wisconsin, the first cup of coffee is on me.

A really good read..........2006-04-19

Behind Deep Blue was written by the man who lead the research and development team which created the chess computer that beat the World Chess Champion, Gary Kasparov. Hsu tells a lot of fascinating stories about his involvement with IBM, academia and the world of computer-vs-computer chess tournaments. It never got too bogged down in computer or chess jargon.

Some interesting things concerning the identity of Deep Blue (or computers in general) emerge from Hsu's story. Hsu speaks of his computers' identities in ways which facilitate his sportsmanship. So for instance, almost every time one of Hsu's computers loses a game it is retrospectively explained by reminding the reader that the computer had been regrettably forced to play when it still needed a few more weeks of software or hardware tweaking. It never lost because it was an inferior machine - it lost because its superiority could not manifest because its update/debugging had been interrupted by the tournament schedule. As the book makes clear, Hsu's computers were continuously undergoing relentless tweaking, providing Hsu with this excuse every single time one lost. This may be par for the course when diagnosing machines - since any sub-desired performance which can be corrected can, therefore, be "explained" as the unfortunate consequence of the machine's present uncorrected state. For humans it's different. When I lose a foot-race I can't say, "Well the only reason I lost is because this race was scheduled a few years before my training made me fast enough to win it."

Another fascinating element of the book is Hsu's recounting of Deep Blue's now-famous rejection of 36. Qb6 in game two against Kasparov in the 1997 match. Kasparov broadly hinted that the computer's decision not to move that way was a human decision - implying that the IBM team had cheated. Hsu's defense of Deep Blue is convincing. But there is raised an interesting point regarding computer intelligence. If Deep Blue did in fact choose to avoid 36. Qb6 without human intervention then Kasparov's heartfelt identification of the move as cheating has Deep Blue passing a simple version of a Turing Test.

Very good book........2005-12-07

I have prurchased this book to improve my english language.
Yhe same talks about two subjects that I know: computers and chess.
It was a good surprise read this enjoyable work which offers information, stories and knowledge.
The author explains very clear the roots of Deep Blue and reflects the environment of Top chess.

Read it!

The soul of a new chess player.......2005-06-02

A thoroughly engaging and candid account.......2004-11-09

Taiwanese-born Feng-Hsiung Hsu has written a most engaging and readable account of how Deep Blue came to be, and how it defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in perhaps the greatest chess match of all time. I say "perhaps" because there are many who still consider the 1972 encounter at Reykjavik, Iceland between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky to be the greatest match ever. One thing both matches had in common, in addition to a worldwide audience, is two deeply suspicious and idiosyncratic geniuses, Kasparov and Fischer.

However, while Fischer's triumph rejuvenated interest in chess, especially in the US, Kasparov's defeat, many fear, may have rung the death knell for the ancient game. Before Deep Blue's victory, it was easy to imagine that the human mind was light-years ahead of any artificial intelligence. After Kasparov slunk off mumbling vague charges of human intervention ("cheating"), it became necessary to face the possibility that machine intelligence was on its way to exceeding that of humans.

But what did the match really prove? According to Hsu himself, the triumph of Deep Blue "might be the more important human achievement when all was said and done." (p. 256) By a "more important human achievement," he means, more important than the one that would have been Kasparov's had he won.

This I think is the crux of the matter. Deep Blue, an IBM computer of enormous power, is the product of human minds and human engineering. Look at it this way: as computers become more and more powerful and their algorithms become more and more sophisticated, there will be no thought at all that a human might compete with them at chess. It would be like expecting the world's fastest human to beat a motor car in a race. Or for the world's best human calculator to add numbers faster than a personal computer.

In a deeper sense what was destroyed by this match was not human intellectual superiority but the delusion that somehow a board game--even the greatest board game ever invented--is a true measure of human intelligence. Quite simply, the ability to play chess at the highest level is only one talent, similar to (but different from) the ability to play the violin or to run fast. More significant is the greater human ability to conceive and build a machine that does something better than humans can do themselves.

Hsu's account includes a lot of information about his personal adventures in academia and the corporate structure, including rivalries with others in the race to build the ultimate chess-playing computer. He is candid, and self-revelatory to a surprising degree, and it is this candor that helps to make this a fascinating read, not only for computer specialists and chess players, but for anyone interested in how the human competitive spirit works. His portrait of Garry Kasparov--perhaps the strongest chess player of all time--captures the arrogant, suspicious genius at his most human and makes it clear how he came to lose a match he fully expected to win.

Ah, the match itself! The book includes the moves of the games in an appendix, but one can readily see that the match turned on two very strange decisions by the hitherto nearly invincible Kasparov. Strange to say, it appears that Kasparov lost the match mainly because of poor psychological decisions. In game two, believing that he was lost, mainly because he believed that the computer would not have made the move it had made had there been a perpetual check available to the human player that would have drawn the game, Kasparov resigned. However, the machine had erred, and there was a way to draw the game. Against a human opponent, I believe that Kasparov would have closely investigated that line and found the drawing resource.

In the final game again Kasparov made a decision based on what he thought was the nature of the way computers play chess. He allowed a sacrificial line as Black in the Caro-Kahn Defense, a line that he believed Deep Blue would never play since computers are notoriously bad at figuring out how to conduct a complicated attack. Indeed, commercial chess software for PCs typically exclude this line from their opening repertoire so as not to burden the program! So Kasparov thought in playing 7... h6 that Deep Blue would retreat its knight giving Kasparov easy equality. Instead Deep Blue plunged in with 8. Nxe6! Eleven moves later Kasparov resigned--easily one of the quickest defeats of his career.

So, with better decisions, based on sound chess and NOT on mistaken preconceptions about Deep Blue's prowess, Kasparov might have won the match. However, the irony is that it is unlikely that there ever will be another match between the world chess champion and a machine simply because Kasparov and the whole chess world know that the ultimate victory of machine over man, in the arcane test of will and calculation that is chess, is inevitable. But what we also know is that it doesn't matter. We still hold races between humans even though our machines can easily out distant them. And humans will continue to play chess even though they would have no chance against a computer because chess is first and foremost a human sporting event, a test of mental strength and skill much as a boxing match is a test of physical strength and skill.

Across the Board: The Mathematics of Chessboard Problems

Average customer rating:

no breadth

Across the Board: The Mathematics of Chessboard Problems
John J. Watkins
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Fearless Symmetry: Exposing the Hidden Patterns of Numbers

ASIN: 0691115036

Book Description

Across the Board is the definitive work on chessboard problems. It is not simply about chess but the chessboard itself--that simple grid of squares so common to games around the world. And, more importantly, the fascinating mathematics behind it. From the Knight's Tour Problem and Queens Domination to their many variations, John Watkins surveys all the well-known problems in this surprisingly fertile area of recreational mathematics. Can a knight follow a path that covers every square once, ending on the starting square? How many queens are needed so that every square is targeted or occupied by one of the queens?

Each main topic is treated in depth from its historical conception through to its status today. Many beautiful solutions have emerged for basic chessboard problems since mathematicians first began working on them in earnest over three centuries ago, but such problems, including those involving polyominoes, have now been extended to three-dimensional chessboards and even chessboards on unusual surfaces such as toruses (the equivalent of playing chess on a doughnut) and cylinders. Using the highly visual language of graph theory, Watkins gently guides the reader to the forefront of current research in mathematics. By solving some of the many exercises sprinkled throughout, the reader can share fully in the excitement of discovery.

Showing that chess puzzles are the starting point for important mathematical ideas that have resonated for centuries, Across the Board will captivate students and instructors, mathematicians, chess enthusiasts, and puzzle devotees.

Customer Reviews:

no breadth.......2004-06-19

The book should have been subtitled
'knight's tours' (=hamiltonian paths).
It includes endless variations on this
theme (and little else) e.g. tours on
nonplanar surfaces - even ones that only
exist in theory! The book really amounts
to little more than a monograph on hamiltonian
paths - a subject for specialists only since
there are no useful general theorems in this
notoriously difficult topic.

Go to: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Scientists and Iconoclasts who were the Hero Programmers of the Software Revolution

Average customer rating:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Useful Chronology of Operating Systems & Langusges
good set of bedtime stories ...
README
engaging history of a difficult but important subject

Go to: The Story of the Math Majors, Bridge Players, Engineers, Chess Wizards, Scientists and Iconoclasts who were the Hero Programmers of the Software Revolution
Steve Lohr
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0465042252
Release Date: 2001-10-16

Amazon.com

Exploring the strange and hazy days before nerds ruled the earth, tech writer Steve Lohr's Go To is a great introduction to the softer side of the information age. Sure, he covers the Microsoft and Apple stories, but he also digs deeply to learn how Fortran and Cobol were developed and ventures into the open-source world. Lohr is adept at personalizing the process of software development, which serves to make some of the business and technical decisions more comprehensible to the lay reader.

IBM conducted yearly employee reviews called the "Performance Improvement Program," or Pip, for short. The Pip, like most such programs today, followed a rigid formula, with numbers and rankings. [John] Backus decided the Pip system was ill-suited for measuring the performance of his programmers, so his approach was to mostly ignore it. One afternoon, for example, he called Lois Haibt over for a chat. He talked about her work, said she had been doing an excellent job and then pushed a small piece of paper across the desk saying, "This is your new salary," a pleasing raise, as Haibt recalled. As she got up to leave, Backus mentioned in passing, "In case anyone should ask, this was your Pip."

Since he starts early in the history of the field, Lohr gets to share some of the oddities of the days before programming was professionalized. Developers were kids, musicians, game experts, and practically anyone who showed an interest. Many readers will be surprised and delighted to read of the strong recruitment of women and their many contributions to software development--an aspect of geek history that has long been neglected. Go To should break down a few preconceptions while building up a new respect for the coders who guided us into the 21st century. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

The remarkable story of the scientific revolution that made the new economy possible-software-told through the unsung heroes of programming and their achievements.

In the 1950s, just before John Backus's team developed the Fortran language that revolutionized the first generation of programming, it took dozens of full-time programmers and operators to run and debug each of the era's room-sized computers. Today, languages like HTML are simple enough that anyone who knows it can set up a personal Web page, using a laptop that has many times the power of those early giant computers.

In Go To, Steve Lohr chronicles the history of software from the early days of complex mathematical codes mastered by a few thousand to today's era of user-friendly software and over six million professional programmers worldwide. Lohr maps out the unique seductions of programming, and gives us an intimate portrait of the peculiar kind of genius that is drawn to this unique blend of art, science, and engineering.

We meet the movers and shakers of every era from the 1950s to the open-source movement of today-iconoclasts such as Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, the Bell Labs engineers whose Unix operating system and C programming language loosened the grip of IBM; Charles Simonyi, the father of Word, the most popular software application; and James Gosling, the creative force behind Java, the leading programming language for the Internet.With original reporting and deft storytelling, Steve Lohr shows us how software transformed the world, and what it holds in store for our future.

Customer Reviews:

I thoroughly enjoyed this book........2005-02-23

As a engineer who uses many applications in his work, it was an exciting experience to read about those indivuduals who developed the codes that resulted in these applications. It's amazing how much development occurred in such a relatively short period of time (less than 50 years) and there are so many new innovative codes to look forward to. I was excited enough when I completed this book to purchase (from Amazon naturally) Bjarne Stroustrup's "The Design and Evolution of C++." Three cheers for Steve Lohr for "GO TO."

Useful Chronology of Operating Systems & Langusges .......2005-02-13

The writer, a NY Times technology correspondent, provides a 250-page chronology of computer operating systems and software languages from the early post-WWII years until 2001. A few important applications such as VisiCalc and Word are also covered. Brief mention is made of hardware trends that created the environment for software engineering.

This is a "people" book. Brief biographical sketches of the key players are followed by a description of the most basic characteristics of each software item and a brief chronology of its emergence into the marketplace. There is little in the way of analysis and little personal opinion.

The book reads like a long Britannica article and is a suitable overview and reference for serious students of technology but more than a little boring for the general reader.

I was surprised that Gary Kildall only received half of one sentence. His Digital Research Company and its early microcomputer operating system, CP/M, was an early business success. A variant of CP/M, Seattle Computer Products 86-DOS, was the backbone of Gates' DOS for the IBM PC.

good set of bedtime stories ..........2004-12-23

I haven't read this book cover to cover. But, I have been flipping through a few of its pages and have been jumping in and reading what seems interesting at the moment.

Overall, the book is quite well written. The stories are engaging. Some editing would help. Is the history correct? I don't know! Is the book enjoyable? Definitely! It's my favorite bed-time stories!! ;-) Fun to read. Very non-technical. So even your mom (assuming she's non-techie) can also read it and be amazed as how the software industry (mostly the languages part of the industry) has progressed over the years.

README.......2004-02-13

This book could have been better edited and better organized, but it is still worth reading. "GO TO" (which probably should have been called "goto" or "GOTO") covers the history of computing, touching on several of the famous legends. It even tells of the work some of them did pryor to becoming legends. All computer scientists, computer engineers, and sys-admins should have a good understanding of the history of computing and this book is a good place to get it. This book should prove informative and enjoyable to any one else, especially people interested in history.

engaging history of a difficult but important subject.......2003-12-22

This book ranks among the best in the history of technology and one of the few that specifically addresses software. Most other histories of technology or computing center on hardware, with some even focusing on a single computer such as the Eniac, the Difference Engine or Apple. But recognize that hardware commoditizes over time, while good software largely holds its value. Software creates fortunes but also deeply felt-opinions about quality, and as Lohr demonstrates, a constant stream of innovation. The book showcases the creators of breakthrough operating systems and applications, and makes clear their contributions to the rise of the computer industry. It is worthwhile for readers following technology, business, current events and even law and philosophy- the concepts have indeed become major disruptions in the history of ideas.

Teaching Chess in the 21st Century: Strategies And Connections to a Standards-based World

Average customer rating:

Not just for Chess teachers
Great Reference for Teaching Chess!
Lightning fast shipping and top quality teaching guide
My chess teacher has this book
excellent job

Teaching Chess in the 21st Century: Strategies And Connections to a Standards-based World
Todd Bardwick
Manufacturer: Chess Detective Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0976196204

Product Description

A beginner chess book for teachers, chess club sponsors, or parents with young children. A elementary school teacher can use this book as a texbook to incorporate chess into their standards-based math program incorporating National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards. Also included are exemplars and rubrics and teacher tips about how to handle situations that frequently occur while students are playing chess. Tried and true tested analogies that children will relate to are incorporated so that young children can learn chess in an effective and fun way. National Chess Master Todd Bardwick is one of the nation's leading full-time chess instructors and runs the Chess Academy of Denver and the Rocky Mountain Chess Camps. Mr. Bardwick is also the chess columnist for the Rocky Mountain News and a columnist for Chess Life magazine.

Customer Reviews:

Not just for Chess teachers.......2007-06-02

Of all the Chess books I've reviewed, this is by far the best. Even if you don't teach Chess, as I do, you'll find this book a necessary part of your treasure box. Above and beyond just being well written, easy to comprehend, and complete, the impact of the quotes offered from the age of wisdom blows you away. As in life "When the game is over, the king and the pawn go into the same box."

Great Reference for Teaching Chess!.......2007-01-15

This book is very well written. With a little previous chess knowledge I was able to learn enough to help teach the kids in our local school's chess club. I like the way this material is presented, it is easy to understand and structured in a way that makes a lot of sense. I would highly recommend this book. It arrived quickly also. I was emailed when the book shipped and it arrived a few days later. I really appreciated that.

Lightning fast shipping and top quality teaching guide.......2006-11-15

I was immediately impressed with the customer service Todd provided. I had an email the book was shipped within an hour of placing my order. It arrived in less than a week too, which is unheard of. The best was yet to come. I ordered this book for a teacher friend who started a chess club for elementary students in grades 4-6. He was thrilled with the techniques and exercises inside and can't wait to start incorporating them into his weekly sessions with the kids. According to him, this is an outstanding teaching aid, and the best he has encountered since starting his chess club.

My chess teacher has this book.......2006-06-19

This is one of the books that my chess teacher has and also lets the class use it. Though it is more for chess teachers I also recommend it for students...

excellent job.......2006-05-05

Todd Bardwick does a very good job writing his first book. I teach chess to elementary kids, and already know most of the material in Todds book. However, he breaks each element of the teaching phase down, chapter by chapter, (todd calls them "lessons," there are 10 total) and he relates them to a standards-based math curriculum. The fun games and exemplars given in the back appendix are excellent. Many books written on teaching chess are not written by good teachers,and most fall flat on their faces.Not this one. Highly recommended. Good job Todd!

Average customer rating:

Challenging and Interesting: A Gift, indeed!

The Token Gift
Hugh William McKibbon
Manufacturer: Annick Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1550374982

Customer Reviews:

Challenging and Interesting: A Gift, indeed!.......1999-12-11

This book for young readers will also intrigue their parents and teachers. Though it is listed as being primarily for readers aged 4-8, I believe it is better suited for intellectually active readers between the ages of 8 and 14.

The Token Gift sets up an old legend, based on the origin of chess, but overlays a mathematical conundrum long used by math teachers who aim to give their students a glimpse of the mystery and magic of numbers.

The background of the narrative, with its historical information, is sumptuous. The illustrations, while a little too explicitly "ethnic" for my taste, add to the culturally rich tale, with original paintings in rich, jewel-like colours.

Book Description

This book is the most comprehensive summary available of the electrochemical techniques for treating steel corrosion. The different techniques for judging the effectiveness of cathodic protection are compared and its economic benefits are examined in comparison with other available techniques.

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