Gifts for The Bookish Evolutionof a New Species (MIT, 2000; $29.95)
This look at the current status of robot evolution will intrigue technophiles, sci-fi fans and those with an interest in the social sciences alike. The authors, science photojournalist Peter Menzel and TV producer Faith D'Aluisio, have traveled the world to interview robotocists at universities and companies such as Honda. Each short, generally nontechnical chapter includes interviews, commentaries and photographs of the scientists and their humanoid machines. One of the book's most provocative points is that while machines are becoming more like people, people are also becoming more like machines: A person may now have artificial feet, legs, knees, hips, skin and heart. Soon, silicon chips may replace parts of the brain. The Robo sapiens of the future may turn out to be us.
