Are you aware that right now you are surrounded by robots? Not science-fiction mechanical monsters, but friendly robots like the telephone, that radio-clock, and the pop-up toaster. These, and others you might not know about, serve us daily in many amazing ways, making our lives safer, healthier, more convenient, and more efficient.

This is the story of the development of automatic mechanisms to relieve man of physical and mental drudgery. As early as 400 B.C., Archytas, a Greek, made a wooden bird that actually flew. Aviation has come a long way since then. Now we have electronic computers that fly planes and rockets automatically. These computers give machines a "brain" and a "memory" that make them almost human, so human that they are able to make mistakes.

Robots and thinking machines operate in many areas of modern life. They are proving indispensable in under-water exploration and in the preparation of flights into outer space. They can drive tractors, pack food, type letters, translate languages, and even play chess.

THE REAL BOOK ABOUT ROBOTS AND THINKING MACHINES covers every aspect of automation.

From the dust jacket