Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life - Softcover

"A lively, elegant, and surprising book, packed with curious details and enticing anecdotes." --The New York Times Book Review

"Densely anecdotal and engaging, and almost frighteningly well-researched . . . A lovely and often brilliant book." --The New York Observer

"A treasure trove of marvels and information. Wittily and cogently written, this unusual cultural analysis provides us with unsettling insights." --Joyce Carol Oates

"Masterly, elegant and thoughtful cultural history . . .engaging and deceptively simple." --The Sunday Times (London)

"Wonderful . . . a rigorously researched and grippingly narrated weaving of tales." --The Financial Times (London)

Describes the human fascination with creating life as it traces the scientific research, theories, hoaxes, and inventions that presaged the evolution of contemporary robotics and experiments with artificial intelligence. Reprint. 15,000 first printing.