Peter J. Denning, "The Invisible Future: The Seamless Integration Of Technology Into Everyday Life"
McGraw-Hill; 1st edition (October 2, 2001) | English | 0071382240 | 256 pages | PDF | 1.73 MB

Before you can build a future, you must first envision it. The Invisible Future is like a roundtable dialogue with 22 of today's high-tech thought leaders, examining existing and proposed technologies to discuss how they will dramatically impact life in the coming decades.
All agree on one point - technology is facilitating a new business, social, and cultural landscape. Each discusses particular features of that landscape. For example:

* Technologist and inventor Ray Kurzweil describes nanorobots that will enter our bloodstreams to perform maintenance and repairs and directly connect to virtual reality.
* Internet father Vint Cerf presents surprising ways in which computers will replace humans to dominate service roles.
* Cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter is baffled by the surprising prowess of an automated music composer.
* John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid dispute claims that our technology will get out of control and destroy the human race.
* Digital tagging will enable us to locate every possession and know its condition; nothing will be lost or stolen for long.
* "Smart" robots and sensors will infiltrate our daily lives - and eventually our bodies.
* Machines will duplicate the musical prowess of Chopin and other great composers.

Essential reading for executives, decision-makers, and anyone interested in the future of technology, The Invisible Future features essays that are as wide-ranging and powerful as the topics they discuss. It takes you inside the minds of today's most brilliant and original thinkers and gets you ready to understand and excel in tomorrow's world - a world that will reserve its greatest rewards for those who have "seen" and prepared for it.