xi, 291 pages : 24 cm

"Out of Their Minds" profiles 15 of the planet's foremost computer scientists, including eight winners of the Turing Award, computing's Nobel Prize. Based on recent interviews, the scientists are revealed in fascinating anecdotes about their early inspirations and influences, contributions, and thoughts on the field's explosive future. "A fascinating collection of profiles and interviews with some of the men ... who brought us (to the computing age)"--"The New York Times". 56 illus

Includes bibliographical references (pages 269-278) and index

Linguists: how to talk to machines -- Restless inventor / John Backus -- Uncommon logician of common sense / John McCarthy -- Clear romantic vision / Alan C. Kay -- Algorithmists: how to solve problems fast -- Appalling prose and the shortest path / Edsger W. Dijkstra -- Possibilities of chance / Michael O. Rabin -- Boundless interests, a common thread / Donald E. Knuth -- In search of good structure / Robert E. Tarjan -- Of time, space, and computation / Leslie Lamport -- Good solution is hard to find / Stephen Cook and Leonid Levin -- Architects: how to build better machines -- Delight in making things work / Frederick P. Brooks -- Racing with the speed of light / Burton J. Smith -- Biological connection / W. Daniel Hillis -- Sculptors of machine intelligence: how to make machines smart -- Power of knowledge / Edward A. Feigenbaum -- Twenty-year bet / Douglas B. Lenat

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