Computers Ltd.：What They Really Can't Do

Computersareincredible.Theyareoneofthemostimportantinventionsofthe20thcentury,dramaticallyandirrevocablychangingthewaywelive.Thatisthegoodnews.Thebadnewsisthattherearestillmajorlimitationstocomputers,seriousproblemsthatnoteventhemostpowerfulcomputerscansolve.Theconsequencesofsuchlimitationscanbeserious.Toooftentheselimitsgetoverlooked,inthequestforbigger,better,andmorepowerfulcomputers.InComputersLtd.,DavidHarel,best-sellingauthorofAlgorithmics,explainsandillustratesoneofthemostfundamental,yetunder-exposedfacetsofcomputers-theirinherentlimitations.Lookingatthebadnewsthatisproven,lastingandrobust,discussinglimitationsthatnoamountsofhardware,software,talentsorresourcescanovercome,thebookpresentsadisturbingandprovocativeviewofcomputingatthestartofthe21stcentury.Alongthewayheshowsjusthowfarfromperfectcomputersare,whileshatteringsomeofthemanyclaimsmadeforthesemachines.Thoughwemaystriveforbiggerandbetterthingsincomputing,weneedtoberealistic:computersarenotomnipotent-farfromit.Moreover,theproblemisrealandheretostay.