Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology

Legendary. Maybe impossible. 2010-06-30

Reviewer: Marshall Vaughan

I read several books on nanotechnology that were both more recent and more technically realistic, but this book wowed me with both breadth and depth of vision. Few tomes compare in scope - Godel, Escher, and Bach perhaps? Ending Aging? There presently isn't anything like the clarion call to nanoscale research that this book represents, and it is not a definitive historical artifact for nothing.

This is about the best overview of the conceptual space of nanotechnology you can get right now - even after 24+ years. It's brilliant, it's conscise, it's visionary. It *is* a little much. Accept that and enjoy, and it may become your favorite popular science book.

I think much of what Drexler proposes is impossible - as impossible as full human consciousness emulation and interstellar travel anyway. It seems to annoy or overwhelm some readers that Drexler goes so far. It bothered me every now and then. Given a century or three, who knows. It's dubious science, as it reaches beyond tested theories, but it is *great* hard science fiction. Plenty of real science, and I found nothing truly erroneous.

If you are looking for something grittier, Drexler's newer books (and work) build on this. For second opinions I recommend Soft Machines and Nanomedicine: basic capabilities - they are more scholarship oriented. Read Engines first: it's hard to put down and it covers so much.

If you are interested in nanotechnology, read this book.
That is all.

best book I have ever read 2010-04-14

Reviewer: D. Kowalski

This book was great and has changed my life. It has changed how I think and helped to make me more optimistic about our future.

Engines of nanotechnology 2008-05-21

Reviewer: Mitzi Hass Wakamatsu

I was actually expecting that this book would fulfill my expectations, on account of a large number of citations I've seen. It's absolutely prerequisite lecture to anyone who's interested in the nano perspectives.

Watershed book on the transhumanist movement 2007-11-20

Reviewer: Brian Wright

Engines of Creation describes the foundations of and the issues surrounding humankind's increasing potential for building molecular machines. (Indeed as we stand here on the verge of 2008, notable accomplishments in nanotechnology continue to be made.) Drexler's "starter kit" comprises what he calls "universal assemblers," which are nanomachines designed for a simple task, such as replacing defective genetic links with healthful ones or bonding one cellular structure to another.

...I'm impressed with what the author and his peers have deeply pondered on preventing nanotechnological disasters, either from accident or from conscious intention of some malefactor. When one realizes a technology that can terraform planets can also readily destroy them... and us, one becomes a bit careful in how the technology is handled. The entire Part 3 of Drexler's book, "Engines of Destruction," is devoted to this issue.

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2007

Nano Technology 2007-03-21

Reviewer: Paul R. Nelson

This book was ordered as a gift. I bought the book years ago and was so impressed with it I've purchased several as gifts.