Review of "Computers in Knowledge-Based Fields, by Charles H. Myers", M. I. T. Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1970

Abstract

This useful little book surveys several knowledge-based areas where computers are being used. Myers has written a readable and concise summary of the field. The study covers only the following major fields: I. Formal education-including administration of educational institutions and computer-assisted-instructions. 2. Library systems and subsystems. 3. Legal and legislative services, administration of justice, crime-prevention and law enforcement. 4. Medical and hospital services. 5. Social information systems. A single chapter is devoted to each of these five areas. Each chapter briefly discusses the needs of the area, the principal initial application of computers, recent efforts to utilize computers in the area, and implications of computers for the nature of the work performed. Each chapter includes extensive footnotes and provides a very valuable introduction to the literature of each of these application areas up through the 1960's. The approach taken in the book is to first present the issues involved in a particular field and then to conclude with the author's own opinion which generally turns out to be one of moderation without excessive preoccupation with any extreme position. Another important consideration in the book is the problem of social resistances to computer introductions. Myers discusses how people, e.g., medical professionalsp frequently resist introduction to computer-based systems; he discusses the legitimate and illegitimate bases of these resistance tendencies, The chapter on social information systems is entitled "National and Centralized Local Data Banks." First, he discusses the development of local data banks as they are relevant to the privacy issue and the initial proposal for a national data bank. This chapter is of direct relevance to those in social computing. The author is to be lauded for the broad coverage of material in only 126 pages. The liberal use of footnotes and outline form used makes for a very packed introduction to each of the knowledge-based areas. The most serious criticism that should be made about the books is that certain important knowledge-based fields are completely omitted from the book, for instances the impact of computers upon science is largely neglected.