EARLY COMPUTING / ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The first book ever about a computer game. "Faster Than Thought: The Ferranti Nimrod Digital Computer." 8vo booklet, publisher's printed card covers, bound with staples, Hollinwood, Lancashire: Ferranti, Ltd. 1951. A FINE copy has tremendous interest to the Computing / AI history. Ferranti built a computer specifically yo play their game "Nim" at the 1951 Festival of Britain. The public were given access to play and included Alan Turing. "Alan spent August 1951 at Cambridge as usual, and from there a party went down on the train to London for the Festival of Britain. They went to the Science Museum in South Kensington where the science and technology exhibits were housed. They came across the NIMROD, which Ferranti were exhibiting. The Ferranti people were pleased to see Alan and said, 'Oh Dr Turing, would you like to play the machine?' which of course he did, and knowing the rule himself, he managed to win. The machine dutifully flashed up MACHINE LOSES in lights, but then went into a distinctly Turing-esque sulk, refusing to come to a stop and flashing MACHINE WINS instead. Alan was delighted at having elicited such human behavior from a machine." [A Hodges biographer of Turing]Turing had just published in Mind his landmark paper "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" which famously defines artificial intelligence and sets forth the Turing Test.The Ferranti booklet contains a detailed description of the game and the working of the computer, as well as a survey of work on machine intelligence at the time. The text notes that "the theory of games is extremely complex and a machine that can play a complex game can also be programmed to carry out very complex practical problems . very similar to those required to examine the economies of a country in which neither a state of monopoly nor of free trade exists" (p 19).
Hery, Thierry de
First edition 1552. La Methode Curatoire de la Maladie Venerienne, vulgairement appelle grosse vairolle., 8vo, pp. [16], 272, [2], [28, index], lacking errata leaf but otherwise complete. Woodcut ornamental border to title, red rubricated margins, attractive period gilt gauffered edges, later half calf, Paris, 1552. An excellent copy. A rare copy of the first edition. During the sixteenth century the syphilis epidemic swept Europe, and its treatment was one of the most lucrative forms of medical practice of the day. De Hery was the first in France to promote the mercurial treatment of syphilis. He followed Francis I to Italy after the battle of Pavia to treat soldiers suffering from the disease. 'De Hery made a fortune from treating syphilitic patients. He recommended mercurial inunctions and guaiac internally' (Garrison-Morton).
Midnight's Children, first edition, first printing Knopf New York, 1981. Beautiful modern blue morocco by The Chelsea Bindery, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, twin rule to turn-ins, attractive blue and red patterned endpapers, edges silver, 8vo, New York, 1981.First printing, preceding the English edition which was made up from the American sheets. Fine copy.