This is a textbook suitable for senior- or graduate-level courses in Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is a clear and current survey of AI, providing a number of outstanding features. The most notable of these are (1) the inclusion of LISP code to demonstrate the algorithms and techniques described in each chapter, and (2) the extensive collections of exercises and references to the AI literature that are found at the end of each chapter.

The breadth of coverage is more than adequate to give the reader an overview of AI. An introduction to LISP is found early in the book. Although a supplementary LISP text would be advisable for courses in which extensive LISP programming is required, this chapter is sufficient for beginners who are interested mainly in following the LISP examples found later in the book. Subsequent chapters cover production systems, knowledge representation, search, logical and probabilistic reasoning, learning, natural-language understanding, and vision. A relatively short chapter discusses expert systems as applications of the tools presented earlier.

The depth of coverage is also quite reasonable for a book of this type. In particular, the chapters on logical reasoning, natural-language understanding, and vision give the reader a good look at the complexities involved in these areas. The author’s presentation is readable, yet he generally does not oversimplify the material to any great extent. The page limitations of a text do not allow for a complete treatment of many issues, but the author provides excellent lists of references for those who wish to go further.

Overall, I think this book fulfills its purpose quite well. It is one of the better texts available in this field. The use of well-developed LISP examples provides an additional perspective that balances the theoretical areas very nicely. Various sections may overwhelm some readers who lack a background in mathematical logic, but advanced undergraduates and graduate students should have no major problems with them. The book is also suitable for professionals who are looking for a nonsuperficial introduction to AI.