Agents are “intelligent” tools (programs) with the characteristics of mobility; self-determination; and the ability to solve problems, draw inferences, determine actions, and learn in the process. The authors give several other definitions for agents (some of which are controversial) and give lists of vendors, including IBM and Microsoft, from which agents for specific operations can be obtained. Bill Gates’s description of his house [1] is an example of some of the kinds of functions, actual and predicted, that agents can undertake. The authors say, however, that the present agents are a primitive “first generation.” They predict new generations in the next fifty years. At present, agents are host-based and standalone, and search the Internet using fetch processes. Each iteration of a fetch creates further interactions (with search engines, for example).

The authors predict a future in which agents are self-replicating and can design agents tailored to specific needs. Agents will develop agents to carry out their tasks and needs as required. These manager agents will be independent and self-motivating, and in many respects will have human capacity (p. 39).

The book is more suitable for the general public than as a guide for experts. However, it contains references, including pointers to Web sites that contain further information, and lists of pertinent hardware, software, books, vendors, and so forth. It also covers some aspects of governmental and legal issues. It is divided into three sections, seven appendices, a bibliography, and an index.

In Section 1, “Agent Basics,” chapter 1 deals with the descriptions and variety of agents. Chapter 2 is about the origins of agents and changes in the use of computers. Chapters 3 through 5 discuss needs for agents, how agents work, and what they do. Chapter 6 is devoted to the roles of academic institutions and software vendors. Chapter 7 covers issues and standards. In Section 2, “Agents in Use,” chapter 8 considers applications and mobility. Chapter 9 addresses current and future health issues. Chapter 10 discusses the role of email. Chapters 11 through 15 consider issues concerning finance, information, banks, retail dealers, and the media. Chapter 16 is about corporate networks and network vendors. Chapter 17 discusses governmental roles, including the role of the White House. Chapter 18 addresses virtual media. Chapter 19 describes personalization, which the authors call “The Web’s Holy Grail.” Chapter 20 is about the generation of new Web sites and other new opportunities. Chapter 21 covers avatars, which are computer representations of users in a computer-generated 3D world. Finally, chapter 22, alone in Section 3, offers predictions of and speculations on developments in the next decade and a brief history of the development of computers and software technology.