Book Review

The computer revolution, like most revolutions, concerns a change in the decision-making structure of society. Computer technology has already had a tremendous impact in industry and government in its relatively short lifetime, and future technological advances have the potential for bringing truly incredible changes in our way of life. The issue faced by Rothman and Mossman, an issue that we all must face, is how can we guarantee that computer technology be used to the greatest benefit of society? Certainly, we have enough examples of technological advances that have been mixed blessings to society. A case in point is the automobile. If we had known a half century ago that the automobile would be a major factor in air pollution and urban sprawl, what would we have done differently to protect the health and environment of society?