(with apologies to Thomas Nagel)

How I’m Not Writing a Book About Bots

Over a year ago, I had been sufficiently inspired by my experiences at DARPA’s Grand Challenge to contemplate a book-magnitude project on the topic of the coming growth of robotics. I had gotten to the stage of talking to trusted friends about approaches to the project and topic, and contemplating the necessary ‘field work’, when I was rudely interrupted by my accident and consigned to bed or home for four months. That didn’t interfere with my net access, so I continued the pursuit virtually. But what I learned caused me to drop the project by the time I was back on my feet. I had consigned that effort to the “some things don’t work out” category, until a recent dinner with one the aforementioned friends persuaded me that the experience and my conclusions might be worth a blog essay, if not a book.