Introduction to Expert Systems (3rd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: The book provides an excellent introduction to the subject.
Review: I read all the editions of Peter Jackson's Expert System book. All the editions were equally good with respect to the developments of the subject at that time.The current edition covers a wide disciplines of subject with a very simple but elegant style of presentation. I liked the book for its coverage and simplicity. I recommend the book for my graduate students specializing in knowledge-based computing. I wish you all to see the book once and recommend it to your colleagues.

Rating:
Summary: Mediocre
Review: The 1986 edition of the book starts out saying that it is not "a course in how to construct knowledge-based systems (page v preface)" and that is so true. As the book attempts to give an informative overview of various expert system techniques it fails to clearly communicate them due to its lack of clear "how to" instructions which are absolutely necessary to explain the complex principles covered. I have a Master's degree in Communications myself and find this book to be one of the types assigned to students due to its industry status rather than because it gets the job of education done.