In this treatment of artificial intelligence, Finnish computer engineer Haikonen begins with some history and a review of computing principles, bringing in arguments against the idea that thinking is simply the execution of strings of commands. He then discusses the fundamentals of cognition and consciousness, presents his design philosophy and a model for machine cognition, and examines consciousness in light of this model. His treatment is accessible to beginners without strong technical background, and it will also hold interest for more seasoned readers. Distributed in the US by the Philosophy Documentation Center. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)