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xiii When I was preparing for the writing of this book, I monitored a number of national and local news sources to see what there was about robots in the news. Hardly a week went by when there were not at least a half dozen articles about some aspect of robotics. Those articles ranged from the somewhat mundane (a robotic device for taking orders, mixing drinks, and serving them to customers at a specialized bar) to much more complex operations, such as assisting in surgical procedures and the cre- ation of original songs and poems. How could a single book deal with the vast number of applications of robots in the world today, let alone the social, ethical, economic, political, and other issues raised by their increasing presence in everyday life? The answer to that question was, it can’t. Indeed, a reader who wants to become really well informed about the science of robotics, its historical development, and its role in modern society should consult a variety of resources. To assist in this research, the author strongly recommends that the reader pay special attention to the references listed at the end of Chap- ters 1 and 2, as well as the annotated bibliography in Chap- ter 6. The first of these sources are not only citations to specific references in the text but also guides to further research on many aspects of robotics. It hardly needs to be said that robots have now become an essential part of the industrial, domestic, research, medical, and other parts of human life. They are used to manipulate heavy machine parts and the smallest components of special- ized devices they travel to environments that are inaccessible Preface