Inside the Robot Kingdom: Japan, Mechatronics, and the Coming Robotopia

by Frederik Schodt

Overview

A digital re-issue of Frederik L. Schodt's now-classic work, _Inside the Robot Kingdom: Japan Mechatronics, and the Coming Robotopia_. Focusing on industrial and fantasy robots in Japan as a metaphor for the relationship between culture and technology, this book was first issued in hardcover in 1988, and paperback in 1990. In 1988 it was described by Library Journal as one of the best sci-tech books of the year. This digital version is based on the 1990 paperback edition, with a new cover, foreword, several color images, and searchable, free-flowing text. Designed by maestro Raymond Larret, of Unbound EBooks.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012253736
Publisher:	JAI2
Publication date:	02/17/2011
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Frederik L. Schodt is an author and translator, specializing in Japan. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, which he was awarded by the Japanese government in 2009. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

Editorial Reviews

The robots are coming, Schodt predicts, and they are Japanese. It rings true.

Michael Cross

_Inside the Robot Kingdom_ is thorough but by no means so technical it won't be understood by the layman. Every chapter is illustrated and the author's enthusiasm for his subject is contagious.

Jack Cartier

Profusely illustrated with photographs, this volume is neither a robotics handbook nor a futuristic speculation about the long-range impact of robots on society. Rather, it is a journalistic review, based on extensive interviews with engineers, business leaders, government officials, and academics about how robotics has woven its way into Japanese life. recommended for general collections.

Gene Laczniak

"A sharp, singlular book."

Alex Raksin

This is an entertaining...examination of robots in Japan, ranging from their place in popular culture to their impact on the economy. Schodt conveys the symbolic and cultural significance of robots and also provides a succinct analysis of technological developments and the role of robots in the workplace.
....There are numerous photographs and illustrations and the text is supplemented by windows filled with tangential musings and information, making for an attractive presentation.

Jeff Kingston