First edition and a lovely copy in the uncommon dust jacket. A significant work by the 'overlooked father of computation' who originated the concept of the technological singularity in artificial intelligence (Hook & Norman, Origins of Cyberspace 635).

I.J. Good (1916-2009) was 'a statistician and mathematical genius' who worked with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park, where he 'made crucial contributions to the successful assault on German codes and ciphers', particularly the German naval cipher which had been the most secure of all German military ciphers (Guardian obituary, April 29th, 2009). After the war he continued working with Turing at the University of Manchester, where he did significant work on computing, including the Manchester Mark I. Good's two main works on computer intelligence were 'Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine' and 'Logic of Man and Machine', both published in 1965, and he was tapped by Stanley Kubrick to consult on 2001: A Space Odyssey.

The present volume investigates probability and its use in both scientific induction and everyday reasoning. It expands on the concept of the deciban, which Turning and Good developed as part of their code-breaking work at Bletchley.

First edition; tall 4to; contents fresh; original burgundy faux morocco, titles to spine gilt, an excellent copy in the dust jacket with just a little minor creasing at the extremities; 119pp.