Andrew Burt

While the poems in this collection are inspired by the story of Fievel Mousekewitz, the cartoon mouse of the author's childhood, they are gut-wrenching in their examination of the American dream. Fievel's family history-and the author's-is one of a Jewish family immigrating from the Old World to the New and eventually being pulled across the plains: "When migrant boys looked west in leather hats, their slang pierced with Polish accents." Even though "tomorrow is made of rocks and time; is the draft that sweeps sleepily through the fallen branches," it is also where immigrants "watch their dreams decompose on plywood" as they search "for whatever it is that makes men free."Using the story of Fievel, Burt plays masterfully with the ambivalence of hope and cynicism, as if he had traversed the ocean and the continent westwards himself: "I am the hope that has not been forgotten, because I declare myself welcome here, as if there is nothing in history I will not make mine."

Not too far in the future, terrorists who hate modern civilization hope to wreak unrelenting destruction when they get their hands on powerful military AI software -- ultimately forcing life altering decisions in a race to save the very existence of humanity. Against this backdrop, Weston Foard must juggle a championship chess match while falling in love with Jasmina Simonis, the soulmate who would upend his life; Chris Giordano is writing a book about the best people on Earth while being stalked by a terrorist; and software genius Martin Sandoval is recruited to work with a mysterious woman to disarm the terrorists' software while trying to prevent his prosthetic arm from going amok. It's about the future of AIs, biotech, immortality, the perils of technology-so, the future of humanity-plus a bit of chess, a bit of humor, a bit of romance, a bit of philosophy on how society would deal with such threats and opportunities, and much more. Termination of Species is very timely with the rise of generative AI and other recent advances in technology."In Termination of Species, Andrew Burt puts so many pieces into play-ideas and warnings and opportunities that may lie just ahead-that 'The Future' will never be the same." -David Brin."A very intriguing, multiway view on the future of AI. It's not just the humans who have something to worry about." -Vernor VingeAbout the AuthorDr. Andrew Burt (www.aburt.com) has lots of published science fiction and is a former Vice President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. He's been a computer science professor (specializing in AI, networking, security, privacy, and social issues); founder of Nyx.net, the world's first free internet service provider; CEO of custom software developer TechSoft, and a technology consultant/author/speaker. For a hobby, he constructs solutions to the world's problems. Fortunately, nobody listens.

Not too far in the future, terrorists who hate modern civilization hope to wreak unrelenting destruction when they get their hands on powerful military AI software -- ultimately forcing life altering decisions in a race to save the very existence of humanity. Against this backdrop, Weston Foard must juggle a championship chess match while falling in love with Jasmina Simonis, the soulmate who would upend his life; Chris Giordano is writing a book about the best people on Earth while being stalked by a terrorist; and software genius Martin Sandoval is recruited to work with a mysterious woman to disarm the terrorists' software while trying to prevent his prosthetic arm from going amok. It's about the future of AIs, biotech, immortality, the perils of technology-so, the future of humanity-plus a bit of chess, a bit of humor, a bit of romance, a bit of philosophy on how society would deal with such threats and opportunities, and much more. Termination of Species is very timely with the rise of generative AI and other recent advances in technology."In Termination of Species, Andrew Burt puts so many pieces into play-ideas and warnings and opportunities that may lie just ahead-that 'The Future' will never be the same." -David Brin."A very intriguing, multiway view on the future of AI. It's not just the humans who have something to worry about." -Vernor VingeAbout the AuthorDr. Andrew Burt (www.aburt.com) has lots of published science fiction and is a former Vice President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association. He's been a computer science professor (specializing in AI, networking, security, privacy, and social issues); founder of Nyx.net, the world's first free internet service provider; CEO of custom software developer TechSoft, and a technology consultant/author/speaker. For a hobby, he constructs solutions to the world's problems. Fortunately, nobody listens.

Collect data and build trust.With the rise of data science and machine learning, companies are awash in customer data and powerful new ways to gain insight from that data. But in the absence of regulation and clear guidelines from most federal or state governments, it's difficult for companies to understand what qualifies as reasonable use and then determine how to act in the best interest of their customers. How do they build, not erode, trust?Customer Data and Privacy: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on customer data and privacy to help you understand the tangled interdependencies and complexities of this evolving issue. The lessons in this book will help you develop strategies that allow your company to be a good steward, collecting, using, and storing customer data responsibly.Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues&#8212blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more&#8212each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow.You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas&#8212and prepare you and your company for the future.

Collect data and build trust.With the rise of data science and machine learning, companies are awash in customer data and powerful new ways to gain insight from that data. But in the absence of regulation and clear guidelines from most federal or state governments, it's difficult for companies to understand what qualifies as reasonable use and then determine how to act in the best interest of their customers. How do they build, not erode, trust?Customer Data and Privacy: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on customer data and privacy to help you understand the tangled interdependencies and complexities of this evolving issue. The lessons in this book will help you develop strategies that allow your company to be a good steward, collecting, using, and storing customer data responsibly.Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues&#8212blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more&#8212each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow.You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas&#8212and prepare you and your company for the future.

This debut book from Andrew Burt details the pivotal moments in American political history when outliers moved to the center, capturing the national spotlight and turning fringe politics mainstream. American Hysteria puts readers at the center of the nation’s most prominent periods of political extremism, from the Anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s to McCarthyism in the 1950s to the Anti-Sharia movement of today. Both a deep dive into American history and a riveting narrative account, this is book is as much history lesson as it is drama. Burt argues that political hysteria arises in periods of deep uncertainty about American identity, and that when Americans lose their sense of who they are, they lash out against perceived threats with blacklists, scapegoating, conspiracies, cover-ups and more. By exploring the infamous and sometimes forgotten movements and characters of our nation’s past, this fascinating book provides a unique view into America’s history, its identity, and ultimately its future.

No data is completely safe.Cyberattacks on companies and individuals are on the rise and growing not only in number but also in ferocity. And while you may think your company has taken all the precautionary steps to prevent an attack, no individual, company, or country is safe. Cybersecurity can no longer be left exclusively to IT specialists. Improving and increasing data security practices and identifying suspicious activity is everyone's responsibility, from the boardroom to the break room.Cybersecurity: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on cybersecurity, from outlining the challenges to exploring the solutions, and provides you with the critical information you need to prepare your company for the inevitable hack. The lessons in this book will help you get everyone in your organization on the same page when it comes to protecting your most valuable assets.Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind?Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues--blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more--each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow. You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas--and prepare you and your company for the future.

No data is completely safe.Cyberattacks on companies and individuals are on the rise and growing not only in number but also in ferocity. And while you may think your company has taken all the precautionary steps to prevent an attack, no individual, company, or country is safe. Cybersecurity can no longer be left exclusively to IT specialists. Improving and increasing data security practices and identifying suspicious activity is everyone's responsibility, from the boardroom to the break room.Cybersecurity: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review brings you today's most essential thinking on cybersecurity, from outlining the challenges to exploring the solutions, and provides you with the critical information you need to prepare your company for the inevitable hack. The lessons in this book will help you get everyone in your organization on the same page when it comes to protecting your most valuable assets.Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind?Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues--blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more--each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow. You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas--and prepare you and your company for the future.

Pondering about the nature of the universe is always fun. So, this Oxford philospher "proves," mathematically, that either you're living in a simulated universe, or else the world is going to end soon. Wow, that's bleak, isn't it? Fortunately there are some flaws in his logic, leading to some even more fascinating ideas, which I've played with for fun in an article that was originally printed in the Bulletin of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Enjoy it before the universe ends : )

This debut book from Andrew Burt details the pivotal moments in American political history when outliers moved to the center, capturing the national spotlight and turning fringe politics mainstream. American Hysteria puts readers at the center of the nation’s most prominent periods of political extremism, from the Anti-Illuminati movement of the 1790s to McCarthyism in the 1950s to the Anti-Sharia movement of today. Both a deep dive into American history and a riveting narrative account, this is book is as much history lesson as it is drama. Burt argues that political hysteria arises in periods of deep uncertainty about American identity, and that when Americans lose their sense of who they are, they lash out against perceived threats with blacklists, scapegoating, conspiracies, cover-ups and more. By exploring the infamous and sometimes forgotten movements and characters of our nation’s past, this fascinating book provides a unique view into America’s history, its identity, and ultimately its future.