Physical Computation
A Mechanistic Account
Gualtiero Piccinini
Reviews and Awards
"The arguments are clear and meticulous, and the writing style is crisp. Piccinini does an admirable job at guiding readers through the different steps of his account...Physical Computation makes important contributions to foundational issues in several fields. It is a pellucid example of how good philosophical work can advance wide ranging debates at the crossroads of computer science, AI, cognitive science and philosophy. Physical Computation should be read by anybody interested in mind, machines, and the sciences of computation." -- Minds and Machines
"It provides a thorough...introduction to the philosophical issues associated with computation in the physical sense and would serve as a good basis for a postgraduate or upper-level undergraduate course on the subject. Piccinini delivers a comprehensive summary of previous work on physical computation, alongside the definitive presentation of his mechanistic account, and I have no doubt that this book will become a valuable resource for future work on the topic." -- Philosophical Psychology
"Piccinini's discussion is a notable contribution that offers a bounty of insights into computation and computing practice. All philosophers interested in computation must read this highly informative and thought-provoking book." --British Journal for the Philosophy of Science