A new collection of forty-three essays from the master.

Asimov wanders through Science Past describing everything from the electronic revolution and the evolution of human flight to Einstein’s vision and the birth of the Bomb. Even an abbreviated treatise on the most potent poison in the world—botulism.

Then a brief pause to give away a few tricks of his trade in “How to Write 160 Books Without Really Trying” and to reveal a very personal side in “To My Daughter” (published here for the first time).

Finally into Science Future to tackle problems serious and not-so-serious in “Food in the Future” and “Sex in Space” and to offer a delightfully non-sexist diatribe—“If I Were to Design a Woman.” Along with contemplations on immortality and a look at life in A.D. 3000.

All reflections, circumspections, and speculations as only Asimov can proffer.

I would almost take this as an example of the “typical” Asimov collection of non-F&SF essays. It covers his usual range of subjects—current science (anybody remember Comet Kohoutek?), past science, speculations on the future (“Sex in Space”—all right!), stuff about himself (“How To Write 160 Books Without Really Trying”), how computers are nice, why immortality would be bad, why overpopulation is bad right now, and so on. Pretty miscellaneous, a mixed bag in terms of audience and treatment, fun to read but not really stick-to-the-ribs kind of stuff.