Monograph forecasting future computerization and applications of microelectronics - covers historical origins of computers in the USA and UK, trends towards miniaturization, the development of the transistor and microcomputer, weighs economic implications (emphasis on gadgets and gimmicks until 1982, increased machine intelligence thereafter) and employment effects, noting the role of automation, and examines social implications and political aspects. Bibliography pp. 247 and 248 and diagrams.