robots – BookBunnies

Caramel reviews How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion by Daniel H. Wilson

Today Caramel reviews Daniel H. Wilson’s How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion (2005). As usual, Sprinkles is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: Caramel, I know you love robots, and so it was natural that you would pick up a book with robots in its title. So what did you think of How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion?

Caramel: I thought it was a good book. But there is one small problem.

S: Wait, I think I know! Unlike some of the other robot books you have reviewed for our blog, this book is not about lovable robots. Instead, it is about bad robots, right?

C: Kind of. It is about what you should do if robots decide to turn bad and take over the world.

S: I can see that from the title. Reminds me of some of the zombie books I reviewed a while back.

C: Don’t talk about zombies. I don’t like them. But yes, kind of like that. What happens if something really bad happens? How do you survive? But this is a lot better than your zombie books.

S: How come?

C: Well, zombies are made up. But robots are real. And this book has a lot of real facts about robots. And for some reason it teaches you how to make an EMP grenade.

S: What’s that?

C: An electromagnetic pulse grenade. You can use it to fry the circuits of a robot.

S: I see. So it would be a way to stop a bad robot.

C: But it could kill it! And that is bad. You can reason with a robot, and maybe talk it out of being bad, but if you kill it, it is dead. And you can’t take that back.

S: You are right of course.

C: Then again, if it is really evil, you might not be able to talk it out of it. Then, maybe, you do need to do something about it.

S: Hmm…

C: I don’t like it.

S: I totally understand, Caramel. I know you love robots, and you would not want to harm any of them.

Caramel is reading How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion by Daniel H. Wilson. — Caramel is reading *How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion* by Daniel H. Wilson.

S: But back to the book. Did you learn some new things from it?

C: Yes. For example, I did not know about EMP grenades before. The book also talks about different types of robots, and that is cool. There is a part about speech recognition and how it is hard. Some scientists apparently wore a T-shirt with the sentence “I helped Apple wreck a nice beach”, which is a bad way to write down the original sentence “I helped Apple recognize speech”. So that was cool!

S: Yeah, speech recognition is hard, but it has improved so much in the last few years! My phone used to not understand me very well before, and now it gets almost everything I say right. But today, everyone is obsessed with ChatGPT and other AI tools that can write essays and answer lots of questions, though not always correctly. Some people are really worried about artificial intelligence. So I think this book is sort of humorously opening up that fear.

C: Yes.

S: Are you afraid of robots?

C: Kind of but also kind of not. I want to have a robot friend, like R2-D2 or BB-8.

S: Yes, those are really friendly robots, and also very cute.

C: I think so too. I don’t think I’d be afraid of such robots.

S: But the robots in this book are not that kind of robot.

C: They are not. But humans build robots, so they could just build friendly ones.

S: I guess some fear that, at some point, robots would evolve and decide that humans are not treating them well enough or that humans do not deserve the support of robots.

C: I guess so.

S: Do you know of Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics? Here they are:

First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Second Law: A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics

Then there is a zeroth law too, but I will leave that for another day.

C: I do know these laws! And I really like them! I think all robots should be created with those laws built in. And maybe I should read some Asimov.

S: Okay, you can start with his short story “Robbie“. I really like that one.

C: Okay, I will read it then.

S: That means this is a good time to wrap this review up. What do you want to tell our readers, Caramel?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel hopes that he will never need any of the defensive methods he read about in How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion by Daniel H. Wilson, but he also thinks it is better to be safe than sorry. — Caramel hopes that he will never need any of the defensive methods he read about in *How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion* by Daniel H. Wilson, but he also thinks it is better to be safe than sorry.

Caramel reviews Robot by Roger Bridgman

Caramel loves everything about robots, and he loves books about facts. Today, therefore, he wanted to share with our readers a book on robots that he has read: Robot, written by Roger Bridgman. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking followup questions.

Sprinkles: Caramel, here we are, ready to talk about a whole book about robots!

Caramel: Robots! Yay!

S: I know you like robots.

C: That’s an understatement. I love them!

S: I know! You reviewed a two-book series about a robot and her travels (The Wild Robot and The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown), and you told us that then too. So let us get started. What do you want to tell us about this book?

C: This is a book about robots and tons of good facts about them.

S: Tell me one.

C: Let’s see. Did you know that there is a robot that looks like a shark and researchers use it to study sharks? It helps them “film sharks without disturbing their natural behavior”.

S: That’s pretty cool.

C: And did you know that they have a robot that can climb up on walls and actually walk on the ceiling?

S: That’s cool, too. Kind of like ants and bugs and flies.

C: Yes.

Caramel is reading Robot by Roger Bridgman and learning about robots that can help around the home. — Caramel is reading *Robot* by Roger Bridgman and learning about robots that can help around the home.

S: So there are a lot of different types of robots in this book, right?

C: Yes. There are robots that can help around the home. Then there is a two-page spread on robots that move, one on robots that sense. And another on artificial intelligence. There is a section on robots in the industry and in space and under water.

S: That is pretty cool.

C: There is also a section on fictional robots and robots in art. Like C3PO from Star Wars. But they also have a mistake there! They put a picture of a Dalek, from the Doctor Who universe, but Dalek are not robots. They do say they are mutants, but they should not have put them in a book on robots!

S: I guess people make robot Dalek to play with, though, right?

C: Yes. I even saw a remote-control Dalek once. So maybe that is why they put a picture in the book.

S: I suppose that makes sense.

C: They also have sections on machines with feelings, which is kind of like that Wild Robot I read about.

S: That is interesting! I’ve always thought the feeling part is quite hard to implement. But also, this is a relatively old book, right? It was first published in 2004. A lot must have changed since then, I’d presume.

C: Yep, I think so. In fact we should probably put here that video about robots which behave like animals. That seemed really new!

S: I agree. That video is brand new, only two weeks old now. So here it is:

“Biophysicist Reacts to Animal Inspired Robotics”, YouTube.

C: I like this video a lot! We should see it again.

S: Sure. Let us finish the review first. I know you knew a lot about robots already. What did you learn from this book Caramel?

C: Well, you are right that I knew a lot of things about robots before, so I knew a lot of the things in the book. But I did not know about the shark-shaped robot. And there were just so many different robots! It is a pretty awesome book and I liked it very much.

S: I can see that! I have been observing you looking carefully at the pages of the book over and over again. You have read it all already, but you still enjoy looking at it.

C: Yes. I like robots! And I told you; these are cool robots!

S: That’s wonderful Caramel. So what three words would you use to describe this book?

C: Factful, colorful, and robotful. There are a lot of facts, a lot of colorful pictures, and lots of robots!

S: I cannot argue with that reasoning! Okay, then let us wrap this review up. What do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading and reviewing Robot by Roger Bridgman, and he looks forward to learning more and more about robots as he grows up. — Caramel loved reading and reviewing *Robot* by Roger Bridgman, and he looks forward to learning more and more about robots as he grows up.

Caramel reviews The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

Caramel is very interested in robots and last week he reviewed The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. This week he reviews the sequel: The Wild Robot Escapes. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, I know you really wanted to read this second book about the Wild Robot Roz.

Caramel: Yes I really did. And I’m glad I did read it. Because it is great! As great as the first book was!

S: So that is a solid endorsement. I want to know more. So I remember Roz was stuck on an island last time.

C: No, actually in the end of that first book, she leaves the island in an airship the Ricos left and is heading to the mainland.

S: I see. Then what happens in this book? Where is she escaping from?

C: Well she ends up in the city. And she does not like it. She is a Wild Robot after all. She ends up working hard on a farm, and she doesn’t like it. She wants to escape that life and go back to her son, the gosling.

S: Oh, I see. Is the gosling still on the island?

C: Not quite. He is full grown now and is migrating with the other geese. So he does not live on the island all the time. But Roz wants to go back to the island. She was happy there. She felt like she belonged there.

S: I see.

Caramel is reading The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown. — Caramel is reading *The Wild Robot Escapes* by Peter Brown.

S: So you really like this robot, Roz, don’t you?

C: Yes I do. I really would love to read more about her.

S: Why? Does this book also end with a cliffhanger?

C: No but I want to see what happens to her next.

S: I understand. That means this was a good book and made you really like and appreciate the characters.

C: Yes, I think this is a great book! I really like Roz! She is awesome!

S: How so?

C: She is smart, she is strong, she is also a good person. She wants to help people and animals. I really like her.

S: But she is a robot. Do you think she can feel and think and love and be loved?

C: Yes. I think so. Why would robots not be able to do any of that?

S: You are right of course. Many of today’s robots are not designed to have feelings and thoughts and love and be loved. But maybe one day there will be robots like Roz who have feelings and thoughts. I have even read about robots people have designed that help take care of people when they need help. It would be perfectly reasonable for those people to love those robots.

C: I think so!

S: Okay Caramel. So would you then recommend this book to other little bunnies like yourself?

C: Yes. But of course they should first read the first book. Otherwise they would not really know her story.

S: Great! What three words would you use for this book?

C: Funny, interesting, and happy.

S: I know you like happy books! What would you like to tell our readers as we wrap up this review?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown and hopes that maybe there will be more stories about Roz or other friendly robots. — Caramel loved reading *The Wild Robot Escapes* by Peter Brown and hopes that maybe there will be more stories about Roz or other friendly robots.

Caramel reviews The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Caramel has always found robots fascinating. Today he talks about The Wild Robot, a 2016 book by Peter Brown with a robot main character. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.

Sprinkles: So Caramel I know you like robots, but I don’t remember you reading many novels about them. Is this the first one?

Caramel: I think so.

S: So can you tell us what the book is about?

C: In the beginning there is a ship in the sea. The ship sinks in a hurricane or some type of storm. And thousands of robots are lost to the sea. Six of them land on an island. One box survives totally unharmed.

S: What happens to the other five?

C: They are destroyed. The only survivor is the robot who is the main character of the book.

S: So this robot is all alone in an island. Is the island inhabited by humans?

C: No. There are other animals though. Forest animals, like deer.

S: Does the robot interact with them?

C: Yes. At first they are scared of her. But seriously, wouldn’t you be scared if a giant robot appeared out of nowhere?

S: Wait, so the robot is a ‘she” and she is huge!

C: No she is not too big, she is human-sized, but the animals are not used to seeing humans either. Some say that the island was a mountain that had contact with the mainland but not anymore.

S: Hmm, so the robot is wild because it is in the wilderness?

C: Yes, and also because she also learns to speak with the animals.

S: Wait I am sorry. The robot is a ‘she”. How do we know that?

C: She calls herself a “she”. And her name is Roz.

S: That’s enough for me.

Caramel is reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. — Caramel is reading *The Wild Robot* by Peter Brown.

S: So is the whole book about the robot and her adventures in this island with these animals?

C: Yes, more or less. Eventually she finds a baby goose, a gosling, and she raises it as her own child.

S: That’s interesting. Does she not need fuel or energy or something? How does she charge herself?

C: I don’t know really. Maybe she is solar powered. She does have solar packs.

S: I see. This is a very interesting premise for a story Caramel.

C: Yes, she likes the island and gets so used to it that she calls it home.

S: That is cool. So did you enjoy reading this book?

C: Yes. And it ends with a big cliffhanger. So I have to read the second book!

S: Oh, so there is a second book. But this story does have some sort of a resolution, right?

C: Yes, I guess. But the end makes you curious about what will happen next. We learn a lot more about Roz and her past. There are three other robots! They are called the Recos I, II and III. And so I want to read the next book. Can I be done here so I can start reading that one?

S: Okay, then why don’t you tell me three words you would use to describe the book before we wrap this review up?

C: It’s exciting, it is funny. There is adventure, and lots of curious things happening. And cliff-hanging.

S: Hmm, not sure that last one is a word, but I know what you mean. Let us not keep you hanging any longer. So what do you want to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel loved reading The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and is eager to read about the next adventures of Roz. — Caramel loved reading *The Wild Robot* by Peter Brown and is eager to read about the next adventures of Roz.