The fifth novel in Asimov's popular Foundation series opens with second thoughts. Councilman Golan Trevize is wondering if he was right to choose a collective mind as the best possible future for humanity over the anarchy of contentious individuals, nations and planets. To test his conclusion, he decides he must know the past and goes in search of legendary Earth, all references to which have been erased from galactic libraries. The societies encountered along the way become arguing points in a book-long colloquy about man's fate, conducted by Trevize and traveling companion Bliss, who is part of the first world/mind, Gaia.
What are some of the more interesting topics covered by Asimov's brain? Well, so far, mind expansion and ability to the point of that only dreamed of by the lustiest dreamers (thank goodness for that!). The 3 Robot Laws and the Positronic brain. He takes what the term "robot" suggests and lets it run its (un)natural course. He borrows the Gaia legend (first introduced by Teilhard de Chardin I believe) and takes it to its boldest extreme. He plays Earths future as .... to understand these references you will have to read this 5th addition to the Foundation Series and, hopefully, have read a wide variety of sci and not so sci-fi literature to really get it and enjoy this wonderful masterpiece of things seen and not seen of things dreamt and not dreamt.
