The smart-machines revolution is reshaping our lives and our societies, but we are not about to be elbowed aside by a rebel army of super-intelligent robots of our own creation. We were using tools before we became Homo Sapiens, and will continue to build and master them, no matter how complicated they become. How we exercise that control - in our private lives, in employment, in politics - and make the best of the wonderful opportunities will determine our collective future well-being. The Digital Ape outlines how our choices and the use and adaptation of the tools we've created can lead to opportunities for the environment (both built and natural), health, and our security. Drawing on historical precendent and technical know-how, world-renowned experts Nigel Shadbolt and Roger Hampson offer a vision of the future that is exciting, rather than nerve-wracking, to contemplate. -- back cover.