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The Turing Test: a Tale of Artificial Intelligence and Malevolence (Frank Adversego Thrillers Book 4) Kindle Edition

4.3 out of 5 stars 349 ratings

Will artificial intelligence save the world - or enslave it? Someone - or something - is destroying the energy system in an effort to stop climate change by whatever means necessary. As cybersecurity super-sleuth Frank Adversego zeroes in on the attacker, his opponent closes in on him in a race to the finish only one of them can survive. "Scary. REALLY scary."

Andrew Updegrove brings a rare combination of drama, satire and technical accuracy to his writing. The result is a book you can't put down that tells you things you might wish you didn't know.

-
Admiral James G. Stavridis, retired Commander, U.S. European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and current Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Andrew Updegrove brings a rare combination of drama,satire and technical accuracy to his writing. The result is a book you can'tput down that tells you things you might wish you didn't know.
- Admiral James G. Stavridis, retired Commander, U.S.European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and current Dean ofthe Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Andy Updegrove's Frank Adversego thrillers are realisticpage-turners, making it clear that if you're not worried about cybersecurityyou're not paying attention.
- Bruce Schneier, of Schneier on Security

Andrew Updegrove has done it again - delivered an impossibleto put down thriller while exposing a dire cyber vulnerability that until nowhas gone unnoticed.
- "World's greatest hacker"Kevin Mitnick

About the Author

I've been representing technology companies for more than forty years, and work with many of the organizations that thwart cyber-attacks before they occur. When I'm not writing or predicting the next cyber-disaster, I'm likely roaming the back country of the American southwest in my Jeep, scouting out settings for his next book. I spend summers on an island off the coast of Maine and winters in southwest Florida.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B073X7RY86
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Starboard Rock Press
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 12, 2017
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 1st
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.3 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 354 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0996491983
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 4 of 6 ‏ : ‎ Frank Adversego Thrillers
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 349 ratings

About the author

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Andrew Updegrove
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Andrew Updegrove, an attorney, has been representing entrepreneurs, technology companies, and cyber-defenders for more than thirty years. When he isn't writing or predicting the next cybersecurity disaster, he's likely to be roaming the back country of the American southwest in his Jeep, scouting out settings for his next book. A graduate of Yale University and the Cornell University Law School, he spends his summers on an island off the coast of Maine and his winters in Naples, Florida.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
349 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book a compelling read with a smart storyline and well-explained technical concepts. They appreciate the character development and the author's ability to make the story believable. The pacing receives mixed feedback, with several customers noting it seemed slow at first.

40 customers mention "Readability"40 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and thought-provoking, describing it as a compelling read with interesting topics to explore.

"Fun and believable. A good reminder that as we continue to push A.I. forward that there will be consequences as we can't see all the possibilities...." Read more

"...in the framework of the US National Security Agency, the book is an exciting and thought-provoking read." Read more

"Good, well written techno thriller that holds your attention...if you can get past the shibboleth of manmade climate change...." Read more

"...Great read." Read more

27 customers mention "Story quality"24 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, describing it as a well-written thriller with a smart and believable storyline.

"...MUST READ! If you enjoy well written Thrillers you do not want to miss this series...." Read more

"...I’m drawn to the adventures of Frank Adversego by Updegrove’s suspenseful tale-spinning and his subtle humor. But there’s more...." Read more

"This book, like the author's previous books*, is based in an all too realistic world-- all too similar to the one in which we live...." Read more

"...And importantly for all readers, the books are very well written...." Read more

22 customers mention "Information quality"18 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's technical content, with multiple reviews noting that the concepts are well explained. One customer mentions it serves as an excellent introduction to the topic.

"...book is an easy read with characters and plot you can appreciate, understand and relate to, if you have any understanding of technology...." Read more

"...What strikes me about all the books is the way they appeal equally to the technology savvy and those of us with less whose knowledge is more basic...." Read more

"...Technical concepts were well explained yet not over simplified for those who are into tech" Read more

"...While it is a complex subject matter, the author does a great job explaining it so that the reader can understand what is happening...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book.

"...This book is an easy read with characters and plot you can appreciate, understand and relate to, if you have any understanding of technology...." Read more

"...an enthralling and gripping story line with the idiosyncratic character Frank Adversego, who in this fourth book emerges from a very solitary..." Read more

"...I very much enjoy Updegrove's writing style and the personality he puts into his characters (human, avian and reptilian)...." Read more

"I read Frank's first book and was hooked. Frank is a very unique character, with some interesting quirks, and a great mind...." Read more

6 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book slow at first, with one customer noting excessive information being relayed and another mentioning conversations with Turing that were chilling.

"...the AI shooting off quips from old movies otherwise it's a lot of talk with little action" Read more

"...the easy give and take of conversation, but the lengthy droning on of information being relayed...." Read more

"It starts off slow but gets more interesting as it goes a!ong...." Read more

"While it seemed a bit slow at first, once the plot took off it was entertaining, reasonably plausible, and fun reading" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Ever read Stephen King late at night, alone, and find yourself casting anxious glances toward the shadows? I’m not going to give away plot, but The Turing Test will have you glancing at your internet-connected devices with the same apprehension.

    It’s rare when I get so involved with a book that I forget to do something important. But the morning after losing myself past bedtime in the suspense and surprises of this one’s conclusion, I awoke to find I had failed to set up the coffee pot for my essential caffeine eye-opener. Fair warning: reserve this one for when you have freedom to lose track of time and duties.

    I’m drawn to the adventures of Frank Adversego by Updegrove’s suspenseful tale-spinning and his subtle humor. But there’s more. The series offers wake-up calls to real dangers that prowl the digital universe, probing for opportunities to burst into our lives. Without pounding on the table, the series warns that mankind seems headed for huge social and economic disruptions caused by advanced societies’ reliance on physically vulnerable cloud computing and on poorly protected connections to a Darwinian internet. And next? Artificial Intelligence.

    In each of his novels, Updegrove has raised the alarm, but not the volume. He’s able to make serious points while often having tongue in cheek. He’s willing to wrestle with moral issues: How much bad is justified to accomplish a great good? Who should bear the burden of that bad? Plus an unexpected treat: he plays a shrewd, bittersweet riff on the state of American politics. Who’d have expected that in a cyber-thriller?

    With the Frank Adversego series, Andrew Updegrove has created a sub-genre: the teaching thriller. I’m looking forward to the next one! And I’m going to keep my computer and my phone turned off if I’m not actually using them.

    Really!
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book, like the author's previous books*, is based in an all too realistic world-- all too similar to the one in which we live. Using his deep knowledge of the various real-world technologies each book uses to threaten our future existence, the author takes us into the realm of a global technology infused crisis that hasn't happened yet while making the reader believe it can and will.

    This book is an easy read with characters and plot you can appreciate, understand and relate to, if you have any understanding of technology. Yes, this book is a thriller. And yes, it is fiction. We hope it stays that way, despite it being convincingly real.

    * I've bought and read most or all of them
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    After reading The Turing Test (twice) I was driven to reread Updegrove’s “The Alexandria Project” and “The Doodlebug War” (next up is “The Lafayette Campaign”).
    What strikes me about all the books is the way they appeal equally to the technology savvy and those of us with less whose knowledge is more basic. And importantly for all readers, the books are very well written.
    While readers like me may start thinking “that could never happen”, it does not take long to recognize that the events in all the books are only too plausible. And scary. REALLY scary.
    The books combine an enthralling and gripping story line with the idiosyncratic character Frank Adversego, who in this fourth book emerges from a very solitary private life to…..well, you’ll just have to read the book to find out.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is always a fun subject to ponder. What would happen if an AI was programmed with some human "feelings" by a programmer who had no idea about what the real world was like. Our genius programmer unintentionally let's a loose cannon AI outside for a tour de force of death and destruction. So how to put the genie back in the bottle. Storyline had promise but is marred by unnecessary ponderings and untold meandering of code speak to drag out this short story into a yawn fest of computing tid bits that may be enthralling to a nerd but a slog uphill for the rest of the normal folks. If you are a speed reader you can pick out the salient facts in each paragraph and paint a good picture of what's happening and why. Otherwise you just might pull the plug at about 33% into the story. I must say the ending was almost comical with the AI shooting off quips from old movies otherwise it's a lot of talk with little action
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2017
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    I first "met" Frank Adversego, Andrew Updegrove's Information-Age Sam Spade, when he was at work on The Lafayette Campaign, two books back in the series. Lafayette was about computerized election theft and that is the work I do (trying to prevent or detect it) as an election forensics specialist in the real world, so I was impressed not just with Frank but with Updegrove's command of detail in a complex and often arcane field.

    Now, in The Turing Test, Frank is back--better than ever!--and walking (with Shannon, his moll) the even twistier streets of AI and climate change, which here intersect in a plot so fantastic and yet close-to-home that you'll want to ditch your smartphone and move to higher ground before the end of the week.

    Don't worry though, for now its just a book. And, with Updegrove's dry wit and chapter titles like "Sorry, Gotta Split" (that would be an ice shelf) and "A Really Bad Case of Gas" (the natural kind), a fun book from which, apart from being highly entertained, you will learn more than you probably ever wanted to know about the ins and outs of artificial intelligence, climate science, and the mixed bag of human stupidity and heroism.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Fun and believable. A good reminder that as we continue to push A.I. forward that there will be consequences as we can't see all the possibilities. Technical concepts were well explained yet not over simplified for those who are into tech

Top reviews from other countries

  • Marcus Case
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Addition to the Frank Adversego Series
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 30, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    With Updegrove's magnificent 'The Alexandria Project', 'The Lafayette Campaign' and 'The Doodlebug War' under my belt I've always thought that his excellent cyberthrillers consistently deliver high-class thrills with such an eerily contemporary (and scaring) edge. Beyond any shadow of doubt, 'The Turing Test' is a worthy addition to the Frank Adversego series and more than satisfied my every expectation.
    Prior to reading this book I possessed little knowledge of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and absolutely no understanding of the darker dangers it brings into our world. This wasn't a problem because, just as he has done so ably in every novel so far, without overloading Updegrove is careful to offer his readers the necessary information along the way. But I sensed that the complexities of AI gave Updegrove more than his fair share of challenges in this respect. He clearly knows a great deal about the subject, yet manages to keep the relevant theoretical explanations within the dialogue and comprehensible to an uninitiated reader such as myself. That must be such a hard thing to do and I'd say he pulls it off with considerable aplomb.
    I was also struck by the different style that Updegrove uses in the writing of this novel. For instance, I think there's a great deal more dialogue. Overall, the pace is slower and Updegrove keeps a fairly tight rein on the upbeat tone that's apparent in his earlier works (and I'd say used to such dramatic effect when contrasted with those novels' darker moments). For me, 'The Turing Test' is a stealthier creature. It packs its punches in a different but equally effective manner, delivering a terrific tension and suspense that ebbs and flows throughout a lengthy narrative peppered with twists, turns and shocking surprises. And the breathtaking build-up to the unforgettable climax is nothing short of masterful (I thought it was absolutely terrific).
    There also seem to be some subtle differences in Frank Adversego's characterisation. Again, not so upbeat, and I'd say possibly slightly more serious and less socially awkward. The risk of spoilers necessitates brevity at this point but Frank's relationships take a very interesting turn in this novel and I was delighted by this. I also found it very satisfying to witness once again his poignant relationship with his father (and I'd urge those unfamiliar with 'The Alexandria Project' to read that novel first, in order to fully enjoy the marvellous but sparse exchanges between father and son that take place in 'The Turing Test').
    Once again, Updegrove has given us a substantial and highly-polished professional novel, with crisp interior presentation and eye-catching relevant cover artwork, produced to a far higher standard than is often found in mainstream publications. Our reading world is all the better for his magnificent contributions.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Carlo K Piana
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent near-sci-fi novel
    Reviewed in Italy on January 15, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Frank Adversego is once again immersed in a parallel reality where the worst techno-nightmares are about to become true -- or are they already?

    In this fast-paced, intriguing, captivating novel, Andy Updegrove, builds up pressure and the reader's interest from the beginning. The story evolves in the midst of romantic encounters (!) lessons learned on AI and a few other things that I don't mention lest the juice is spoiled.

    It's a must-read for all techno-enthusiasts and technophobes alike. There are some references to current events, but never too obvious. But eventually the readers will be asking themselves deep questions on where self-enriching and self-developing technology will lead us, much in the vein of some classic literature (how can one miss references to 2001: a Space Odyssey and Asimov's "I-robot" -- as well as the entire robot series?), with some quirkier and hidden references to R. Munroe's works...

    That nerd guy is a hero! (once again!)
  • Anne
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excitng Read
    Reviewed in Australia on December 17, 2018
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    What a complex and exciting story. I was so hooked I couldn't put it down. I've always had a bit of a thing about runaway AIs and this one sure runs away. Is this what's in store for us when the super computer goes rogue?
  • R. Coulson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended cyber thriller.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2017
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Frank Adversego is a private detective with a difference. He’s hopeless with women, runs a knackered old car, is deeply into the cyber world, and is good at his job. When a mysterious attack takes out three electricity generating plants worldwide, he suspects someone, possibly a super power, has hacked into the plants’ computer systems. His professional interest peaked, he offers his services to the NSA, the national security service, but finding out who is behind the attacks and why is more difficult than he first thought.
    I’m not computer savvy, and programming is a closed book to me, but ‘The Turing Test’ opened my eyes to the very real dangers I already suspected existed with letting computers control much of our world. What happens when things go wrong, when someone gets just a bit too clever and programmes something they can’t control?
    I loved this story. The characters are flawed and real, the scientific knowledge convincing, the pace never flags, and the plot kept me interested and engaged from beginning to end.
    If you enjoy books about the cyber world and artificial intelligence with a strongly relevant twist, I highly recommend this one.
  • RoderickGI
    2.0 out of 5 stars It's okay, but could be lots better.
    Reviewed in Australia on September 22, 2019
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This is the only book in the series that I have read. It seems to be written for people who don't know much about technology, and seems to be a bit "look at me, I know lots of stuff about AI" in its writing style. Lots of references to the history of AI, or should I say lectures on the topic.

    The reader is lead through the discovery process a little too obviously. Frank is fighting an AI. He is going to sit in a room that contains only some servers, with electronic door locks, has a separate air conditioning system including ventilation. He relies on a server setting that has disabled internet access on those servers. He thinks he is safe. He does nothing to ensure he is safe in there. He nearly gets killed. I predicted almost all of that as soon as the conditions were described. No surprises, except Halon gas was used instead of simply freezing, overheating, or shutting off the air supply and suffocating him.

    He has a pet wild crow which he feeds, but it likes to collect pretty stuff. He has the core AI intelligence on a USB drive. He puts it down on the table on his balcony and turns away. The crow steals it. Entirely predictable.

    There were lots of other examples. Sometimes authors don't share enough information and leave readers guessing. This book went too far in the other direction, for me.

    All in all, I only read the book because it was free, and I like to read myself to sleep. Thanks for that Andrew. :)

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