Almost unnoticed, profound changes are taking place in society as our methods of communication come to depend more on pictures and images and less on words and numbers. These changes, which are largely being brought about by the increasing use of computers, affect a wide range of human activities: science and technology, commerce and industry, medicine, education, the media, and the everyday world of shopping, entertainment, and travel.

Bringing to bear a wide range of scientific, technological, and industrial experience on this phenomenon, this highly readable account reviews its history and examines the implications for science, technology, and society. It explores the problems of storing and indexing images in digital computers and goes on to discuss present and future trends in the use of images for communication.