Awards
Selected as a Finalist in the category of Computer/Internet in the 2002 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPYs) presented by Independent Publisher Magazine.
Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Pandgt;Ben Shneiderman's book dramatically raises computer users' expectations of what they should get from technology. He opens their eyes to new possibilities and invites them to think freshly about future technology. He challenges developers to build products that better support human needs and that are usable at any bandwidth. Shneiderman proposes Leonardo da Vinci as an inspirational muse for the "new computing." He wonders how Leonardo would use a laptop and what applications he would create.Shneiderman shifts the focus from what computers can do to what users can do. A key transformation is to what he calls "universal usability," enabling participation by young and old, novice and expert, able and disabled. This transformation would empower those yearning for literacy or coping with their limitations. Shneiderman proposes new computing applications in education, medicine, business, and government. He envisions a World Wide Med that delivers secure patient histories in local languages at any emergency room and thriving million-person communities for e-commerce and e-government. Raising larger questions about human relationships and society, he explores the computer's potential to support creativity, consensus-seeking, and conflict resolution. Each chapter ends with a Skeptic's Corner that challenges assumptions about trust, privacy, and digital divides.andlt;/Pandgt;
Review
"He is blessed with an engaging writing style and the ability to make this material interesting and lively. Even more, he presents a reader with possibilities and hope. What a wonderful accomplishment." Jessie Thorpe, Modbee.com
Review
"A very useful book for the students of today and anyone who would like an insight into how information technology could develop in the future." Peta Jellis, First Monday Reviews
Review
"It's easy, and quite refreshing, to get caught up in the author's techno-Utopian vision of a world hotwired to serve its populace. There are several moments when it would be nice to have Shneiderman's wishes simply made true, with technological hurdles jumped and cultural boundaries erased." Elizabeth Millard, ComputerUser.com
Review
"This book communicates a kaleidoscopic vision of how technology can be used to empower people in multiple areas of life. I found it to be very interesting and exciting, and encourage others interested in the future of technology and in empowering people to be more creative and productive to read it." Parshu Anantharam, The Rational Edge
Review
"Shneiderman's book presents an optimistic vision of the use of computing technology and conceptualizes a "new computing" that empowers people and supports "what people want to do." Who should read it? Everyone who cares about mankind, technology, and the future." Gerd Waloszek, SAP Deisgn Guild
Review
"This is an eloquently written and visionary book....a kaleidoscopic vision of how technology can be used to empower people in multiple areas of life." Pashu Anantharam, The Rational Edge
Synopsis
Ben Shneiderman's book dramatically raises computer users' expectations of what they should get from technology. He opens their eyes to new possibilities and invites them to think freshly about future technology. He challenges developers to build products that better support human needs and that are usable at any bandwidth. Shneiderman proposes Leonardo da Vinci as an inspirational muse for the "new computing." He wonders how Leonardo would use a laptop and what applications he would create.
Shneiderman shifts the focus from what computers can do to what users can do. A key transformation is to what he calls "universal usability, " enabling participation by young and old, novice and expert, able and disabled. This transformation would empower those yearning for literacy or coping with their limitations. Shneiderman proposes new computing applications in education, medicine, business, and government. He envisions a World Wide Med that delivers secure patient histories in local languages at any emergency room and thriving million-person communities for e-commerce and e-government. Raising larger questions about human relationships and society, he explores the computer's potential to support creativity, consensus-seeking, and conflict resolution. Each chapter ends with a Skeptic's Corner that challenges assumptions about trust, privacy, and digital divides.
Synopsis
Using the inspiration of Leonardo da Vinci to build a new, humanistic computing that focuses on users' needs and goals.
About the Author
Ben Shneiderman is Professor of Computer Science and Founding Director (19832000) of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory at the University of Maryland, College Park.