This volume is a theoretical and practical approach to the design of computer technology.
 |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Shop the Amazon.com Textbooks Store and save up to 70% on textbook rentals, 90% on used textbooks and 60% on eTextbooks. |
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
49 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
A few years ago Byte Magazine named this one of the 10 most important books in the history of the computer industry. Flores was asked to keynote the 50th anniversary meeting of the ACM on the strength of the work he has done, some of which is shown here.
I am a little surprised not to find a review here that shows awareness of what this book is and was intended to do -- to turn those concerned with the design of the role of computers in society into a new direction. The book offers a fundamental enrichment and extension to the traditional engineering-based foundations that are used for designing computer systems that is drawn from philosophy and biology. It opens the development of a rigorous new design milleau to the reader. This is NOT yet another multi-disciplinary rumination.
I would say this is not a "helpful" book, and it was never intended as an easy read. It is a book to turn to when one has learned enough about what is really at issue in putting computers to work in human life to discover that the likes of input, process, output, "friendly" interfaces, attractive graphical presentations, and logical flow charts are vastly insufficient distinctions for doing work that really makes a contribution to your clients and colleagues. The book challenges the reader strongly, and is not simple to read. I guess that the best way to read it is with someone else, having discussions as you go along.
This is a book to engage and grow with -- a must-read for those serious about designing and building systems that will affect the lives of those who engage with them.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
A remarkable work that delves into the field of human cognition and emerges with a fresh, intelligent perspective of how computers can and cannot support human cognitive efforts. Anyone interested in artificial intelligence and/or workflow will find this book an informative read
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A. Altman
Format:Paperback
I read this book when it was first published in the mid 1980's. At the time I was studying artificial intelligence as part of a graduate program in computer science. I have not looked at this book in a long time ("my bad") but I remember it was ground-breaking in at least several ways - at least for me personally!
1. It opened my eyes to the limitations of the then-current approaches being attempted to recreate (via computer) human intelligence and/or human speech understanding and production. The approaches dominant at the time were logic-based algorithms based on frames, and neural-inspired algorithms.
2. It opened my eyes to the notion that recreating human intelligence or human language via computer was NOT nearly as important as many of us thought it was. Rather, more important was (and is) to understand human-computer interaction and provide machines that complement and extend our skills and strengths (which I now view as an extension of the thinking of Douglas Englebart). And....
3. Communication and meaning are necessarily embedded in our physical being and our physical situation.
As I recall, the authors drew from a variety of thinkers and disciplines. Frankly, I have a hard time remembering right now to what extents my insights were due to Winograd/Flores work versus how they may have simply altered my direction of exploration (e.g. to study George Lakoff's work on the remarkable role of metaphor in language).
This is the first time I've ever written a book review on Amazon that is essentially a description of the book's impact on my life and thinking rather than the book itself. I don't remember the details of the book! But I clearly remember that it changed my life.
I am thrilled to read in the other comments that Byte Magazine recognized the landmark contribution of this effort.
My hearty - and belated - thanks to the authors.
Art
ps: Why am I writing this review now? This afternoon I stumbled into an old textbook from the mid-1980's on computerizing natural language, and it got me thinking.....
1. It opened my eyes to the limitations of the then-current approaches being attempted to recreate (via computer) human intelligence and/or human speech understanding and production. The approaches dominant at the time were logic-based algorithms based on frames, and neural-inspired algorithms.
2. It opened my eyes to the notion that recreating human intelligence or human language via computer was NOT nearly as important as many of us thought it was. Rather, more important was (and is) to understand human-computer interaction and provide machines that complement and extend our skills and strengths (which I now view as an extension of the thinking of Douglas Englebart). And....
3. Communication and meaning are necessarily embedded in our physical being and our physical situation.
As I recall, the authors drew from a variety of thinkers and disciplines. Frankly, I have a hard time remembering right now to what extents my insights were due to Winograd/Flores work versus how they may have simply altered my direction of exploration (e.g. to study George Lakoff's work on the remarkable role of metaphor in language).
This is the first time I've ever written a book review on Amazon that is essentially a description of the book's impact on my life and thinking rather than the book itself. I don't remember the details of the book! But I clearly remember that it changed my life.
I am thrilled to read in the other comments that Byte Magazine recognized the landmark contribution of this effort.
My hearty - and belated - thanks to the authors.
Art
ps: Why am I writing this review now? This afternoon I stumbled into an old textbook from the mid-1980's on computerizing natural language, and it got me thinking.....
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most important design book ever ! Challenges our 'naive realism'.
Imagine designing software for how people and computers really interact - not how we rationally think we should act. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Daniel Toohey
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Dense Read but Worth it!
This is probably the 7th or 8th copy of this book, I've purchased. My original? I have no idea where it is. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Maine Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Read, way ahead of its time
In completely enjoyed this book. For starters it takes a lot of Heidegger's work and makes it completely accessible. Read more
Published on March 10, 2009 by Brady Uselman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thoughtful and Brilliant
Understanding Computers and Cognition is an excellent book giving the right background and walks you nicely to understand all the notion of Speech act, Intention driven... Read more
Published on April 9, 2008 by Ariela Avni
4.0 out of 5 stars
What are We to Make of Computers, and Computers Make of Us
Winograd and Flores' `Understanding Computers and Cognition' proposes that the rationalist tradition in AI must be replaced by a hermeneutic approach. Read more
Published on April 20, 2002 by Arun Kumar Tripathi
3.0 out of 5 stars
A little disappointed
I read the 1986 or 87 version of this book and am of a software/AI background. I didn't follow the biological material that well - either I was being dense or it just wasn't... Read more
Published on March 23, 2000
3.0 out of 5 stars
Illuminates the concept of a user-system system
The authors' theme is that we each react to and are changed by our environment which in turn reacts to and is changed by each of us. Read more
Published on March 31, 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Biological dependencies for cognition
This is an excellent text which describes an approach to using computers to perform an enabling role within corporate enterprises by using their ability to allow clearer... Read more
Published on November 14, 1997
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Listmania!
|
|
