Human-Computer Interaction (3rd Edition)

The second edition of Human-Computer Interaction established itself as one of the classic textbooks in the area, with its broad coverage and rigorous approach, this new edition builds on the existing strengths of the book, but giving the text a more student-friendly slant and improving the coverage in certain areas. The revised structure, separating out the introductory and more advanced material will make it easier to use the book on a variety of courses. This new edition now includes chapters on Interaction Design, Universal Access and Rich Interaction, as well as covering the latest developments in ubiquitous computing and Web technologies, making it the ideal text to provide a grounding in HCI theory and practice.

Customer Reviews:

Needs reconstruction, but a good book

By John Harpur - April 9, 2006

Let me begin by saying that years back I won an international award for something or other to do with contributions to ergonomics - the design of a computer system in fact. I looked at this book as a possible text for an undergraduate course I teach. This is a good book, despite the reviews, if you have the time the read it. It is thorough at the theoretical end and pretty damn thorough at that. If you want to know the history of HCI, recent and possible developments, this is a good book - but it is just too long for most undergrads and this is the main problem. Most undergrads believe that HCI is just pure waffle and in many cases that is unarguable - it takes the likes of Jef Raskin to restore some intellectual credibility to the area.

One the major strikes against this book, and it isn't alone, is the lack of connection with actual software packages in common usage and the alleged 'software engineering' skills they require. For too long HCI books have operated at a... read more

BORING...

By CocoComplexion "SexyNavy" - January 29, 2013

I was forced to read this book for a college course. It's soooooo boring that I fell asleep every time I read it. Why do colleges subject us to these uninteresting textbooks???? Way too much technical jargon that don't make sense.

Steer clear if after a quick fix

By R "splog_the_troll" - December 17, 2007

A very good book that provides a solid foundation in a clear and easily readable format. If you're after a quick "HCI fix" or are trying to satisfy a course requirement where usability is seen as a niche then look elsewhere. If you want a good understanding of HCI and have a desire to make things more usable then this is a worthwhile read.