Book: Donald Norman 21 Apr 1994

Things That Make Us Smart

Defending human attributes in the age of the machine

In this highly readable book, Norman, author of Turn Signals Are the Facial Expres sions of Automobiles (1992), offers an intriguing look at the nature and characteristics of human intelligence.

By virtue of their design, machines shape the way we relate to the world. Moreover--as anyone who has been annoyed by voice message systems can testify--many technological "advances" that are efficient from the engineering point of view are of dubious value to those who must use them. Norman argues that it is time for us to adopt a more human-centered perspective and to insist that informational technologies enhance and complement human cognitive capacities rather than undermine them. Entertaining anecdotes, puzzles, graphics, and speculations regarding future possibilities flesh out this wise and witty book.

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290

0-201-62695-0

5.1 NOR 2