Human-Computer Interaction Books

I read this book because I am a new librarian learning to teach seniors to use computers, and I wanted to get some ideas. I was extremely disappointed with this book - it skimmed over topics far to quickly for any beginner to understand, and was full of jargon that was not or barely explained. Terms are defined in the glossary by using strings of other jargon words that would leave a reader jumping back and forth to retrieve many other definitions. In the section on using the internet, the reader is expected to be able to jump from typing URLs into browser address bars, straight to online shopping. Searching the web is not even touched upon - it is difficult to see how the learner would would find the commercial website from which to do their online shopping. I would recommend looking elsewhere for a book on basic computing.

This seemed to be a collection of essays that don't quite go anywhere. Maybe for somebody it's good but for me it felt like mix of artists and cultural studies types who don't really get online with some people who spend too much time online in mud's and other virutal 'worlds'. It seem to lack any theortical or intellectual backbone. Aside from that, if you get a list of the essays most of them can be found online. ;)

This is pretty impressive stuff...really. Aslo, the cover is nice.

It is almost criminal for this book to be listed as a "2002" book when all of the content is terribly outdated. Unfortunately I bought it first (not from Amazon) only to find this out. This book is outdated for even a [sale] bin.

This isn't a bad book for 1989. It's not great either.

The problem? Amazon deceptively describes this as a 1st edition published on January 15, 2002. It was published in 1989, as clearly stated inside the book. The content shows its age.

This book is nothing more than a reprint of the Answer Book from Solaris on the topic. I had hoped for more

I will buy this book if and when it gets down to $37.50 or so, which is where it should be. The authors should protest this grotesquely expensive profiteering and handicapping of knowledge by posting the book online as a free PDF document.

This book is so dated that I am not sure that you could get the examples to compile. Additionally the book was not easy to use or read even during it's time. I had hoped for a book explaining how to create Virtual Worlds, but instead I got a treatise on using one particular program to create boxes on an empty plane.

The .Net in the title is eye-catching, but don't be fooled, this book is about anything but .Net

The content of The Virtual is quite interesting, Shields does a nice job historicizing the terms and contributing to the debates on the implications of a shifting relationship between the virtually real and the material. HOWEVER, a huge problem if you're interested in this book for research: the last 30 pages were not bound in the new copy of this book that I ordered through Amazon. No notes to chapters 3 through 9, no bibliography, and no index. In that respect, it's just not useful.

This book was written in 1996, and it shows. All the hardware it teaches to use is terribly outdated and may not even exist anymore (the CyberMaxx HMD it teaches you to program is an example). If you believe this book will make you able to build a VR deck to experience in virtual reality every computer game you have... forget it.
The projects in this book are very much like Physics demonstrations at school: cute bute useless ways to teach any concept, and sometimes non-standard terms are intentionally used to generate confusion. For example: a portable TV strapped to your eyes and viewed through a lens is called a "biocular display" and made to look like a homemade version of a real VR helmet; a flimsy thing made of wood that holds a Fresnel lens in front of your screen is called a projector; the "flying joystick" is just a standard 1996 disemboweled joystick, held together with duct tape.

If you want to illude some Lawnmower Man fans, convince them to buy this book.