As a usability specialist for the past 14 years, I gravitate toward books that I can actually extract from and use their contents, rather than just reading descriptions of a process. The book emphasizes the importance of a multi-disciplinary team and steps us through the different phases of the UCD process. It also includes a great FAQ section. The CD that comes with the book includes movies addressing the various stages of a user-centered design process and many other resources. This is a must-have book for all those involved in developing products and services that people can easily use.

I am a certified professional ergonomist(software specialist) with over 25 years experience. I wish this book had been publish 20 years ago - it could have saved many hours of work. In a very practical and clear way, this book presents a blueprint for how to integrate the UCD usability process into a project so that your product matches customer needs. The book gives clear step by step instructions on the methods for understanding your customer's requirements and developing a product that matches those needs. The book presents the process in a simple, thorough, cook-book way. Sample forms and case studies are plentiful. In addition to the process, it also covers practical issues such as how to sell UCD to your organization and the cost benefits of UCD. If you are a beginner you will have no trouble understanding the book. If you are an experienced practitioner you may find the material can save you some work. The sample plans, forms, presentations, and project templates alone are worth the price.

From one who has been in the HCI/Usability field for 20+ years, finally a book that documents a sound and thorougly researched approach for interweaving the best-bang-for-the-buck usability engineering techniques throughout the design and development process. The UCD approach documented here focuses on solving real business problems. A critical book for those wanting to implement a sound user-centered design approach in companies.

My dads book is soo good. Its like chocolate to feed a starving child. You cant help but want more and more. Poets Robert Frost and Emily Dickinson would agree this is a littary masterpeice.

One of those rare authors who can paint as beautiful a picture as any of the masters... but with words, a real treat to read. Mr. Weible both asks and answers his own question, "What Would Love Do Now", inarguably the real question we should be asking in today's society. And if you love yourself enough to enjoy with abandon, then read, immerse yourself in these bright pages, grab a latte or tea or soda, turn on your favorite music, settle in your favorite room... read aloud, read silently, sigh here and there, and share the dreams and sights and sounds these words communicate. I gave this book to my best friend at his wedding and know that it will be his most prized and remembered gift. Also excellent for gifts for any occasion, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays... and a unique, touching, and caring way to pop that special question to your own love.

This is poetry to have on hand. Flights of vivid fancy to lift a spirit with splashes of images of the familiar moments of love, human experience and connection. Reading Scott's poems, one cannot help but plunge right in to his wonderland of visceral love. His poems are alive with spirit, vital with the little and big moments that make life worth living. They are everything that poetry should be - a must for the poetry lovers collection, could even convert the unconverted. "What Would Love Do Now?" - may be worth asking before acting or reacting on impulse. Be swept away in a poetry break and come back refreshed.

Whitewater moves up to #446821 in sales. Take that, East St. Louis.

What can I say? From the first sentence, this book grabs you like a drowning child and doesn't let go until you're a weeping mass of emotional flotsam, flapping about on the bathroom floor. Uncontrollably weep at its brilliance! Wonder at the ability of this large man to stay afloat! Shudder with ecstasy as each new passage leaves you yearning, nay - aching for more! Cackle like a shrieking rooster, page after page after page!

No extensive whitewater library is complete without WhiteWater!

I just recieved Mark Blaines book last week as a gift and was instantly drawn to the catchy title and exciting cover shot. Judging a book by it's cover it looked great so I headed straight for the bathroom. No, did not use it for toilet paper! I just do my reading away from the hurricane that is my home. As a testament to this fine book my legs fell asleep and have fallen asleep a couple of more times since. Anyone that has spent anytime sitting on a toilet can tell you, you sit too long your legs fall asleep.
But I digress, the point of this meandering is that this book is great and fun to read. Interspersed within the more technical information are brief descriptions of whitewater rivers around the world. This is a format I really enjoy as it allows my A.D.D. afflicted brain a cunning diversion. I have done a bit of whitewater rafting and kayaking and find after reading this book a renewed feeling of desire for not only the boat but the feeling that a river rewards you with. The complete inundation of senses coupled with waves of adrenalin(and sometimes nausea) that a whitewater trip provides.
I am a practical person and a parent I may not be able to hit the river right away but atleast I can tuck myself away in my bathroom and escape to the rivers of my mind thanks to Mr. Blaine.

Most books seems to be written for and about widows, with perhaps a few pages about how the experience might differ for men. But this book is ALL about men -- their words, their stories, and commentary by the authors. A particularly helpful list of resources in the Appendix.

This booked helped me look at different ways men handled grieving and seen myself in some of the men. I seen that I wasn't crazy to have all these emotions and knew that I wasn't the only one going through this. It really is a great book for widowers to read and understand what they are going through.

Each widower should read this book in which the authors list interviews with twenty bereaved men and analyze the results. A friend of mine gave it to me three months after my wife died. I was depressed and had just started couselling sessions with a therapist. The book provied me with a great deal of insight on how other men were dealing with the most devastating loss of their lives. I recommend it highly

I wasn't sure what to expect with this anthology, but I found myself enthralled from beginning to end. Nnedi Okorafor's "Crossroads", Seth Lindberg's "Atropos", and James Dorr's "Madness" were special delights.

A great mix of chilling, horrifying, and otherwise entertaining stories.

This is a great compilation of magic, madness, culture and creativity. All of the stories were pretty satisfying, some of them terrifying! There are some writers here that are going to go places. Watch for the authors of the two longest pieces, Nnedi Okorafor (her story is called Crossroads) and James S. Dorr (he wrote a story called Madness).

The book is a must read for young and old, African Americans and Caucasians, especially anyone who grew up in the South. Rev. Scott is truly one of the unsung heroes of the civil rights era. We read a lot about Dr. King and others who lead marches and demonstrations, but the stories of those who stayed in the small towns and endured the daily humiliations of a racist society are little known. Cleo Brown is to be commended for bringing her father's story to a broader audience.

Book should be on everybody Black Hitory reading list!

Wow, so much history packed into 289 pages. Cleo Scott Brown has done an excellent job of letting the world know the thoughts and dreams of her father. And what's so funny is that I live in the place that is mentioned in this book. All my life I have heard stories about what it was like to live here, from my elders, family members, friends and teachers, but no one had the spirit to put it down on paper. That is why tell all the kids that I meet two things: 1. Read and 2. Never forget your past...learn from it. This book is a must read for all those reared in Louisiana, not just the Northeast section, not just African Americans, but the whole state(all races).

A lot of unknouwn facts, and timely lessons are learned starting at page one of the book. I intend to suggest it as a book selection to other reading groups.(I must confess I read it in one day...I just couldn't put it down)

Mrs. Cleo Scott Brown, S.W.E.R.(Sistah's Who Enjoy Reading) gives your book a standing ovation.

Rosie M.
S.W.E.R Reading Club founder/president

This is not an introductory book on XML. At least one year of XML experience is recommended. With that, you'll get good advice on a wide variety of topics. Most people won't use all this information all at once, but it's at least good to know the strengths and weaknesses of XML from storage to access to presentation.

Chapter 1 (Architecture Strategies) gives basic information on where XML can fit into your solution, with a simple example. This was easy reading.

Chapter 2 (Basic Document Design) describes narrative vs. data-centric documents, storing text in XML elements vs. attributes, and data modeling pitfalls. There were good recommendations here.

Chapter 3 (XML Schema Design) provides good strategies on validation, schema flexibility and re-use, and namespace use. Also important is the section on Russian Doll Design, Salami Slice Design and the Venetian Blind Model; much of this info can be found on the Internet (e.g. at www.xfront.com) but this book does a good comparison and contrast. The information on constraints is basic, but ideas on representing null values are useful.

Chapter 4 (Parsing Strategies) covers DOM, SAX, and the little-used pull parsing, plus when and how to use each methodology.

Chapter 5 (XSLT Strategies) provides a lot of nuts-n-bolts details on different transformation topics.

Chapter 6 (XML Storage and Archiving) gives an overview of storing data as native XML, relational data, and hybrid approaches. Advantages and disadvantages for each are covered. Using a database (or not) in your product is a big decision, so this gives a good foundation for more research....

Chapter 7 (Presentation Strategies) gives general info on configurability, personalization, performance, use of rich media (video, audio, animation, etc.), cross-platform support, 3rd-part data and software, maintainability and extensibility. The topics vary too much to give more than a few pages to each subject.

Appendix A (Parser Performance) contains the details of testing on three Java-based parsers. For some reason, C++, .NET and Perl parsers were not included. As technologies evolve, the results of these tests are likely to become obsolete, though the methods may be useful to your own tests in the future.

In summary, none of the subjects are covered in great depth, though in many cases the coverage is adequate and the few details are very useful. With this book you'll get a good foundation for well-designed and implemented XML solutions.

I found this book a great source for practical tips on how to design xml documents. Get it if you have a good grasp of the theory and have used xml on occasion but don't have the experience to make great design decisions right away. All of the advice you find in this book comes from experience. It confirmed some of my own, but more often, served as an eye-opener.
This statement on the back cover sums it up: "The problem here is not really a lack of information (there are many books and online resources on xml out there). The problem is a lack of reliable advice on how to use these technologies correctly and efficiently."
I highly recommend it.

I found this book an excellent source for practical tips on how to design xml documents. Get it if you have have a good grasp of the theory and have used xml on occasion but don't have the experience to make great design decisions right away. All of the advice you find in this book comes from experience. It confirmed some of my own, but more often, served as an eye-opener.
This statement on the back cover sums it up: "The problem here is not really a lack of information (there are many books and online resources on xml out there). The problem is a lack of reliable advice on how to use these technologies correctly and efficiently."
Get it.

Review from Legal Information ALERT, page 12, April 1999, Vol. 18, No. 4. Reviewed by Lisa Mecklenberg, Electronic Services Librarian, State Law Library of Montana, Helena, MT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The Year 2000 Computer Crisis: Law, Business, Technology. The Year 2000 is fast approaching. Will you and your computers be prepared? The authors of this timely book offer to help you answer that question by organizing their text in a logical, straightforward fashion. The book includes seven chapters, followed by a forms section, appendixes, a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. The first chapter serves as an introduction to the technical issues involved in creating a Y2K plan, with subsequent chapters focusing on developing this plan, audits, the Y2K implementation process, contracts, Y2K litigation, and insurance. The fact that the intended audience is lawyers highlights one of its strengths. By focusing on the legal aspects of Y2K, Scott and Reid steer attorneys toward the production of appropriate contacts, warranties, remedies, and performance standards. They also suggest ways to protect directors, officers, and companies from lawsuits involving Y2K issues. To that end, the forms section is very good, featuring "Sample Year 2000 Compliance Agreements," a "Sample Complaint for Year 2000 Failures," and both hardware and software inventory forms. Chapter 5, on contracts, contains helpful advice on various Y2K agreements, including license agreements, supplier agreements, and Year 2000 consulting/remediation agreements. Scott and Reid also address the availability of insurance coverage for Y2K liability, as well as strategies, claims, and defenses that will be used by parties in Y2K litigation. Both authors have a significant amount of practical experience in this area -Scott has 20 years of experience representing a number of computer and software companies and Reid has served as a litigation strategist, an expert witness, and a special master in complex computer trial matters. Issued in looseleaf format, The Year 200 Computer Crisis permits periodic updates as new Y2K developments occur -it includes a December 1998 update that expands the book by more than 200 pages. A noteworthy feature is a series of checklists (i.e., awareness, assessment, implementation) to assist in the process of making a firm or business Y2K ready that are easy to follow and understand. The appendixes are also quiet useful, as several groups that have implemented the Y2K preparation procedures outlined in the book are profiled. These include "A Year 2000 Preliminary Analysis Report" prepared for the State of Rhode Island and a Technical Note from the Federal Reserve Board on "Testing Personal Computers for Year 2000 Compatibility." There is also a helpful list of Year 2000 web sites. For those looking for a "hands-on," planning-to-take-care-of-the-office-crisis-yourself guide to Y2K, this book may be frustrating, as it doesn't offer a nuts and bolts approach to making computers crisis-ready. For those, however, who would like a comprehensive overview of the Y2K phenomenon and guidelines on how to proceed with the handling of Y2K problems for clients, this book would be valuable. However, you better get it fast -many of the implementation procedures for addressing Y2K problems should already have been initiated. It is also highly recommended for law firms, which may actually have to litigate Y2K issues.

I was extremely impressed with the scope and quality of the book. Warren Reid is the most knowledgeable person I know with respect to the technical and practical business aspects of the Year 2000 problem and his willingness to share his extensive experience and practical wisdom makes this book an enormously valuable tool to anyone assessing Y2K issues. Mike Scott has already established himself as one of the world's leading authorities on computer-related legal issues. By drawing on his many years of experience with the computer and multimedia industries, Mike provides legal and practical insights into the Y2K legal issues that every lawyer involved in the Y2K maelstrom will find extremely helpful. ...Congratulations on publishing such a timely and useful work.

I think when the year 2000 comes all tax payers are going to have to pay for the upage on the computers and I myself don't think that would be a good idea because they are going to raise a big arguement and lead to a bad fight against the upage on this Y2K deal. It will go before a grand jury and loose the battle, then people will be mad.

This is a great item for first time parents! Also a great way to preserve memories of your child's busy first years. I love it and highly recomend it.

This was a great book for any new mother and it relieves some of the guilt when you are away from your child and miss some of those most precious moments. A great gift!

Great book! All you need to know about raising children and to the point. Give a copy of this to your nanny or baby sitter for Christmas or make it required reading.

Delightful stories of early Texans and the homes they built and inhabited from the days of Comanche Indians to the dust bowl and depression days of the 1930s. The reader is involved through the excellent story telling and gains an understanding of why the buildings were made out of the materials used. There is good explanation of the logic behind the type of construction and materials used to build a Tipi out of buffalo hides, a sod house and dugout made of mud, a dog-trot cabin, and a planter's antebellum mansion. The detailed drawings and informative descriptions also contribute to the total enjoyment of these stories. The author is an architect and parent who presents his stories with love and understanding of people and buildings. Grades 3-6.

The author did a wonderful job with the stories. His research about the early dwellings was superb and the illustrations brought it very much to life. Not only will school children enjoy this book, it will also appeal to adults.

As an Architect, I am always on the lookout for quality books that help my children understand the beauty of Architecture through the ages. This book does just that, but does quite a bit more in the process. Through the use of interesting fiction and beautiful illustrations, the reader is exposed to indigenous Texas Architecture in a way that leaves him with a renewed appreciation for the history of Texas and Texans. I'm eagerly awaiting Mr. Arbuckle's next book!