- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (12 Feb 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 031229574X
- ISBN-13: 978-0312295745
- Product Dimensions: 23.9 x 16.2 x 2.8 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,068,555 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Review
"An entertaining and thought-provoking text on problems with many existing machine interfaces, from simple lamps to complex aircraft displays. Using the dangerous malfunction of the computer HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey as a stepping-off point, Degani clearly delineates the differences between machine and human models of tasks and processes, points out where communication disconnects can occur, and describes design solutions to prevent such errors...of interest to educated lay readers as well as engineers and aviators."--"Library Journal"
"Asaf Degani is one of the leading experts on the impact of computer automation on human beings. In "Taming Hal," he has written a book that is full of clear and cogent examples that show why automation can frequently bewilder, frustrate, and sometimes even harm us--from the frustrations caused by VCRs to the tragic shooting down of 269 people on Korean Airlines 007. Even more importantly, he provides solutions by showing how automation could be designed to serve our human needs and capabilities, thereby improving the quality of all of our lives."--Kim J. Vicente, Professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, and author of "The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way People Live With Technology"
"Automation is no longer an esoteric buzzword for the scientific community, but is now a common attribute of most everyday products and environments. This book provides a riveting account of how automation influences our daily lives and demonstrates why some automated systems produce undesirable human experiences, from minor inconveniences to human tragedy. Degani has produced the most comprehensive automation resource to date, and has masterfully afforded casual readers, students, and professional automation researchers and designers alike with a new found ability to understand, model and solve automation design problems."--Dr. Anthony D. Andre, Founding Principal of Interface Analysis Associates and Adjunc
"Asaf Degani is one of the leading experts on the impact of computer automation on human beings. In "Taming Hal," he has written a book that is full of clear and cogent examples that show why automation can frequently bewilder, frustrate, and sometimes even harm us--from the frustrations caused by VCRs to the tragic shooting down of 269 people on Korean Airlines 007. Even more importantly, he provides solutions by showing how automation could be designed to serve our human needs and capabilities, thereby improving the quality of all of our lives."--Kim J. Vicente, Professor of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, and author of "The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way People Live With Technology"
"Automation is no longer an esoteric buzzword for the scientific community, but is now a common attribute of most everyday products and environments. This book provides a riveting account of how automation influences our daily lives and demonstrates why some automated systems produce undesirable human experiences, from minor inconveniences to human tragedy. Degani has produced the most comprehensive automation resource to date, and has masterfully afforded casual readers, students, and professional automation researchers and designers alike with a new found ability to understand, model and solve automation design problems."--Dr. Anthony D. Andre, Founding Principal of Interface Analysis Associates and Adjunc
Product Description
This book is an exploration of interaction between humans, computers and automated machines and why they frequently go awry, sometimes with disastrous consequences. The book lays out a clear foundation for evaluating interactions between users and machines, showing the reader how to describe, analyze and quickly identify potential design problems. The insights and methodologies provided allow the reader to understand the root human-interaction problems in modern systems, improve the usability of new user interfaces, and, the author hopes, have a say in the design of the highly automated systems of the future.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
Forget about computers, the Internet, and automated systems for a while and let's talk about hehaviors-human behaviors first. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
Forget about computers, the Internet, and automated systems for a while and let's talk about hehaviors-human behaviors first. Read the first page
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Concordance
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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2 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
An instructive read
11 April 2004
Format:Hardcover
Personally, I have found on many instances, a baffling logic concerning the way machine-human interfaces operate, thus it came as a pleasant surprise to read Asaf Degani's book: Taming HAL. Starting with relatively simple devices, such as portable phones and bedside alarms, Dr. Degani walks us through the logical pathways that we expect, what the designer created, and ultimately how the machine behaves when interacting with the user. The result, often, is not a pretty picture: unexpected outcomes.
Yet, as Degani points out, many of these systems had flawed logic rules built into them by designers that neglected predominate stereotypical or cultural mores that most individuals expect of how systems should operate. Moreover, the presentation of machine modes frequently beguiles the user into thinking the device is operating in one fashion, whereas in reality it is functioning in another. Using logic diagrams, Degani analyses a variety of simple and complex systems and demonstrates that the end-result can range from the annoying to the deadly.
Some of the case studies will astound the reader: for example, the grounding of the luxury cruise liner Royal Majesty on the shoals of Nantucket. However, these bizarre tales become more comprehensible when one sees that the professionals entrusted with operation of the vessels in question failed to understand the true nature of the automatic systems that were supposed to guide and assist them. Understandably, Degani focuses much attention on aircraft systems (his specialty), and I would have liked to see more examples in the medical and computer fields, but the book contains extremely useful information to both laypersons and professionals alike, and is a great read.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Taming more than just HAL
28 Jan 2004
Format:Hardcover
I have finished reading TAMING HAL and here's a short description of my experience: The book is well-structured--from simple examples to greater generalizations, with very smooth transitions. Secondly, it is very well written, with some passages providing more excitement and suspense than an average Tom Clancy chapter. I definitely had a great time reading it and I feel that most people will do too. It is very easy to read and understand but very informative at the same time. The last chapter has a great collection of guidelines that are applicable in many technical areas beyond human-machine interface design. To sum up my reading of this book--I learned a lot and enjoyed it greatly.
Leonid Shklar
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