Book Review: Leonardo’s Laptop
Tuesday, April 19th, 2005
I am grateful that I stumbled across Ben Shneiderman. I could tell from his speech I attended at The Ohio State University that he is a visionary, almost to levels of absurdity. But this works very well for him.
After my first reading of Leonardo’s Laptop: Human Needs and the New Computing Technologies, I now realize that it is worth another read. The book covers the largest paradigm shift the world of computing has ever faced—the shift from the old computing to the new computing. Those who do not take notice to this paradigm shift will ultimately find themselves competing against a pool of resources that is not in as high of demand as other pools.
Shneiderman is dead on with his definition of this paradigm shift. The old computing was about how many megahertz a computer was powered by and how computers will be able to replace human roles in everyday tasks. The new computing is about what humans can do with computers and how computers will be able to empower human roles in everyday tasks. Shneiderman is a great advocate for the world of Computer-Human Interaction, and he challenges developers and everyday users alike to demand more out of what humans can do with computers.
Using Leonardo da Vinci as a muse (focusing on the artist’s diverse range of interconnected interests in art and science), Shneiderman often imagines how humans will be able to use computers to collect, relate, create, and donate information to different communities. He dedicates a large portion of the book to applying these methods to education, medicine, business, and government.
Anyone involved in studying usability will sympathize with Shneiderman’s pointing out that the practice is all about fighting an uphill battle. I see many supporters of the old computing in my everday life who aren’t interested in putting in the extra work that is required in creating great experiences with technology. But the battle is a little bit easier with a great coach like Shneiderman.
May 1st, 2005 at 4:14 pm
This book sounds interesting, however I doubt I need to read it to understand his point of view. Your summary does that nicely.
Indeed, most people do not realize how great of a resource computers can be to our daily lives. They have, to a certain degree, replaced some human roles, more for convenience than anything. For example, it is much easier and quicker to book a vacation online than having to call a travel agent to do so.
We must remember, however, that computers are made to mimic the human mind. They are, in fact, tools we use to help us. They cannot replace humans … they require information from humans to operate. A computer without a human user is like a car without a driver. It just sits there. And until someone sits down to use it, it’s virtually useless.
That about what you and the author mean?
May 1st, 2005 at 4:14 pm
I would agree that that was the general “theme” of the book and my blog entry. But Schneiderman also presents ways for developers (and technology requestors) to brainstorm how we can use technology. The connection to Leonardo is also very interesting, if not inspiring. But I do agree that you may not be as interested in the book as my technological brethern, it’s good that you are aware of this and agree with my point.
Or maybe I just like reading really boring books.