Name: The Inmates Are Running the Asylum
ISBN: 9780672326141

Alan Cooper

Alan Cooper calls for a Software Revolution - his best-selling book now in trade paperback with new foreword and afterword.

Why High-tech Products Drive Us Crazy and how to Restore the Sanity

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum

Nelson Zagalo

Even if stating in the book that it was released in 2004, it was originally printed for the first time in 1999, and Cooper started to write it in 1997. You must then be aware, that being a book about technology, it’s now mostly outdated. A lot of the problems here identified, were solved, thankfully to people like Cooper, during the last decade.

Thus you should read this more as an historical description of the appearance of the discipline of Interaction Design. Most of what is said throughout this book, is not only true, it describes how industry evolved, from being fully centred on task performance to be centred on users.

Cooper goes on unveiling his IxD model, called “Goal-Directed Design”, on part IV, which is the only part of the book dedicated to designers. However in case you're looking for design advice, I would advise you to instead read Alan Cooper's book “About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design” (1995-2014).

Anna Pinto

Even though some information is dated, the main concepts remain true (which is actually a little sad, considering the book was first published in 1999).
It's also interesting to see some largely adopted techniques today being described as new tools to help design software. 
The only thing I didn't like: the condescending tone used to describe programmers. Today, it's easier and results in better things when you make friends and work together than when you act as the sole owner of the design truth.

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum Why High-tech Products Drive Us Crazy and how to Restore the Sanity