The Sciences of the Artificial - 3rd Edition,   ISBN:9780262691918

Customer Rating: 

I am really enjoying reading this book. It is very well written. I understand all they are talking about because of my background in engineering, but also because I understand psychology and computer science. It's a very easy read, full of rich ideas. I really enjoy this author very much. It's not for everyone, but for people who understand the fields I mention here.

Customer Rating: 

in 2008, this work is primarily of historical interest. simon suggests a scientific approach to design, claiming one has existed since the mid-1970's - in retrospect, a highly suspect if not thoroughly rejected claim

regardless, simon was a visionary and some of his insight is still relevant. the focus on the "outer environment" - the context of usage - to navigate the space of possible designs is a foundation of contemporary design dogma. similarly, attention to the natural cognitive capabilities of human beings (short term memory, importance/difficulty of interruptions, etc) finds a warm home in current human-centered design practices

otherwise, without notable exception, the "examples" are abstract, ridiculous and/or hackneyed caricatures. the language is abstract, wordy, repetitive, and difficult to follow. simon writes with a computer scientist's sensitivity to humanity, using identical terms to describe both a computer's information-processing and a human's intelligence (eg, p110, "a scientific account of human cognition describes it in terms of several sets of invariants. first, there are the parameters of the inner environment. then, there are the general control and search-guiding mechanisms that are used over and over again in all task domains..."). the work exhibits a techno-fetishist's faith in the power of computers and software - referencing them repeatedly (and unbelievably) to explain how human intelligence works

i only recommend this book to someone interested in the history of design and/or technology. for purposes of learning about design, i highly recommend something newer and better

Customer Rating: 

This book is one of the most thought provoking, challenging books I've come across in many years. Simon tosses off ideas like a Border Collie shaking off water. This is not a book to be skimmed, or to be taken lightly, but a slow careful reading will certainly pay off. I read this book for insights into product design, and it did not disappoint.

Customer Rating: 

This book is very slow moving. You must be truely concerned with the matter he is talking about to actually understand or even want to read it.

Customer Rating: 

Although the language is a little stilted at times and difficult to read, the range and scope - and implications - of Simon's ideas are profound. The relationships he describes between thinking, computing, and human behavior are extremely interesting and provide a "look toward the future". And the fact that Simon has been working and researching in this area for, like, FOREVER (some of the citations of his work is from the 50's) lends a lot of credence to his ideas.