Product Description

How do you find your way in an age of information overload? How can you filter streams of complex information to pull out only what you want? Why does it matter how information is structured when Google seems to magically bring up the right answer to your questions? What does it mean to be "findable" in this day and age?

This eye-opening new book examines the convergence of information and connectivity. Written by Peter Morville, author of the groundbreaking Information Architecture for the World Wide Web, the book defines our current age as a state of unlimited findability. In other words, anyone can find anything at any time. Complete navigability.

Morville discusses the Internet, GIS, and other network technologies that are coming together to make unlimited findability possible. He explores how the melding of these innovations impacts society, since Web access is now a standard requirement for successful people and businesses. But before he does that, Morville looks back at the history of wayfinding and human evolution, suggesting that our fear of being lost has driven us to create maps, charts, and now, the mobile Internet.

The book's central thesis is that information literacy, information architecture, and usability are all critical components of this new world order. Hand in hand with that is the contention that only by planning and designing the best possible software, devices, and Internet, will we be able to maintain this connectivity in the future. Morville's book is highlighted with full color illustrations and rich examples that bring his prose to life.

Ambient Findability doesn't preach or pretend to know all the answers. Instead, it presents research, stories, and examples in support of its novel ideas. Are we truly at a critical point in our evolution where the quality of our digital networks will dictate how we behave as a species? Is findability indeed the primary key to a successful global marketplace in the 21st century and beyond. Peter Morville takes you on a thought-provoking tour of these memes and more -- ideas that will not only fascinate but will stir your creativity in practical ways that you can apply to your work immediately.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #184907 in Books
• Published on: 2005-09-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

Synopsis
How do you find your way in an age of information overload? How can you filter streams of complex information to pull out only what you want? Why does it matter how information is structured when Google seems to magically bring up the right answer to your questions? What does it mean to be 'findable' in this day and age? This eye-opening new book examines the convergence of information and connectivity. Written by Peter Morville, author of the groundbreaking "Information Architecture for the World Wide Web", the book defines our current age as a state of unlimited findability. In other words, anyone can find anything at any time. Complete navigability. Morville discusses the Internet, GIS, and other network technologies that are coming together to make unlimited findability possible. He explores how the melding of these innovations impacts society, since Web access is now a standard requirement for successful people and businesses. But before he does that, Morville looks back at the history of way finding and human evolution, suggesting that our fear of being lost has driven us to create maps, charts, and now, the mobile Internet.

The book's central thesis is that information literacy, information architecture, and usability are all critical components of this new world order. Hand in hand with that is the contention that only by planning and designing the best possible software, devices, and Internet, will we be able to maintain this connectivity in the future. Morville's book is highlighted with full color illustrations and rich examples that bring his prose to life. "Ambient Findability" doesn't preach or pretend to know all the answers. Instead, it presents research, stories, and examples in support of its novel ideas. Are we truly at a critical point in our evolution where the quality of our digital networks will dictate how we behave as a species? Is findability indeed the primary key to a successful global marketplace in the 21st century and beyond? Peter Morville takes you on a thought-provoking tour of these themes and more - ideas that will not only fascinate but will stir your creativity in practical ways that you can apply to your work immediately.

From the Publisher
A thought-provoking book that describes the future of information and connectivity, examining how the melding of innovations like GIS and the Internet will impact the global marketplace and society at large in the 21st century. Research, stories, examples, and illustrations add depth and color to this important subject. Written by best-selling author Peter Morville.

About the Author
Peter Morville is president of Semantic Studios, an information architecture, user experience, and findability consultancy. For over a decade, he has advised such clients as AT&T, IBM, Microsoft, Harvard Business School, Internet2, Procter & Gamble, Vanguard, and Yahoo. Peter is best known as a founding father of information architecture, having co-authored the field's best-selling book, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. Peter serves on the faculty at the University of Michigan's School of Information and on the advisory board of the Information Architecture Institute. He delivers keynotes and seminars at international events, and his work has been featured in major publications including Business Week, The Economist, Fortune, and The Wall Street Journal. You can contact Peter Morville by email (morville@semanticstudios.com). You can also find him offline at 42.2 N 83.4 W or online at semanticstudios.com and findability.org.

Customer Reviews

Ambient Findability has entered my vocabulary to the amusement and bafflement of my colleagues.
I loved this book. I have nothing to do with software or information architecture but found this book fascinating. And I think it helped me talk to our website designers a bit more knowledgeably.

So, I'm pretty unqualified to make any comment other than that I enjoyed it and have lent it to others who also enjoyed it - though politely rather than avidly.

Important and inspiring
I guess you could say this is a meme map of Morville's observations, research and his ability to see into the future of the trends of Internet based technologies.

Its an interesting, and enlightening, discussion about what we as humans want and need from technology. It seems the text is intended to propagate more discussions and in turn discoveries around the subject of findability and technology. The book certainly makes you think about where we are heading as a society, but also the importance of the products we use and how they become integral to our lives.

Being able to orientate ourselves is a natural human instinct. In the 21st century, findability is a concept that we must ensure is present in the products that are developed.

Its an inspirational read for many reasons, never trying to present answers, but certainly showing the questions that we need to answer if we are to harness the information monster we have created.

You should expect to read something that will present concepts and not case studies or solutions to problems. This book is about the bigger picture and the troubles of information management we face as a society.

Verdict: A philosophical study of where we are, and where we are going that proves Morville is at the forefront of thought leadership when it comes to Information Architecture.

Intertwingling bites you over and over again
This book reminds me a lot of some of the theses I have read in the field of Human/Computer interaction. That shouldn't be too surprising since it covers material about the ways that people interact with information - the fun part is that computers and the web are treated as an outgrowth of a universal human activity. Morville's broad-minded approach led me to more than one epiphany concerning the mission and design of a new business venture, so for me, it was almost a perfect book: a detailed exposition of core principles which I could apply to my existing projects.

That said, I am not an expert in HCI, although I have been a software professional for over 20 years. Some aspects of this book may also be considered flaws by people who do not think in the same ways that I do. Peter Morville relies fairly heavily on analogical reasoning, and he seems to have a healthy aversion to extremes. So in a sense, his book doesn't answer any questions, but it strongly suggests that the process of exploration is probably the answer. He makes it very clear, to anyone who didn't already realize it, that we are in the midst of a major socio-cultural revolution and can almost seem pedantic at times. But I can honestly say that I felt every page was worth reading.

And once you've read it you'll understand how by writing this review I am intertwingled with the findability of his works, and with my own.