Books › The inmates are running the asylum
The inmates are running the asylum
261 pages
A passionate, table-pounding manifesto that validates your frustration with bad software and offers a sane path forward.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting down with a brilliant, slightly exasperated mentor who finally validates every time you have wanted to throw your computer out a window. It moves at a brisk, conversational clip, driven by a provocative energy that is both highly entertaining and deeply urgent. The author's frustration with the tech industry's empathy gap is palpable, but it never devolves into mere complaining; instead, the atmosphere shifts from righteous annoyance to pragmatic empowerment. The prose is punchy and accessible, stripping away technical jargon in favor of sharp metaphors and relatable anecdotes. It is a must-read for designers, product managers, or anyone who suspects that technology should serve human needs rather than forcing humans to adapt to bad code.
- Mood
- urgent
- eye-opening
- exasperated
- pragmatic
- Tone
- provocative
- passionate
- wry
- authoritative
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- human-technology friction · the empathy gap · user-centricity · systemic dysfunction
- The writing
- Direct, conversational, and punchy, relying heavily on relatable anecdotes and sharp metaphors.
- The arc
- Moves from righteous exasperation at the absurdity of bad design to a sense of empowerment and clarity.
- Who it's for
- Designers, product managers, and anyone who has ever wanted to throw their computer out a window.
About the book
Imagine, at a terrifyingly aggressive rate, everything you regularly use is being equipped with computer technology. Think about your phone, cameras, cars - everything - being automated and programmed by people who in their rush to accept the many benefits of the silicon chip, have abdicated their responsibility to make these products easy to use. The Inmates are Running the Asylum argues that, despite appearances, business executives are simply not the ones in control of the high-tech industry. They have inadvertently put programmers and engineers in charge, leading to products and processes that waste money, squander customer loyalty, and erode competitive advantage. Business executives have let the inmates run the asylum! In his book The Inmates Are Running the Asylum Alan Cooper calls for revolution - we need technology to work in the same way average people think - we need to restore the sanity. He offers a provocative, insightful and entertaining explanation of how talented people continuously design bad software-based products. More importantly, he uses his own work with companies big and small to show how to harness those talents to create products that will both thrill their users and grow the bottom line.
Description from Open Library.
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