Editing a volume of chapters contributed by individual authors is one of the most challenging acts of authorship. It takes clarity of vision and relentless conviction, both of which are squeezed by the time pressures of publishers and life. Seffah, Vanderdonckt, and Desmarais take on human-centered software engineering, a topic that is sure to grab the attention of practitioner and researcher alike. Understanding how the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) and software engineering integrate is one of the most frustrating and yet obvious opportunities to differentiate a new generation of creatives and engineers. Software engineering without HCI is no longer tolerable. We see evidence of the evolution of development methodologies and users’ increasing demands for an intuitive and blissful experience that accomplishes more.

This book is the second in a series published by Springer, and is comprised of four sections and 17 chapters. The physical structure of the book is quite pleasing; the authors’ biographies that introduce the “round table” of deep expertise are followed by a well-rationalized introduction by the editors that sets the tone and expectation for this volume. The editors have clearly thought about their chapter organization.

The first volume in the series focused on the foundations for a user-centered design (UCD) development methodology, integrating usability, and user-centered methods and tools. By contrast, the second volume looks at the experiences encountered when applying software development practices to the user interface field--an admirable challenge, as engineers often come with the godly attitude: “Of course we can fix HCI!” And herein lies the rub, as some chapters are delightfully interesting, while others are fit for insomniacs.

This publication is a testament to the importance of the convergence of software engineering and HCI. While it does take a step in the right direction, it can only be described as an exploration. If you are looking for a recipe to support the impending confluence more directly, you will be disappointed. However, ingredients abound. The leading research, developments, and practices are still evolving, as they should be. In its own way, this is a call to practitioners to take a larger role in creating better solutions, through a more “whole brain” approach to a refined and sophisticated development model.