Automation and Human Performance: Theory and Applications by Raja Parasuraman & Mustapha Mouloua 1996, 497 pages, $89.95 Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates ISBN 0-8058-1616-X

THIS ISTHErevised edition of a book that is probably familiar to all. It covers the same topics as did the previous volume: human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) functions and fundamentals; equipment, workplace, and environmental design; health and safety design; performance modeling; HCI evaluation; and HF/E applications. The book includes material not found in the earlier volume: mental workload, participatory ergonomics, cognitive modeling, virtual reality, and social computing. These additions reflect the change in interests over ten years. The authors of individual chapters have also changed in large part. Although some authors have carried over from the earlier edition, a sufficient number are new, so that this is essentially a new book. New authors dealing with old topics provide a fresh slant, and for this reason, the new edition does not reduce the value of the earlier one-there are sufficient differences in orientation to make each edition valuable in its own right. The two together are more than either one. The Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics impresses by the breadth of its coverage. The writing style is understandably concise because it attempts to summarize an entire HF/E library. The only complaint one can have is that each topic deserves a book of its own. The great value of Salvendy's book to the novice (and outside our own specialty, we are all novices) is that each chapter serves as an introduction to an important field. At the same time, even if one is a specialist in the topic addressed, one will probably find new material. If one wishes to explore further, the extensive bibliography permits one to do so. In the absence of a journal devoted to reviews of research (something like the Annual Review of Psychology), the book partially serves that purpose. One hopes we can look forward to a third edition in 2007. The strongest encomium I can bestow is that the book is indispensable; serious professionals must have a copy. As a reference, it will be essential to graduate students. As usual, Salvendy has done an outstanding job putting together a world-classwork of scholarship.