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Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything by Morville, Peter (2014) Paperback
This is a book about everything. Or, to be precise, it explores how everything is connected from code to culture. We think we're designing software, services, and experiences, but we're not. We are intervening in ecosystems. Until we open our minds, we will forever repeat our mistakes. In this spirited tour of information architecture and systems thinking, Peter Morville connects the dots between authority, Buddhism, classification, synesthesia, quantum entanglement, and volleyball. In 1974 when Ted Nelson wrote "everything is deeply intertwingled," he hoped we might realize the true potential of hypertext and cognition. This book follows naturally from that.
Paperback
First published August 12, 2014
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About the author
Peter Morville
11 books190 followersPeter Morville is a pioneer of the fields of information architecture and user experience. He's been helping people to plan since 1994. Clients include AT&T, Cisco, eBay, Harvard, IBM, Macy's, the Library of Congress, and the National Cancer Institute. He has delivered keynotes and workshops in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. His work has been covered by Business Week, The Economist, NPR, and The Wall Street Journal. Peter lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Knowsy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 2, 2015
I had really high hopes for this book and I did learn one interesting thing from it. (It suggested using tagging instead of categorising, which is useful for a project I'm working on currently.)
However, in general, the book is a rambling stream of consciousness. Morville lurches from one topic to another, with very little of import to say about any of the subjects that pop into his head.
Just as an example, at one point, in the space of a few pages, the book goes from discussing ad revenue on social media sites, to saying that doctors should be avoided, to cycle safety, to quantum physics. This might make sense in a book about how all things are connected, if it were ever explained how these topics related, or if they were linked together with a central point, but they are not.
The diagrams are pointless, usually using random clip art that looks like it was lifted from Word 95. Some of them are completely unnecessary, some are indecipherable and some do not relate to the surrounding text. It doesn't help that they are annotated in comic sans! Morville takes pride in his use of the font in an article on his website. He seems to want readers to have a terrible time because he finds it funny. I read most of the book on my phone so it was often hard to read the labels on the diagrams because comic sans is so hard to read when it's small.
I found it funny that, for someone who is meant to be an expert on the internet and interconnectivity, Morville had not only not heard about the problems with comic sans until after he used it for diagrams; but also he apparently has no idea about the connotations of the phrase "red pill". He proudly claims to be a "red pill thinker", but it is not clear at all if he is aware that this is a term taken over by men's rights activists, misogynists and pick up artists. (It's the first result on google so it's hardly a small subculture).
The best part of the book was when I turned the page, thinking the author was mid thought, and suddenly was told "You finished the book. Congratulations!", as if even Morville himself knew how bad it was.
However, in general, the book is a rambling stream of consciousness. Morville lurches from one topic to another, with very little of import to say about any of the subjects that pop into his head.
Just as an example, at one point, in the space of a few pages, the book goes from discussing ad revenue on social media sites, to saying that doctors should be avoided, to cycle safety, to quantum physics. This might make sense in a book about how all things are connected, if it were ever explained how these topics related, or if they were linked together with a central point, but they are not.
The diagrams are pointless, usually using random clip art that looks like it was lifted from Word 95. Some of them are completely unnecessary, some are indecipherable and some do not relate to the surrounding text. It doesn't help that they are annotated in comic sans! Morville takes pride in his use of the font in an article on his website. He seems to want readers to have a terrible time because he finds it funny. I read most of the book on my phone so it was often hard to read the labels on the diagrams because comic sans is so hard to read when it's small.
I found it funny that, for someone who is meant to be an expert on the internet and interconnectivity, Morville had not only not heard about the problems with comic sans until after he used it for diagrams; but also he apparently has no idea about the connotations of the phrase "red pill". He proudly claims to be a "red pill thinker", but it is not clear at all if he is aware that this is a term taken over by men's rights activists, misogynists and pick up artists. (It's the first result on google so it's hardly a small subculture).
The best part of the book was when I turned the page, thinking the author was mid thought, and suddenly was told "You finished the book. Congratulations!", as if even Morville himself knew how bad it was.
July 28, 2023
A fascinating romp through information theory and practice
I’ve been a fan of Peter’s work for years, and had high expectations. This book meets and then exceeds them, taking the reader on a fantastical journey through the many facets of information and its uses for humans. A great read for anyone interested in the nature of information.
I’ve been a fan of Peter’s work for years, and had high expectations. This book meets and then exceeds them, taking the reader on a fantastical journey through the many facets of information and its uses for humans. A great read for anyone interested in the nature of information.
September 11, 2014
Loved the stories and insights. It's not only about information. It's about life.
August 27, 2014
It is not only about information architecture. There is so much information shared by Peter that one has quite a lot of things to ponder on and dots to connect. "Intertwingled" is a truly wonderful piece of writing and sharing.
May 28, 2015
Peter Morville wrote the books Ambient Findability and was/is an author or co-author for various editions of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web. He's smart.
This book is a mixed bag. At bottom it's a defense of the role of the information architect and the idea that the study of cultural information patterns in institutions and organizations is necessary and urgent in order to create solid representations, pathways, and taxonomies of information. And he's very good at helping us understand the provisional nature of taxonomies and how they have to balance a lot of forces. The role of the IA needs defense because it's being challenged by roles in marketing, product development, design, and engineering. Morville, like many IA professionals, comes out of library/information science. So he's defending a very particular version of IA.
The constant rhetorical strategy here is to note how companies don't really take the time to understand their own information patterns -- and in many cases can't understand them, owing to cultural blinders. This is a pretty simple idea. So why make it? The reason is that there are emergent practices such as "agile" development that tend to reduce the emphasis on documents and deliverables in favor of a more iterative explorative model that doesn't leave a lot of time for IA in the fashion Morville describes it (he would probably disagree with this formulation). In many places, the book emphasizes planning and thoughtfulness both of which get swept under the rug all too frequently.
The good bits: Chapter 3 is about "Connections" and talks about alternatives to the web's idea of links. This is welcome because the pre-history of the web is often forgotten. Having said that, he's a little too eager in his allowance that the web is good because it's essentially all we could afford in the early 90s -- i.e., we could never do the full Ted Nelson version of Hypertext because it was too complicated (that's a counterfactual if I ever heard one). He takes up alternative conceptions of intertwined data - paths, maps, loops, forks. An odd misstep is a quotation from Eric Raymond to the extent that "forking" "is a taboo of open source culture" (p. 104). That was true in 1999, when Raymond's book came out, but with the advent of Git and GitHub, forking is all we do in open source culture. (Raymond was almost surely talking about "big forks" such as in the evolution of Emacs -- but we have moved beyond the era of heroically large open source projects, which is something else worth taking up.)
Chapter 4 is a solid explanation of the importance of the idea of culture in IA, and convincingly presents ethnographic study as the master tool for IA. Having said that . . . you'd get this from a good undergraduate liberal arts education and Anthro 101. As he cites Clifford Geertz, James Spradley, and others, I'm thinking: Really? People don't get this in college anymore? I guess not. If those names mean nothing to you, read that chapter.
The rest is pretty basic. Chapter 2 on "Categories" reminds us that classification is about choices. To it's credit, this is the first treatment I've read about cultural categories that doesn't quote from the opening of Foucault's The Order of Things. There are some oddities here: There's a bit on Facebook's "Like" mechanism with an illustration of a "Dislike" (p. 51) -- but of course Facebook doesn't have a "Dislike" operation, which is surely the most salient fact regarding Facebook's ontological mechanisms.
Chapters 1 and 5 both talk about our embeddedness in ecosystems, but . . . I think there is a rupture in the argument here. It goes something like this. Morville tells us that cultural ecosystems (and natural ones) are very complex and we have to negotiate them on our own, and not give in to limits. That's what a great information architect does. Are you with me? So a great IA navigates through authorities and information sources.
But then we get this: He talks about how messed up medical institutions are (pp. 153-155) and tells us that "our trust in doctors is even more misplaced, since malpractice isn't as random as a butterfly flapping its wings" (p. 155). Meanwhile, medicine today manufactures its own consent (p. 156). What do do? Morville says that he himself mostly avoids that institution in order to find his own path: "That's why I've gone rogue. I haven't been to a doctor in years. I don't see my dentist either. If I have a serious problem, I'll consult a professional, but I believe checkups are dangerous" (p. 156).
So here we have a book that is staking out a kind of expertise; and yet it rejects expertise in another discipline. This is really faulty. The problem here is that just as businesses should not reject the fundamentals of IA because they're hard, just so Morville should not reject a whole institution because of its large-scale malfunctions. Really, he needs to find a new doctor, one more attuned to the arguments of his book!
Insofar as this is really a book about professional roles and "doing the right thing," it is highly problematic that he would be so unembarrassed to pretend to go out on his own for his personal health. In other words, just as he says for himself: "That's why I pay more attention to my environment, economics, and behavior" (156), I would say that he's making a profound categorical mistake to not see that these exact renovations of everyday practice are happening in other fields.
This book is a mixed bag. At bottom it's a defense of the role of the information architect and the idea that the study of cultural information patterns in institutions and organizations is necessary and urgent in order to create solid representations, pathways, and taxonomies of information. And he's very good at helping us understand the provisional nature of taxonomies and how they have to balance a lot of forces. The role of the IA needs defense because it's being challenged by roles in marketing, product development, design, and engineering. Morville, like many IA professionals, comes out of library/information science. So he's defending a very particular version of IA.
The constant rhetorical strategy here is to note how companies don't really take the time to understand their own information patterns -- and in many cases can't understand them, owing to cultural blinders. This is a pretty simple idea. So why make it? The reason is that there are emergent practices such as "agile" development that tend to reduce the emphasis on documents and deliverables in favor of a more iterative explorative model that doesn't leave a lot of time for IA in the fashion Morville describes it (he would probably disagree with this formulation). In many places, the book emphasizes planning and thoughtfulness both of which get swept under the rug all too frequently.
The good bits: Chapter 3 is about "Connections" and talks about alternatives to the web's idea of links. This is welcome because the pre-history of the web is often forgotten. Having said that, he's a little too eager in his allowance that the web is good because it's essentially all we could afford in the early 90s -- i.e., we could never do the full Ted Nelson version of Hypertext because it was too complicated (that's a counterfactual if I ever heard one). He takes up alternative conceptions of intertwined data - paths, maps, loops, forks. An odd misstep is a quotation from Eric Raymond to the extent that "forking" "is a taboo of open source culture" (p. 104). That was true in 1999, when Raymond's book came out, but with the advent of Git and GitHub, forking is all we do in open source culture. (Raymond was almost surely talking about "big forks" such as in the evolution of Emacs -- but we have moved beyond the era of heroically large open source projects, which is something else worth taking up.)
Chapter 4 is a solid explanation of the importance of the idea of culture in IA, and convincingly presents ethnographic study as the master tool for IA. Having said that . . . you'd get this from a good undergraduate liberal arts education and Anthro 101. As he cites Clifford Geertz, James Spradley, and others, I'm thinking: Really? People don't get this in college anymore? I guess not. If those names mean nothing to you, read that chapter.
The rest is pretty basic. Chapter 2 on "Categories" reminds us that classification is about choices. To it's credit, this is the first treatment I've read about cultural categories that doesn't quote from the opening of Foucault's The Order of Things. There are some oddities here: There's a bit on Facebook's "Like" mechanism with an illustration of a "Dislike" (p. 51) -- but of course Facebook doesn't have a "Dislike" operation, which is surely the most salient fact regarding Facebook's ontological mechanisms.
Chapters 1 and 5 both talk about our embeddedness in ecosystems, but . . . I think there is a rupture in the argument here. It goes something like this. Morville tells us that cultural ecosystems (and natural ones) are very complex and we have to negotiate them on our own, and not give in to limits. That's what a great information architect does. Are you with me? So a great IA navigates through authorities and information sources.
But then we get this: He talks about how messed up medical institutions are (pp. 153-155) and tells us that "our trust in doctors is even more misplaced, since malpractice isn't as random as a butterfly flapping its wings" (p. 155). Meanwhile, medicine today manufactures its own consent (p. 156). What do do? Morville says that he himself mostly avoids that institution in order to find his own path: "That's why I've gone rogue. I haven't been to a doctor in years. I don't see my dentist either. If I have a serious problem, I'll consult a professional, but I believe checkups are dangerous" (p. 156).
So here we have a book that is staking out a kind of expertise; and yet it rejects expertise in another discipline. This is really faulty. The problem here is that just as businesses should not reject the fundamentals of IA because they're hard, just so Morville should not reject a whole institution because of its large-scale malfunctions. Really, he needs to find a new doctor, one more attuned to the arguments of his book!
Insofar as this is really a book about professional roles and "doing the right thing," it is highly problematic that he would be so unembarrassed to pretend to go out on his own for his personal health. In other words, just as he says for himself: "That's why I pay more attention to my environment, economics, and behavior" (156), I would say that he's making a profound categorical mistake to not see that these exact renovations of everyday practice are happening in other fields.
June 19, 2017
Should be required reading for MLS, not only in its introductory paths through information systems, but the author's path as an MLS grad confronting the changes in the marketplace.
January 26, 2015
As the title describes, it is Intertwingled! Morville does a good job of discussing the importance of understanding the larger picture and natural connections that exist. We must understand that everything is connected and as such design must respond to such connections. I enjoyed the organization of the chapters: Nature, Categories, Connections, Culture, and Limits. It says it all in five words!
April 25, 2020
For more reviews, check out my blog:Craft-CycleI had to read this book for my Information Architecture course in grad school. In comparison to some of the other books we've had to read for the class, this one was a nice approachable length, which I was thankful for.Morville presents many interesting theories, connecting a multitude of ideas together to show how everything is "intertwingled".However, by the end, the book devolved into ramblings. The majority of the last chapter is just stream of consciousness opinions Morville has about things like nutrition and health care. I suppose since his theory is that everything is connected, it is not entirely random, however I don't think it gave any insight into what the book was actually about. Honestly, reading that chapter gave the impression that Morville had a word count he needed to fill, but had already covered all he set out to so he tacked on a bunch of ramblings to meet the word count.Ignoring the last chapter, I though the book was well-done overall. Morville does well connecting various ideas. This was interesting, but there were an awful lot of quotes, some right after another. In general, this was okay, but after a while the whole book just felt like him referencing others' work. He shows the connections, but it would have been nice to read his words not just a smattering of others vaguely connected together. There are also many references (Dutch uncles, the timeless way, the quality without a name) that are cited without being discussed in detail, which may be confusing for those not familiar with the concepts.Morville pulls a lot of insight from various experiences working on projects and from his personal life. This can work well, however by the end, I was just annoyed with his constantly bringing up his work. The examples made sense, but perhaps there were just too many. It felt more like name-dropping than actually providing insight.The text is broken up nicely with images related to the topics being discussed. Some of them were helpful such as the various models. Others were just clip-art-style images that added nothing to the point. For example, when Morville references triathlons, there are images of a stick person running, biking, and swimming. It worked to break up the text, but really wasn't necessary and added nothing to the content.For the most part, the book was fine, but Morville's habits became annoying by the end, making me easily irritated with the text. I was interested in the ideas, but the overuse of quotes and countless examples really grated on my nerves.An okay read.
October 9, 2023
“Intertwingled”: Information Changes Everything by Peter Morville provides you with an idea on how information is connected more than we know, or at least what we thought we’d knew. The term “Intertwingled” itself relates to the interconnectedness of information and how most of that information is related in some sort of way. Moville breaks down how modern-day internet and technology have slowly influenced the way we view certain information. What we “know” can also be portrayed based on what sources we refer to. “Intertwingled” aims to highlights the way we use certain information daily and how that information can also play an effect with our decision making in society.
With technology growing and expanding more faster than ever, it is still important to confirm validity when seeking out information. Morville emphasis that the Interconnectedness of information and User Experience is what can impact what happens in society. The text promotes that all information is linked and connected in one way or another, especially in this modern time. The User Experience is a critical piece when it comes to information as Morville suggest that it is critical to design systems and process that are easy for end users to navigate through. Having easily accessible sites such as Wikipedia and google can be of example, however with all information available it is important to verify the credibility of where it comes from.
” Intertwingled” strives to point out concepts that allow readers to focus on how impactful information can be on society or even our daily actions. I believe the text provides a great and concise breakdown when it comes to reflecting about the different types of sources of information to use and how they are interconnected one way or another to the modern digital world. A universal concept and reminder to consider is “validity”, making sure that the information we use is creditable and resourceful. This helps ensure there is accuracy, and the information is valid. Morville beleives that if we understand the concept of interconnectedness of information, it could open a pathway to better interactions with the type of sources we use. For instance, all information may be interconnected however the information from the first-hand source may be inaccurate or does not have any supporting factors to make it a legitimate source. For those looking for a fresh new outlook into the digital world and how we use it, Peter Morville’s “Intertwingled” would be a excellent place to start to gather new insights and ideas.
With technology growing and expanding more faster than ever, it is still important to confirm validity when seeking out information. Morville emphasis that the Interconnectedness of information and User Experience is what can impact what happens in society. The text promotes that all information is linked and connected in one way or another, especially in this modern time. The User Experience is a critical piece when it comes to information as Morville suggest that it is critical to design systems and process that are easy for end users to navigate through. Having easily accessible sites such as Wikipedia and google can be of example, however with all information available it is important to verify the credibility of where it comes from.
” Intertwingled” strives to point out concepts that allow readers to focus on how impactful information can be on society or even our daily actions. I believe the text provides a great and concise breakdown when it comes to reflecting about the different types of sources of information to use and how they are interconnected one way or another to the modern digital world. A universal concept and reminder to consider is “validity”, making sure that the information we use is creditable and resourceful. This helps ensure there is accuracy, and the information is valid. Morville beleives that if we understand the concept of interconnectedness of information, it could open a pathway to better interactions with the type of sources we use. For instance, all information may be interconnected however the information from the first-hand source may be inaccurate or does not have any supporting factors to make it a legitimate source. For those looking for a fresh new outlook into the digital world and how we use it, Peter Morville’s “Intertwingled” would be a excellent place to start to gather new insights and ideas.
August 29, 2015
Als Peter Morville, de man van het ijsbeerboek, van Ambient Findability en van Search Patterns, een nieuw boek legt, dan is een mens in de branche zowat verplicht naar Amazon te trekken, het zonder veel nadenken te bestellen, en het te lezen.
Had ik dat maar niet gedaan. Het verbaast me niet dat deze verzameling pagina's self-published is door 's mans Semantic Studios, want het trekt op niets.
Wát een irritant boek. Het leest alsof er geen eindredacteur aan te pas is gekomen, alsof het ternauwernood gepland was (pijnlijk, voor een informatie-architect), de lay-out is slordig, de illustraties kneuterig, overbodig en lelijk, en van toon lijkt het nog het meest op een bijzonder vervelend zelfhulp-boek. Zonder het aspect "hulp", dan wel.
Er gaat bijna geen pagina voorbij of er wordt genamedropped, gehint naar hoeveel enorm belangrijke klanten hij wel heeft, hoe goed hij is in alles wat hij doet (lopen, fietsen, geld verdienen, op natuurexpeditie gaan), en dat alles in een soep zonder houvast, in een enorm vermoeiende stream of consciousness. En niet het goede soort stream of consciousness, het soort dat u meesleept: self-indulgent, rambling, incoherent.
Hij weeft voortdurend heen en weer tussen zijn persoonlijke leven (dat me geen zier interesseert, zijn levenslessen zijn van een enorm verregaande banaliteit), zijn professionele ervaringen (waar hij nooit genoeg in detail gaat, maar nét genoeg zegt om de indruk te geven dat hij een soort superman is die altijd gelijk heeft), een soort vage roodachtige draad over een trip naar een eiland met elanden en wolven, Readers Digest quotes van boeken die hij gelezen heeft, en een bijna lachwekkend soort boeddhisme-voor-beginners.
De indruk die ik ervan krijg, is van een consultant die enorm hard gewoon is dat iedereen naar hem luistert, en die zich een aantal niveaus intelligenter voelt dan mij. En daar graag blijft de nadruk op leggen.
Wanneer hij niet copy-pastet van elders (de helft van het boek lijken wel quotes), spuit hij platitudes die ongetwijfeld interessant klinken na een paar glazen teveel, maar die bij nader nadenken eigenlijk niets willen zeggen. Een voorbeeld, en ik had er honderd kunnen geven:
Never mind dat Borges in 1941 nog niet blind was, en dat ik hem, ahem, nét iets anders zou geïntroduceerd hebben dan als “a blind Argentine librarian” — Perhaps the utensil that affords the wisest decisions isn’t a fork but a spork?? En voor de slechte verstaander is het zelfs geïllustreerd:
Ja, illustraties. Een afbeelding zegt meer dan duizend woorden of zoiets in die zin, zeker? Voor iemand als Morville verwacht ik dan toch wel dat hij iets beter kan dan knullige Word-diagrammen met Comic Sans:
En zou het niet ergens een goede regel zijn dat een illustratie ook moet illustreren, 't is te zeggen, iets toevoegen aan de tekst? Kan iemand mij zeggen wat de toegevoegde waarde van dit ivoorbeeld zou kunnen zijn?
of van dit, een paar bladzijden later?
En oh ja: naast Comic Sans is Morville blijkbaar een enorm grote fan van lelijke clipart:
En als er dan eens een afbeelding is die misschien iets had kunnen verduidelijken, is het gewoon konte-verkeerd. Ik bedoel maar -- wat moet een mens hieruit begrijpen?
Met wat puzzelen kan een mens min of meer snappen dat bij een zeer goede user experience de ad revenue zeer laag is, en bij een zeer slechte user experience ook, en dat er ergens een middenweg is tussen user experience en ad revenue, maar ik begrijp vooral dat ik geen advies aan James Morville ga vragen als het aankomt op iets duidelijk te maken met een illustratie.
Nee, zeer teleurgesteld in dit boek.
Niet aangeraden.
Ik ben kwaad op mezelf dat ik hier geld voor gegeven heb. Ook al omdat ik het had moeten weten: zijn workshop op de IA Summit in Miami in 2008 vond ik ook al niets, en ik was niet de enige. 't Is de laatste keer dat ik mij laat vangen.
Had ik dat maar niet gedaan. Het verbaast me niet dat deze verzameling pagina's self-published is door 's mans Semantic Studios, want het trekt op niets.
Wát een irritant boek. Het leest alsof er geen eindredacteur aan te pas is gekomen, alsof het ternauwernood gepland was (pijnlijk, voor een informatie-architect), de lay-out is slordig, de illustraties kneuterig, overbodig en lelijk, en van toon lijkt het nog het meest op een bijzonder vervelend zelfhulp-boek. Zonder het aspect "hulp", dan wel.
Er gaat bijna geen pagina voorbij of er wordt genamedropped, gehint naar hoeveel enorm belangrijke klanten hij wel heeft, hoe goed hij is in alles wat hij doet (lopen, fietsen, geld verdienen, op natuurexpeditie gaan), en dat alles in een soep zonder houvast, in een enorm vermoeiende stream of consciousness. En niet het goede soort stream of consciousness, het soort dat u meesleept: self-indulgent, rambling, incoherent.
Hij weeft voortdurend heen en weer tussen zijn persoonlijke leven (dat me geen zier interesseert, zijn levenslessen zijn van een enorm verregaande banaliteit), zijn professionele ervaringen (waar hij nooit genoeg in detail gaat, maar nét genoeg zegt om de indruk te geven dat hij een soort superman is die altijd gelijk heeft), een soort vage roodachtige draad over een trip naar een eiland met elanden en wolven, Readers Digest quotes van boeken die hij gelezen heeft, en een bijna lachwekkend soort boeddhisme-voor-beginners.
De indruk die ik ervan krijg, is van een consultant die enorm hard gewoon is dat iedereen naar hem luistert, en die zich een aantal niveaus intelligenter voelt dan mij. En daar graag blijft de nadruk op leggen.
Wanneer hij niet copy-pastet van elders (de helft van het boek lijken wel quotes), spuit hij platitudes die ongetwijfeld interessant klinken na een paar glazen teveel, maar die bij nader nadenken eigenlijk niets willen zeggen. Een voorbeeld, en ik had er honderd kunnen geven:
In 1941, Jorge Luis Borges, a blind Argentine librarian, wrote an amazing story, The Garden of Forking Paths, about a book and a labyrinth containing “an infinite series of times, a growing, dizzying web of divergent, convergent , and parallel times… all possibilities.” This use of analogy to connect the forks of space and time is poetic, irresistible, and recursive. In 1991, Herbert Simon, the polymath pioneer of artificial intelligence and decision theory, wrote “I have encountered many branches in the maze of my life’s path, where I have followed now the left fork, now the right . The metaphor of the maze is irresistible to someone who has devoted his scientific career to understanding human choice.” [78] It’s a powerful metaphor, but all maps are traps.
While divergent paths may seem obvious in hindsight, they aren’t easy to see in advance. All of our decisions are made without a complete understanding of the options and consequences; not that we don’t try. Our brains routinely imagine choices and outcomes, and when the possibilities are too fuzzy, we stall. We muddle around in a state of productive procrastination, and while muddling can be hard to defend, it’s precisely the right thing to do. We must buy time to find our way, because the relationships between choice, action, and cognition are far messier than we like to admit; and once we step from the handle to the tine, there’s no going back. Perhaps the utensil that affords the wisest decisions isn’t a fork but a spork.
Never mind dat Borges in 1941 nog niet blind was, en dat ik hem, ahem, nét iets anders zou geïntroduceerd hebben dan als “a blind Argentine librarian” — Perhaps the utensil that affords the wisest decisions isn’t a fork but a spork?? En voor de slechte verstaander is het zelfs geïllustreerd:
Ja, illustraties. Een afbeelding zegt meer dan duizend woorden of zoiets in die zin, zeker? Voor iemand als Morville verwacht ik dan toch wel dat hij iets beter kan dan knullige Word-diagrammen met Comic Sans:
En zou het niet ergens een goede regel zijn dat een illustratie ook moet illustreren, 't is te zeggen, iets toevoegen aan de tekst? Kan iemand mij zeggen wat de toegevoegde waarde van dit ivoorbeeld zou kunnen zijn?
of van dit, een paar bladzijden later?
En oh ja: naast Comic Sans is Morville blijkbaar een enorm grote fan van lelijke clipart:
En als er dan eens een afbeelding is die misschien iets had kunnen verduidelijken, is het gewoon konte-verkeerd. Ik bedoel maar -- wat moet een mens hieruit begrijpen?
Met wat puzzelen kan een mens min of meer snappen dat bij een zeer goede user experience de ad revenue zeer laag is, en bij een zeer slechte user experience ook, en dat er ergens een middenweg is tussen user experience en ad revenue, maar ik begrijp vooral dat ik geen advies aan James Morville ga vragen als het aankomt op iets duidelijk te maken met een illustratie.
Nee, zeer teleurgesteld in dit boek.
Niet aangeraden.
Ik ben kwaad op mezelf dat ik hier geld voor gegeven heb. Ook al omdat ik het had moeten weten: zijn workshop op de IA Summit in Miami in 2008 vond ik ook al niets, en ik was niet de enige. 't Is de laatste keer dat ik mij laat vangen.
October 22, 2020
Full review/key learnings on my website
Coming from the world of information architecture and user experience design, Peter Morville does the impressive work of zooming out to a very macro point of view and advocates to transform our tendency to see wholes as the sum of their parts into an awareness of the deep interconnectedness of all things.
The problem of reductionism happens in all facets of life. Notably in medicine, where Morville highlights that iatrogenics —illness or complications caused by physicians' choice of treatment— is the US's 3rd leading cause of death.
Reductionism also affects how we work within organizations. In the language that we choose, we cultivate unnecessary dichotomies with words like front-back, public-private, in-out, us-them. "Dualism works because it’s simple, but that’s also why it fails."
The author suggests a systems thinking practice to make the invisible visible. Bringing to light what had remained unquestioned, we can reframe our perception of the world with more context-awareness and hopefully uncover more holistic ways to organize society.
Coming from the world of information architecture and user experience design, Peter Morville does the impressive work of zooming out to a very macro point of view and advocates to transform our tendency to see wholes as the sum of their parts into an awareness of the deep interconnectedness of all things.
The problem of reductionism happens in all facets of life. Notably in medicine, where Morville highlights that iatrogenics —illness or complications caused by physicians' choice of treatment— is the US's 3rd leading cause of death.
Reductionism also affects how we work within organizations. In the language that we choose, we cultivate unnecessary dichotomies with words like front-back, public-private, in-out, us-them. "Dualism works because it’s simple, but that’s also why it fails."
The author suggests a systems thinking practice to make the invisible visible. Bringing to light what had remained unquestioned, we can reframe our perception of the world with more context-awareness and hopefully uncover more holistic ways to organize society.
November 25, 2025
I had expected so much more from a purported systems thinker, someone with bonafide credentials in the heady and difficult work of IA. His rambles are so wide and thin and chock-full of insular references that he succeeds at hardly saying anything at all or rather saying anything of much value to the reader. The whole thing reads like a slightly inebriated oratory to himself, like an overly inspired and rushed first draft in need of a patient and critical editor (where was his editor in all of this?).
The thing that really put it over the edge for me, besides the hilariously pointless word art, is his incessant use embodied narration to begin a train of thought (“I’m hiking through an uninhabited island…”). It’s not a bad literary trope but it’s the only thing he uses, sometimes back to back, to the point of comedy, which like his train of thought, further makes the reader’s head spin.
The thing that really put it over the edge for me, besides the hilariously pointless word art, is his incessant use embodied narration to begin a train of thought (“I’m hiking through an uninhabited island…”). It’s not a bad literary trope but it’s the only thing he uses, sometimes back to back, to the point of comedy, which like his train of thought, further makes the reader’s head spin.
November 21, 2019
I think Morville really took the 'intertwingled' concept to heart with this book, because it reads like 5 hours of stream of consciousness. I'm pretty sure at one point he implies that bad Information Architecture leads to genocide, and definitely made the claim that you shouldn't go to the doctor for annual checkups.
The general point is that systems-level thinking is really important, and exchanging information leads to better decisions. But man, he makes very few actual examples of why this is the case.
I listened to the audiobook version; narrator-wise, it's not really notable, which is great.
I don't recommend this book.
The general point is that systems-level thinking is really important, and exchanging information leads to better decisions. But man, he makes very few actual examples of why this is the case.
I listened to the audiobook version; narrator-wise, it's not really notable, which is great.
I don't recommend this book.
January 23, 2018
It was okay. Somewhere between 2-4 stars depending on your connection with the material I suppose. Very well written in that you understand the complex structures he's talking about, but what purpose that clarity serves I don't know. The 'point' of the book - everything is "intertwingled" - is unfortunately about as much depth as it ever gets to. There are great personal anecdotes right alongside some really off-color references. I could definitely see it resonating, but for my money, much of the content has been better addressed elsewhere
November 28, 2018
It might seem odd that one of the forefathers of information architecture would proclaim that everything is intertwingled and thus hard to force down into specific categories, but that’s what Peter Morville is saying. You can’t separate the parts from the whole. Intertwingled: Information Changes Everything is the start of a journey in realizing that, no matter how hard you try to cut apart, partition, chunk, and dissect, most things can’t be broken down without losing something. That won’t stop us from doing it, because we need to do it to simplify our world. However, it may change the way that we approach the process.
Click here to read the full review
Click here to read the full review
June 4, 2020
I loved it. This is not a direct how-to guide. This is an ideology primer. It takes you through a journey and while on that journey you pick up valuable information. The author doesn't simply hand you the information but tries to make you understand the context of the information and the information itself. By the end of the book, there is a good chance you will believe in its title. And that's the point of the book.
I started this book to help me organize information for websites because I thought its a fundamental part. I did pick up a few tricks to help me do that along the way. But I found more general value on life than specifically on organizing information for a website. And I don't mind that, it was a good read.
I started this book to help me organize information for websites because I thought its a fundamental part. I did pick up a few tricks to help me do that along the way. But I found more general value on life than specifically on organizing information for a website. And I don't mind that, it was a good read.
May 12, 2018
An easy read with many profound insights into the nature of complex systems aka the world ... but ultimately a collection of philosophical / sociological musings with very little practical advice. It is culture which resists change. Too many vignettes that appear to be deep, but are ultimately deeply personal with learning points few and far between. Maybe it fulfils its purpose, if it compells one to think more and read less?
May 18, 2018
A bit more of a philosophy book about living in a digital world than a user experience book. Still I like the tone and voice and agree a lot with what is said basically that everything we use to explain and show various aspects of the world (words, maps, diagrams, categories) are limited and there's really noting to be done about it except use different ways and know that the pitfalls are there.
Labels: Information, Ecosystems, Cultural Change, Living in a Digital World, Webdesign
Labels: Information, Ecosystems, Cultural Change, Living in a Digital World, Webdesign
September 30, 2018
The book started well and I was glad to see a variety of examples regarding the relationship between systems, culture and information, such as Jane Jacobs' theories regarding urban planning. But it evolved to be a sort of rambling of the author's repertoire from his personal and professional experiences.
June 25, 2019
would be a 4 star read except for the last section where the author pontificates/harangues about his approach to weight loss, exercise, eating healthy, agri-industry, global warming and just about anything else in can think of.
February 7, 2020
This book is a gem! Don't expect to find tools and tactics. Expect to find valuable life ideas. Expect to get inspiration for your business and for your marketing projects. In this book, Peter Morville lays out a philosophy of information, with rich insights and personal life stories.
September 3, 2018
This book is more like a personal journey.
January 7, 2020
The last chapter got a little loopy, but the chapter on categories had my highlighter working hard.
April 26, 2021
very interesting book one of the best on information architecture
July 30, 2016
An interesting book that starts great, presenting large rhetorics on information and society, exploring connections between the world made by humans, machines and nature. I strongly believe in Ted Nelson quote "everything is deeply intertwingled”, however as with most enlightening quotes, it helps to see macro properties but should not be expected to help solve micro intricacies.
Peter Morville is an information architect, which is very nice because it manages well the presentation of his argumentation, in the structuring, designing, and pushing for is own ideas. Morville intends to bring his own working methods to deal with information into the large world, which gives us an interesting new approach to the way we can understand world, but doesn’t go any far than that. The problem with trying to apply information management methodologies to the world is in forgetting the difference between human made and nature made.
Nature has no purpose beyond surviving, something much different from the purpose of the things we make, and mainly of the way we manage to motivate ourselves in the making process. Of course we’re also driven by survival, but we’ve evolved to go further than that through self-realisation goals.
I must say this is an excellent book for people working in information architecture. All the discussions in the book are valid and interesting for the domain, but it should be advertised as that, and not push for something larger that it cannot deliver.
Peter Morville is an information architect, which is very nice because it manages well the presentation of his argumentation, in the structuring, designing, and pushing for is own ideas. Morville intends to bring his own working methods to deal with information into the large world, which gives us an interesting new approach to the way we can understand world, but doesn’t go any far than that. The problem with trying to apply information management methodologies to the world is in forgetting the difference between human made and nature made.
Nature has no purpose beyond surviving, something much different from the purpose of the things we make, and mainly of the way we manage to motivate ourselves in the making process. Of course we’re also driven by survival, but we’ve evolved to go further than that through self-realisation goals.
I must say this is an excellent book for people working in information architecture. All the discussions in the book are valid and interesting for the domain, but it should be advertised as that, and not push for something larger that it cannot deliver.
March 29, 2015
The book is almost more interesting as a post-modern literary mash-up ala David Shield's Reality Hunger: A Manifesto than as a technology book on the impact of information. The book contains ideas, quotes and mash-ups of an entire slew of similarly themed books with Buddhist philosophy. The title raises the question, but doesn't really answer how everything is going to change.
I did like the following thoughts:
Information literacy is a necessary literacy and needs to be taught.
The ability to change is also a literacy.
When taxonomy or classification is easy, it can be hard to see what is hidden.
And maybe that is ultimately why I felt the question was unanswered. 'Information" is an easy classification and the author couldn't get to the hidden part of how information drives us.
I did like the following thoughts:
Information literacy is a necessary literacy and needs to be taught.
The ability to change is also a literacy.
When taxonomy or classification is easy, it can be hard to see what is hidden.
And maybe that is ultimately why I felt the question was unanswered. 'Information" is an easy classification and the author couldn't get to the hidden part of how information drives us.
August 17, 2023
The book does not make any sense.
For the book about interconnectedness, nothing is connecting it in. The beginning of the paragraph does not connect with its end. Adjacent paragraphs do not connect either. The whole book is a collection of rumpling thought, association and metaphors. At times, it feels like the author was just exercising in slogan writing, and forgot to edit out his second, third and forth best takes. Jesus, person, get an editor!
The only good thing about the book are quotes and references. Most of which wasted for nothing is connective tissue of writing.
About the physical artifact. Comically bad illustrations, and awful formatting.
The book's main point is that dichotomies are not good, I suppose.
I want my time back. I hope you are sorry, Peter.
For the book about interconnectedness, nothing is connecting it in. The beginning of the paragraph does not connect with its end. Adjacent paragraphs do not connect either. The whole book is a collection of rumpling thought, association and metaphors. At times, it feels like the author was just exercising in slogan writing, and forgot to edit out his second, third and forth best takes. Jesus, person, get an editor!
The only good thing about the book are quotes and references. Most of which wasted for nothing is connective tissue of writing.
About the physical artifact. Comically bad illustrations, and awful formatting.
The book's main point is that dichotomies are not good, I suppose.
I want my time back. I hope you are sorry, Peter.
January 18, 2015
Intertwingled is intertwingled
Information isn't singular. Boundaries are artificial, and not particularly helpful. Understanding comes through withstanding inputs crashing from all directions. This is the premise that Morville beautifully illustrates in Intertwingled. The book rambles from personal memoir to philosophy to information management treatise. Chapter markers are artificial. Understanding comes through assimilating Morville's varied inputs. It's a worthy effort.
Information isn't singular. Boundaries are artificial, and not particularly helpful. Understanding comes through withstanding inputs crashing from all directions. This is the premise that Morville beautifully illustrates in Intertwingled. The book rambles from personal memoir to philosophy to information management treatise. Chapter markers are artificial. Understanding comes through assimilating Morville's varied inputs. It's a worthy effort.
March 9, 2015
Fantastic read; it was really hard to put down.
This book is less about information and more about how it fits in with complex (adaptive) systems.
Like a good Information Architect, he also maintains
a goodreads shelf of all the references
This book is less about information and more about how it fits in with complex (adaptive) systems.
Like a good Information Architect, he also maintains
a goodreads shelf of all the references
June 19, 2015
Somehow expected more given the hype and the concept. Lot's of references to other books I've read recently tied together in an interesting, but unfulfilling way. Would have made an interesting blog article, at that length the valuable part of the book would have been compressed enough to make it a great read. But, all in all, not bad.
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