Information Anxiety 2 (Hayden/Que)
Information might want to be free; but, why should we free it? We've got  enough trouble keeping track of all the petabits that already run around  untethered, and risk a computer counterrevolution if we let the situation get  much crazier. Information architect Richard Saul Wurman swept the field clear in  1989 with his groundbreaking book that foresaw the problems of data clutter and  proposed a radical new means of organizing and presenting knowledge  humanistically; for the new century, he has revised it substantially asInformation Anxiety 2. This book is sparklingly clear and readable--it'd  better be, after all--and offers insight not only to designers, educators, and  content developers, but also to anyone who needs to communicate effectively  through dense clouds of facts. If Wurman occasionally indulges in New Age-y pop  psychology, his analysis is never muddy, and the more hardheaded reader will  forgive him soon enough. The discussion alternates between describing the deeply  stressful task of absorbing poorly organized data and exploring solutions that  require a bit of rethinking, but that reward such an investment with improved  understanding and, maybe, a state change from information to wisdom. We could do  worse--if we don't pay attention to Wurman and his colleagues, we almost  certainly will.--Rob Lightner