Thanks to Designing Interactions. It was probably one of the most inspiring presentations, I have been to in a long time. Bill showed some videos and told stories about a few interactions with various designers. Bill started the presentation with a video of Doug Engelbart and the design of the mouse.
The book itself has an interesting design. It is a multi-media publication combining a DVD with a set of video interviews and the printed book. You can download one chapter each week from the website, as well. Bill mentioned that he started out with a 500 page book and by the time he incorporated all suggestions from reviewers, it became 800+ pages.
The talk was great. Nothing like listening to the author of a book share his experience on why he wrote the book, how he went about it and answer questions. Bill said that in the first phase of his life he did lots and lots of designs. In the next phase, he managed design teams (sharing his knowledge informally). In the third phase (which I guess is the current one), he wants to tell his stories of Design. This book is the first attempt to tell a few stories. I hope he keeps doing that. I hope others follow this lead and share their experience and insights.
This one of the most energizing presentations, I have had the privilege to attend. I am back looking at some videos, reading a chapter that is available online and waiting for the book to arrive. Many topics in this book deserve entries of their own.