BKSAFWAR.RVW   950531
 
"Safeware: Systems Safety and Computers", Leveson, 1995, 0-201-11972-2, U$49.43
%A   Nancy Levenson
%C   1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA   01867-9984
%D   1995
%G   0-201-11972-2
%I   Addison-Wesley Publishing Company
%O   U$49.43 416-447-5101 fax: 416-443-0948 markj@aw.com tiffanym@aw.com
%O   800-822-6339 617-944-3700 Fax: (617) 944-7273
%P   680
%T   "Safeware: Systems Safety and Computers"
 
Leveson has produced a thorough and broadly-based overview of the literature,
structures, and models of system safety.  Throughout, there is a strong
awareness of human factors and the human-machine interface (HMI).  There is
also mention of the social, political, and economic forces driving or impeding
safety considerations.  Several studies cited indicate the counter-intuitive
result that safety is not a cost of production, but, rather, that it actually
improves performance.
 
Despite the title, and some sections specifically directed at software, there
is some difficulty in relating much of the material to the software development
process.  As Leveson, herself, points out, software design and programming is
generally unresponsive to engineering models of risk assessment and quality
control.  Those chapters with "software" in the title show a marked decrease in
citations.  (This undoubtedly represents the actual state of the art, rather
than any lack of research.)
 
(One micro-peeve is that although the bibliography has hundreds of entries, the
examples are limited to a few dozen, with a handful reiterated throughout the
book.  These detailed case studies are quite clear, but additional incidents
might have made the material both more interesting, and more convincing. 
Again, the examples have relatively little to do with software.)
 
This is a very realistic analysis of the current state of risk assessment and
management, and of the social activity in relation to it.  The book shows a
society surrounded by accidents waiting to happen.  There are, however, some
directions which indicate hope for a safer future.
 
copyright Robert M. Slade, 1995   BKSAFWAR.RVW   950531

Postscriptum: Leveson has seen the draft of this review, and was surprised
at my statements regarding the lack of specific application to the software
development process and the limited number of examples.  While the points she
raised in her response are very inportant, I still find that my impression of
the book is unchanged.  However, this is only my opinion, and based on
subjective feelings.  I would like to repeat that the work itself is of the
highest quality, and useful to anyone concerned with developing safe
products.
 
====================== 
ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 RSlade@cyberstore.ca 
             "No passion in the world is equal to the passion to 
                   alter someone else's draft" - H. G Wells
Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" 0-387-94311-0/3-540-94311-0