I bought this book at an amazingly large used bookstore down in Palo Alto called “Book Buyers” (next to Printer’s Ink), and got to read it over my flight to and from Portland.
Design by People for People is a terrific little book full of useful gems for people faced with the questions that arise from regular usability testing: how many participants, when to intervene in a usability test, effective think-aloud methods. However this book is written in such a straightforward and engaging manner, it’s far less painful than digging through academic screeds.
It also looks at consulting issues (not to be missed — Rubin’s essay on Authentic Consulting) and even experience design.
It’s not a book for you if you have never done usability testing before.. Rubin�s Handbook is better for that. But if you want to refine your skills, definitely check it out.