We finally got around to reading Rosenfeld and Morville’s second edition of Information Architecture and the World Wide Web. The first edition was the defining work of the industry, and the long-awaited second edition is yet another powerhouse. The second edition is more than twice the size of the first, with new examples, new ideas, and a few whole new chapters.

The book was well received by the group overall. The new case studies that conclude this edition were especially worthwhile. However, it was felt by some that the book had wandered somewhat from our perception of its original purpose. The first edition was an eye-opener. It was something you could give your manager to clue them in to the realm of possibilities that information architecture can open up. It was a fairly light and straight-forward introduction to the field. The section edition is a mighty tome, full of examples, instructions, and practical advice. It is more likely to overwhelm or scare off anyone who is not themselves already an IA. At the same time, much of the book is far to elementary for advanced IAs. So this edition sits in the middle ground – appropriate for IAs just starting out and in need of advice about how to get started on their first few major projects. Not that this is an insignificant market by any means. I found a great deal of the book to be quite handy, especially the chapters on ‘selling IA.’ As I said before, the case studies at the end of the book are top notch.

Overall, I would still give the book top marks. It has grown too weighty to share with non-IA coworkers, except perhaps a chapter at a time, but for the core audience of freshly-minted IAs, it is marvelous.