The Day the Phones Stopped Ringing

Asserting that computer technology has outstripped the abilities of software programs to run it, the author provides frightening examples of how computers and software are malfunctioning--in medicine, aviation, and business--and presents solutions for managing the crisis

Cautionary tales by Minneapolis cable-TV news anchor Lee on how recent computer-system failures in business, government, and medicine have wrought death and chaos. As the world moves blithely toward a near-total dependence on computers, few realize the inherent danger that arises when these systems become so complex that designers cannot anticipate every combination of circumstances that a system must reliably handle. Going behind the headlines of several tragedies and scandals, Lee finds that the common culprit in computer lapses is often inadequate software. For instance, when AT&T (the world standard for computer reliability) suffered a complete nine-hour collapse of its long-distance network on January 15, 1990, the cause was an obscure software bug buried in a new multimillion-line software program. An Iranian commercial jet was shot down by the U.S.S. Vincennes partly because of design errors in a $500 million weapons system. Several patients were burned to death during routine radiation therapy and a new airliner (the Airbus) crashed because the machines involved used designs overreliant on computer controls, Lee asserts. He also explores the federal government's failures to develop adequate computer systems for air-traffic control, fiscal management, and IRS operations. Overall, the author's description of the brewing crisis in computerization is far stronger than his prescriptions for correction (such as support for pending legislation to fund software development research). Lee's lively style delivers potentially dry material in a form accessible to people concerned about social and management problems and to computer professionals seeking an overview on a potential nightmare. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

The title refers to the January day in 1990 when AT&T's long-distance service was reduced by 60 percent because of an error in their switching software. In general, the book deals with our vulnerability due to our reliance on computer software in many aspects of our lives. The chapter dealing with malfunctioning, computer-controlled medical equipment is particularly sobering. However, many of the problems that Lee discusses--from the IRS's mishandling of tax returns to the disasters and near-misses of air traffic controllers--involve factors other than faulty or poorly designed software. While many of his recommendations are sensible, he has oversimplified the problems. He sees similarities and parallels where the technology and underlying issues are dissimilar. Unfortunately, the general public probably sees these issues in a similar light.
- Hilary D. Burton, Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Livermore, Cal.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.