Software is pervasive, affecting every area of our life from our work to our entertainment. Yet, few of us understand exactly what it is and how it will affect our future. What we do know is the confusion and frustration we often feel over the changes brought on by technology. We suffer from software shock.Authors Roger Pressman and Russell Herron offer a solution. In clear, nontechnical language, they demystify this complicated technology. They trace the history of software technology and look at the people and corporate cultures that compose the software industry. They also offer a tantalizing view of the deeper impact that computers and software will have in the future, covering such topics as-- how our privacy can be invaded by hackers-- how our national security can be compromised by technoterrorists-- how small errors jeopardize our vital systems, like our telephone networks-- how teaching computers can revolutionize education-- how software can increase your professional and personal productivity-- how intelligent cars and software-based highways will make driving a hands-off experience.Software Shock will help technical and nontechnical readers -- and their families -- understand the importance of software and cope with the dangers and opportunities it brings to the world.