Book excerpt: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) is an interdisicplinary research area devoted to exploring the issues of designing computer-based systems that enhance the abilities of cooperating workers to coordinate and integrate their activities in an efficient, effective, and flexible manner. This rigorously selected volume represents both practical and theoretical approaches from many of the leading researchers in the field. As an interdisciplinary area of research, CSCW is characterized by bringing together widely disparate research traditions and perspectives into an arena of collaboration and contention. The selected papers reflect the diverse approaches and cultures of this multi-disciplinary field. This collection will be of interest to a wide audience - because of the huge practical import of the issues and because of the interdisciplinary nature of the problems and the solutions proposed. In particular, the volume will be of interest to researchers and professionals in computing, sociology, cognitive science, and human factors.