Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC830713); site ubu.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!mcvax!ukc!qtlon!flame!ubu!sahunt From: sahunt@ubu.UUCP (Stephen Hunt) Newsgroups: net.books,net.wanted Subject: Re: Computer Book suggestions? Message-ID: <337@ubu.UUCP> Date: Mon, 26-Nov-84 12:36:37 EST Article-I.D.: ubu.337 Posted: Mon Nov 26 12:36:37 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 30-Nov-84 07:38:48 EST References: <236@mhuxi.UUCP> Organization: Computer Science, Warwick University, UK Lines: 36 Xref: sdcsvax net.books:1079 net.wanted:5227 [[[[ Foo for the line eater ]]]] -->Can anyone recommend a book for a teen-ager who has gotten interested in -->computers, but who is not the greatest student? Regrettably, no. After seeing 'n' of the beginner's books on offer, I have found that they fall into two categories:- 1. 'Learn Basic' type books. These invariably tackle the subject from the wrong angle, or with the wrong emphasis. One favourite mistake is spending scores of pages describing every possible detail of, say, the PRINT statement. This only serves to give the novice the impression that things like screen layout are much more important than they in fact are. These books never teach the student how to tackle a problem in a sensible way (top-down design, etc). 2. Books which claim to give a general introduction to computing, using a non-BASIC language for the examples. These usually take a better approach to the subject than the Basic ones do, and don't get bogged down in irrelvant details so much. But how many novices have access to a computer with a non-BASIC language? As I see it the market needs a good introduction to programming with the emphasis on how to approach problems in a sensible way. The books in category 1 leave you with the impression that programming means sitting down at the keyboard and lambing straight into the Gotos. Unfortunately, we seem to be stuck with Basic as a beginner's language, simply because all the home micros are supplied with it as standard; this situation doesn't need to be made worse by books stressing the wrong aspects of programming. If anyone wants to contradict all that, I too would be very pleased to know of a good introductory book. -- -- Steve Hunt ... mcvax!ukc!qtlon!flame!ubu!sahunt