Michael Miller’s Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Computer Basics, Windows 7 Edition. It’s the one book that covers everything today’s beginners and near-beginners need to know: not just about Windows, but also about software, hardware, and the Internet.

Through 90+ books, author Michael Miller has established an unparalleled track record in explaining complicated concepts simply and clearly, and empowering beginners. Now, he’s thoroughly updated his best-selling Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Computer Basics to cover today’s user experience – with Windows 7, Internet Explorer 8, and today’s hottest online tools, from craigslist and Facebook to Twitter, Wikipedia, and Google Docs. Read the rest of this entry »

A presentation of the central and basic concepts, techniques, and tools of computer science, with the emphasis on presenting a problem-solving approach and on providing a survey of all of the most important topics covered in degree programmers.

Scheme is used throughout as the programming language and the author stresses a functional programming approach to create simple functions so as to obtain the desired programming goal. Such simple functions are easily tested individually, which greatly helps in producing programs that work correctly first time. Throughout, the author aids to writing programs, and makes liberal use of boxes with “Mistakes to Avoid”. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the second edition of John Zelle’s Python Programming, updated for Python 3. This book is designed to be used as the primary textbook in a college-level first course in computing. It takes a fairly traditional approach, emphasizing problem solving, design, and programming as the core skills of computer science.

However, these ideas are illustrated using a non-traditional language, namely Python. Although Python is used as the language, teaching Python is not the main point of this book. Rather, Python is used to illustrate fundamental principles of design and programming that apply in any language or computing environment. Read the rest of this entry »

This attractive and moderately-sized volume gets elementary through high school education in programming computers right, and makes the best use of the universally available (and free) “batteries-included” language–Python. In the early days of personal computers (about 1978), everyone and his brother had a Teach Yourself Basic on the TRS-80 or Apple-II programming book that got you and your kids up to speed in the Dartmouth-developed (Digital Equipment Corporation-improved) BASIC computer programming language.

At that time, you were lucky if at the conclusion of the book you could produce a simple-minded character-based Tic-Tac-Toe game (or self-prompted lessons in the multiplication tables). With excellent pedagogy and the libraries (like PYGAME) now available for the modern Python programming language this book enables the home-schooled student (or timid grandparent) to build sophisticated simulations and graphical entertainment (like a virtual pet) at least equivalent to the commercial games available in that era. Read the rest of this entry »

Based on the ACM model curriculum guidelines, this easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate text covers all the fundamentals of computer science required for first year students embarking on a computing degree. Divided into five parts? computer and data, computer hardware, computer software, data organization and with an introduction to some of the more advanced topics.

Foundations of Computer Science gives students a bird’s eye view of the subject. Each chapter includes key terms, summaries, review questions, multiple-choice questions, and exercises to enhance learning, while introducing tools such as UML, structure chart and pseudocode, which students will need in order to succeed in later courses. Read the rest of this entry »

Design Patterns is a modern classic in the literature of object-oriented development, offering timeless and elegant solutions to common problems in software design. It describes patterns for managing object creation, composing objects into larger structures, and coordinating control flow between objects. The book provides numerous examples where using composition rather than inheritance can improve the reusability and flexibility of code.

Note, though, that it’s not a tutorial but a catalog that you can use to find an object-oriented design pattern that’s appropriate for the needs of your particular application–a selection for virtuoso programmers who appreciate (or require) consistent, well-engineered object-oriented designs.
There are other advantages to this book is that it isolates 23 of the most common patterns and presents them in detail. You wouldn’t think that 23 patterns would be enough, but once you become adept at recognizing patterns, you’ll find that a large fraction of the patterns you use in practice are among these 23. Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the highly acclaimed Mastering series from Sybex, this book offers a comprehensive look at VMware vSphere 4, how to implement it, and how to make the most of what it offers.

Install and manage one or one thousand virtual servers in your enterprise with the latest generation of VMware virtualization software, vSphere 4, and this comprehensive guide. Using step-by-step instruction backed by real-world scenarios, this book takes you under the hood of this powerful VMware suite, clearly explaining all of the components and how you can get the most out of them. Discover how to reduce your overall server footprint, expand capacity, optimize performance, track cost savings, and more with this in-depth guide. Read the rest of this entry »

Java Concurrency in Practice is an invaluable compilation of threading know-how for Java developers. Reading this book intellectually exciting, in part because it is an excellent introduction to Java’s concurrency API, but mostly because it captures in a thorough and accessible way expert knowledge on threading not easily found elsewhere.
Threads are a fundamental part of the Java platform. As multicore processors become the norm, using concurrency effectively becomes essential for building high-performance applications. Java SE 5 and 6 are a huge step forward for the development of concurrent applications, with improvements to the Java Virtual Machine to support high-performance, highly scalable concurrent classes and a rich set of new concurrency building blocks.

In Java Concurrency in Practice, the creators of these new facilities explain not only how they work and how to use them, but also the motivation and design patterns behind them. Read the rest of this entry »

People love secrets. Ever since the first word was written, humans have sent coded messages to each other. In The Code Book, Simon Singh, author of the bestselling Fermat’s Enigma, offers a peek into the world of cryptography and codes, from ancient texts through computer encryption. Singh’s compelling history is woven through with stories of how codes and ciphers have played a vital role in warfare, politics, and royal intrigue. The major theme of The Code Book is what Singh calls “the ongoing evolutionary battle between codemakers and codebreakers,” never more clear than in the chapters devoted to World War II.

Cryptography came of age during that conflict, as secret communications became critical to both sides’ success.
The Code Book is an excellent primer for those wishing to understand how the human need for privacy has manifested itself through cryptography. Singh’s accessible style and clear explanations of complex algorithms cut through the arcane mathematical details without oversimplifying.
Singh opens the book by recounting Mary Queen of Scots’ conspiracy to have Queen Elizabeth murdered and how she attempted to use encryption to cloak her intentions. It was a very exciting way to open the book.
Singh has found the right combination of technical detail, historical detail, and character development. Read the rest of this entry »

Since the earliest days of Internet scripting, Web developers have considered JavaScript: The Definitive Guide an essential resource. David Flanagan’s approach, which combines tutorials and examples with easy-to-use syntax guides and object references, suits the typical programmer’s requirements nicely. The brand-new fourth edition of Flanagan’s “Rhino Book” includes coverage of JavaScript 1.5, JScript 5.5, ECMAScript 3, and the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 2 standard from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Interestingly, the author has shifted away from specifying–as he did in earlier editions–what browsers support each bit of the language.

Rather than say Netscape 3.0 supports the Image object while Internet Explorer 3.0 does not, he specifies that JavaScript 1.1 and JScript 3.0 support Image. Read the rest of this entry »