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Show v ; , Thrillers, wishbooks, catalogs teach three Rs of high tech UThe yyjBnsiness Computer fcy Franklynn Peterson and Judy K-Turkel If people laugh when you sit down at a computer, maybe you could benefit by some book learning. Now that many computer books are finally written by people who know something about the topic, it's possible to read them for fun or profit. "The Eudaemonic Pie" by Thomas A. Bass (Houghton Mifflin, $15.95) reads almost like a novel about a collection of computer crazies out to design a computer as powerful as an Apple II but tiny enough to fit inside the heel of a shoe. Their mission: cheating at roulette! Some of the best and brightest brains pour thousands of dollars and thousands of hours into their high-tech scamcoming up with fascinating solutions to tip the wheel of fate. And in the end well, it's such a good thrill we don't want to spoil the ending for you! The Commodore, long a favorite of hobbyists as well as adventurous businesses trying to computerize cheaply, finally has a library of solid literature. Topics range from programming pro-gramming in machine language to how to make sense out of extremely individualistic Commodore disk drive to neat graphics; the software is priced from $13 to $20. Abacus Software, P.O. Box 7211, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49510. if you don't mind paying for a catalog, "The Complete IBM Personal Per-sonal Computer" by Seth Novogrod-sky, Novogrod-sky, Frederic E. Davis, et. al. (Simon & Schuster. $16.95) can be a handy llWWWMMMWVWWWWWWys www .. i .through the arduous task of programming the cute little mechni-cal mechni-cal devil, with this book you can at least vicariously share in the excitement of sizing up the various home robots now on the market. It's like browsing through the Neiman- , Marcus catalog. "Digital Deli" (Workman, $12.95) is what happens when you put out the word that you're collecting computer stuff for a book. All your friends, including friends you've never met, send your dippings on this and that and several other topics, too. Then you stay up nights trying to find clever chapter headings that sort of umbrella what you've got. But if you're a glutton for computer trivia, the price isn't bad considering its got 382 very big pages about computer history, humor, hackers, hype, and help... ugh, it's catching! The authors will answer questions and send a checklist of available back issues. Send a stamped, self-addressed self-addressed envelope. A new 4,000-word 4,000-word special report, "Educational Programs for Children," gives details on price and performance of . computer-age products for children. For your copy, send $3 for Report FP01, in care of the Park Record, P.O. Box 3688, Park City,, UT 84060. . Make checks payable to Newspaper books. (C) 1985 PK Associates, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Ser-vices, Inc. wish book for hundreds of gadgets from Auto-Switch for hooking three printers onto one computer to ZPlus circuit board for running old CPM 80 programs all available to make life more exciting and maybe even more productive behind the keyboard key-board of an IBM PC &or "compatible"). "compati-ble"). This volume will be obsolete by Christmas! If you're intrigued by the mayhem , we call the history of computers-how computers-how a long distance runner, a railroad mechanic and a tax collector's son all contributed to the development of today's computers here's a book for you: "Bit by Bit" by Stan Augarten (Ticnor & Fields, $17.95). It's full of fascinating pictures, colorful history, and anecdotes about dreams that made it and dreams that turned into nightmares. If you don't know why you don't like computers but want reasons why... or if you like computers but don't know why, but want reasons why.. .or if you're just curious about what computers really are, what they can do and can't do... Well, let's face it, "The Sachertorte Algorithm and Other Antidotes to Computer Anxiety" An-xiety" by John Shore (Viking, , $16.95) is one of those rambling books for darned near everybody that sets your mind to thinking. . About the only readers it's not for are those unfortunates who believe they're afflicted with computer anxiety a term unfortunately penned pen-ned in, probably by an overzealous marketing director. Shore leads you gently by the hand through a chatty treatise of how computers often work and why they so frustratingly often don't work the way we'd like. There's lots of history here, too. "Expert Systems: Artificial Intelligence Intell-igence in Business" by Paul Harmon and David King (Wiley, $16.95) gives a once-over-not-too-lightly to those two computer cocktail party buzzwords 6f the mid-1980s: artificial artifi-cial intelligence and expert systems. By the time you're finished, you'll be able to hold your own with other computer chatterers. But you'll also be able to decide whether you want to spend more time investing in or working on these perhaps potentially " , far-reaching program designs. You, too, can have "A Robot in Every Home" (Kensington, $14.95), ' yes indeed! And if you don't feel you want to invest in one, and then go |
