Welcome to Computer Science Made Simple, a novice’s guide to one of the most
important fields today. I wrote this book with several kinds of readers in mind. For the
person curious about how computers work and what the computer terms used in
magazine advertisements mean, this book will provide the answers. For those considering
studying computer science, this book will clarify whether the subject is truly interesting
to them. For someone already working in computer science, this book will provide
information about other and newer areas in the field. And for the manager who needs to
communicate with his or her tech people in their own language, this book will ease the
translation.
In short, whether you are a tourist in the world of computers or plan to make a living
there, I know you’ll find Computer Science Made Simple useful.
Because computer science is too large a subject to cover in a single book, I chose to
include topics that are broadly relevant. When choosing between two otherwise equal
topics, I picked the one I thought was the most interesting.
If “technical” subjects sometimes scare you, have no fear: This is computer science made
simple, after all. There’s no required background for reading this book, no mathematics to
solve, and no uncommon terms are used except those the book defines for you. When
possible, I’ve simplified subjects without leaving out essential details. I haven’t shied
away from tricky subjects, but I’ve explained them in a way that I trust anyone can
understand.