Computing for Ordinary Mortals

by Robert St. Amant

Computing isn't only (or even mostly) about hardware and software; it's also about the ideas behind the technology. In Computing for Ordinary Mortals , computer scientist Robert St. Amant explains this " really interesting part" of computing, introducing basic computing concepts and strategies in a way that readers without a technical background can understand and appreciate.

Each of the chapters illustrates ideas from a different area of computing, and together they provide important insights into what drives the field as a whole. St. Amant starts off with an overview of basic concepts as well as a brief history of the earliest computers, and then he traces two different threads through the fabric of computing. One thread is practical, illuminating the architecture of a computer and showing how this architecture makes computation efficient. St. Amant shows us how to write down instructions so that a computer can accomplish specific tasks (programming), how the computer manages those tasks as it runs (in its operating system), and how computers can communicate with each other (over a network). The other thread is theoretical, describing how computers are, in the abstract, machines for solving problems. Some of these ideas are embedded in much of what we do as humans, and thus this discussion can also give us insight into our own daily activities, how we
interact with other people, and in some cases even what's going on in our heads.

St. Amant concludes with artificial intelligence, exploring the possibility that computers might eventually be capable of human-level intelligence, and human-computer interaction, showing how computers can enrich our lives--and how they fall short.

Genres: Technology, Nonfiction, Computers, Science

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2012

Reviews

[Martin Herbordt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Computing for non-specialists.
This book is based on the decade long experience of an award-winning professor teaching a technical course to non-majors. Ten chapters cover the major subfields of Computer Science and Engineering, from theory and algorithms, through computer organization, operating systems, networks, and programming, to connection to the world through artificial intelligence and human computer interfaces. The overall theme is to teach all aspects through stories (parables?) that anyone can follow. Many of these are amazingly clever and both retain interest and also make nearly impossible concepts accessible.
Halting problem anyone? How about P versus NP? These are VERY deep concepts that take whole lectures to explain. St. Amant gets the key ideas across in a few sentences.
Even to a PhD level professional with 30 years’ experience, I found something wonderful on just about every page.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mixed bag for me, partly because I didn't feel it entirely accomplished what it 'said on the label'. This claims to be a book for everyday people, such as bloggers who wish to know more about how their computer works. And to some extent it succeeds. There were certain chapters on how the computer works I found interesting, and I also enjoyed the chapter on AI.

But, there were some chapters I found a little dry and I believe they require a certain pre-requisite knowledge that I don't possess. I would say this is more a book for an amateur with some initial knowledge as opposed to a lay person who uses computers regularly but does not have a strong background in the language and systems that make it work.

In conclusion: good for the right audience, but maybe not for everybody unless they are really keen on a lot of dry detail.

I received this book as a free e-book ARC via NetGalley.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read. Informative and great jumping off point for further consideration of computing field.