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The Analytical Engine: An Introduction to Computer Science Using the Internet
Rick Decker and Stuart Hirshfield's The Analytical Engine presents the discipline of computer science from a variety of perspectives, and gives students-majors and non-majors-a broad and realistic feeling for what computer scientists do and how they do it. The text develops problem-solving skills using a hands-on, lab-oriented approach, providing students with both directed and open-ended exercises that allow them to consider a variety of global issues. Throughout this integrated text/CD-ROM/Internet package, the authors encourage students to make connections between specific modules and other disciplines. The Analytical Engine serves as an excellent model for a contemporary CS0 course.
432 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 1998
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 20, 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good, Very Well-Written Book
December 15, 2004
This book is one of the two texts in FSU's COP 3502: "Introduction to Computer Science" course (a required course in their Computer Science degree). As the authors state in the preface, they "wanted to design a 'CS 0' course that was a true survey course." They did an excellent job. Basically, they start with the assumption that the reader has never turned on a computer in his life and take him through its history, how to use it, what programming is about, and how the hardware works. They even teach a bit of HTML and JavaScript. There's very little I can say that is bad about the book. It comes down to some typgraphical errors, an incorrect web address for the online portion of the book (easily figured out from the page their web address takes you to), and my belief that they took out too many steps in describing computer switches, gates, and circuits. Frankly, I'm amazed that they reasonably went from a neophyte level to a fully-grounded level in one book. I rate it as 5 stars out of 5.
Very Good, Very Well-Written Book
December 15, 2004
This book is one of the two texts in FSU's COP 3502: "Introduction to Computer Science" course (a required course in their Computer Science degree). As the authors state in the preface, they "wanted to design a 'CS 0' course that was a true survey course." They did an excellent job. Basically, they start with the assumption that the reader has never turned on a computer in his life and take him through its history, how to use it, what programming is about, and how the hardware works. They even teach a bit of HTML and JavaScript. There's very little I can say that is bad about the book. It comes down to some typgraphical errors, an incorrect web address for the online portion of the book (easily figured out from the page their web address takes you to), and my belief that they took out too many steps in describing computer switches, gates, and circuits. Frankly, I'm amazed that they reasonably went from a neophyte level to a fully-grounded level in one book. I rate it as 5 stars out of 5.
Displaying 1 of 1 review