Fluency with Information Technology: Skills, Concepts, and Capabilities

by Lawrence Snyder

Provides readers with the tools and resources to help them become effective users of technology. It covers material on how to set up a personal computer, install and use a variety of applications and understanding the commonalities of software programs. Also included is discussion of the how and why of basic principles of computers, digital representation of information, structuring information and fundamentals of networks. Information Technology defined, standard interface functionality, basics of networking, Web searching, HTML, Online Research, Debugging, database concepts,spreadsheet development, database queries, database design, privacy and secuirty andfundamental javascript concepts. For individuals who want to become effective users of technology and use it as a tool for organization, communication, research, and problem solving.

Genres: Nonfiction, Technology, Textbooks, School, Library Science, Librarianship

784 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2002

About the author

Lawrence Snyder is a professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. He received a BA from the University of Iowa in Mathematics and Economics, and his PhD from Carnegie Mellon University as a student of A. Nico Habermann. He has served on the faculties of Yale and Purdue, and has had visiting appointments at UW, Harvard, MIT, Sydney University, The Swiss Technological University (ETH), The University of Auckland, Kyoto University, The University of Western Australia and The University of Cyprus.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

required reading, learned a lot but hard for me to read due to limited prior knowledge

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been teaching an introduction to computers college level class for approximately 10 years and one aspect of the textbooks I have seen change over the years is a reduction in the level of rigor. Material such as the basics of programming, binary coding of messages, HTML, designing web pages, basic principles of databases and the basics of machine language have been removed. That is not the case with this book and it was very refreshing.
There are 24 chapters and chapters 18 through 22 demonstrate in-depth programming concepts, a complete bean counter program is listed and explained. Chapters 7 through 10 cover the basic computer operations of the machine cycle and algorithms.
If you teach a class in the basics of computers and want some depth to the content of your text, this one will work for you.

This book was made available for free for review purposes

[Lbaker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Life interrupted and I never finished the class that this text book was for.
I will keep it, and hopefully will at least use it for reference, if not take the incentive of doing the lessons myself.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5. It's helpful in explaining really basic ideas in some chapters, but a lot of it is pointless. Also, good god the bad dad jokes.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im updating my profile and its a computer textbook. Nuff said.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read for class. The programming section is really not clear and very confusing. But overall, interesting.