The purpose of the book is to eliminate the feelings of intimidation, confusion and helplessness many people feel as a result of the computerization of our society. This is done through education: explaining and defining concepts, terminology, and the history of computer technology. It shows how the concepts have been brought to life in computer hardware and software, and ties it all to current-day products. Making these tie-ins gives the reader wonderful insight. A product name such as Windows becomes something more than just software sold by a company called Microsoft. It brings to mind such things as single-user operating systems, graphical user interfaces, microcomputers and microprocessors, random access memory, bits and bytes, Charles Babbage and Lady Ada Lovelace, . . .
The book contains fifteen chapters. Starting at the beginning, each group of three chapters can be thought of as a unit: a class, a home, and a computer session. Each of the three presents the material from a different perspective: the classes from a user's perspective, the computer sessions from that of a "computer", and the home sessions from the perspective of a family trying to adjust to the changes brought about by the computer revolution.
The presentation of the material starts with computer hardware, with the class covering it from the outside in (keyboard, monitor, etc.) and the computer working from the inside out (CPU, bus, etc). The book progresses from hardware to the more abstract concept of software, and finally to the interaction of the two. Woven throughout is a message of encouragement, one of positive attitude and excitement about the opportunities the computer revolution has made available.
