Computer Science: An Overview (9th Edition) [Paperback]

J. Glenn Brookshear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0321387015 | ISBN-13: 978-0321387011 | Edition: 9

For over a decade, students and instructors alike have praised the broad coverage and clear exposition in the leading text Computer Science: An Overview. Glenn Brookshear draws on years of success in the classroom in this practical, language-independent approach to the introduction of core computing science topics. This Ninth Edition provides a balanced, realistic picture of the dynamic nature of computer science by presenting the historical background and the most up-to-date research and trends. It engages students with timely topics like bioinformatics and artificial intelligence, and provides coverage of foundational hardware topics like data representation/storage, machine architecture, and machine language.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Introduction to Computer Science

 

Computer Science: An Overview, Ninth Edition

J. Glenn Brookshear, Marquette University

 

Do you want your students to gain a fundamental understanding of the field of computer science? Would you like them to be excited by the opportunities computing presents for further studies and future careers?

 

Computer Science: An Overview delivers a foundational framework of what computer science is all about. Each topic is presented with a historical perspective, its current state, and its future potential, as well as ethical issues for students to consider. This balanced, realistic picture helps students see that their future success depends on a solid overview in the rapidly changing field of computer science.

 

Features:

• A language-independent introduction to computer science that uses C#, C++, and JavaTM as example languages.
• More than 1,000 Questions/Exercises, Chapter Review Problems, and Social Issues questions that give students the opportunity to apply the concepts as they learn them.
• Discussion of ethical and legal aspects of areas such as Internet security, software engineering, and database technology that brings to light the things students should know to be safe and responsible users of technology.
• A Companion Website that includes practical exploration of topics from the text, software simulators, and more. Available at aw.com/brookshear.

 

Check the front of the book for the access code that opens up the Companion Website and the valuable student resources for this book. Six-month access is included with all new books.

Product Details

• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Addison Wesley; 9 edition (February 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321387015
• ISBN-13: 978-0321387011
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #699,423 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For Computer Science Beginners, May 26, 2007

By 

David A. Lessnau (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Computer Science: An Overview (9th Edition) (Paperback)

This is a very good introductory survey course of Computer Science provided you're planning to major in CS. The reason I've rated the book at only 3 stars out of 5 is solely because of the first sentence in the Audience section of the Preface on page vii:

"I wrote this text for students of computer science as well as students from other disciplines."

That last clause (saying the book is also for non-CS types) is the killer. Basically, the book's level of detail far exceeds anything that any non-CS person would be willing to put up with. Mitigating that, the Organization section of the Preface on page viii lists those sections that non-CS students should read. The Table of Contents also has asterisks indicating suggestions for optional sections (though there's no indication in the actual text noting the optional nature of those sections). Still, overall, it feels like the author uses too technical a vocabulary for non-CS types even in those remaining sections.

Just to emphasize, this book is really for beginners in Computer Science. It's a survey book designed not to teach the material in depth, but to give the student enough knowledge of the material to wrap later courses around. But, that leads to another problem with the book. The book is written for someone with no knowledge of computers, BUT, AT THE SAME TIME, assumes that person is fairly familiar with the topic. In other words, if you don't know anything about computers, you'll soon be wallowing in an awful lot of technical concepts and terms and will probably get confused. On the other hand, if you're already somewhat familiar with the topic, the basic nature of the material will probably bore you. Sort of a Catch-22.

Still, if a person is just starting a Computer Science degree, this is probably a 4 star out of 5 book. For non-CSers, it would be a problem. For them, I'd recommend The Analytical Engine: An Introduction to Computer Science Using the Internet, Second Edition: An Introduction to Computer Science Using the Internet (with CD-ROM).

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars 9th ed. Author needs to take a writing class, November 6, 2007

By 

Teresa Shaw "Biblioholic" (MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Computer Science: An Overview (9th Edition) (Paperback)

This book was required for my college introductory computer science class. Surprisingly enough, I had to purchase a different computer science book in order to understand this book. The author writes in circles and rarely states definitions plainly. Many times, Brookshear attempts two or three times to restate the information he is trying to convey, but this just makes the book even more confusing. It is not "fun" to read.

This book reminds me of the old, stodgy computer books of the 1990s. The paper is thin, and the font is very tiny and faint. The layout seems to be stuck in the 1990s as well. There are no chapter review sections that plainly compile major themes and no terms/definitions lists. A glossary would have been great. Also, there are no quick reference facts posted in the page margins. One plus is that the publisher put key terms in bold but, like I mentioned above, the author keeps you searching and searching for definitions.

To help ensure I passed my computer science class, I purchased Computer Science Illuminated, 3rd ed., by Nell Dale and John Lewis and had no problems at all understanding the topic or the writing. Computer Science Illuminated includes the same information as Brookshear's book but is 100 times easier to read and understand. Plus, it is "fun" to read. Computer Science Illuminated

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!!, May 22, 2006

By 

Feras Al-Jumah (Saudi Arabia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Computer Science: An Overview (9th Edition) (Paperback)

I'm getting my B.S this semester from the College of Computer and Information Sciences. I ordered this book last week, and I definitely recommend it to any Computer Science graduate preparing for a job interview, you can review all the basics you studied in college on a weekend !!