Customer Reviews

Computer Science: An Overview (6th Edition)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book provides the fundamentals of the Science behind computing and the machines called computers in a down to earth, straightforward, easy to understand manner. An absolute MUST READ for anyone who works with computers and computer science, and simple enough to understand that anyone interested in computers can read it. If you are interested in learning the details of how comptuers work but don't know much about them yet, this is a WONDERFUL place to start as it assumes no prior knowledge and FINALLY MEANS IT FOR ONCE! You can pick up this book having never seen a computer and understand it. It's about time!

I decided to buy this book when I noticed that it was popular among people preparing for the CS GRE test. Even though this book was not written with seniors in Computer Science in mind, it was still helpful for preparing for the GRE test since it covers a broad range of basic concepts, some of which I had not encountered in my college courses, and some others I had long since forgotten. Learning/Reviewing these basic concepts definitely helped me score higher on the GRE (one should not forget that a large proportions of the questions on the GRE concern very basic material, such as : what's the 2's complement representation of this number)

This book covers all aspects of the 'computer' world with enough detail so the "non-geek" can understand how computers work, how they store data, the basics of operating systems and networks, how 'data' is organized into information, programming languages, algorithms and software engineering, finishing with AI and the theory of computation. I use this book in an extension class at UCSD, an introductory course to computer science. When one is finished with this book, at least they will have a good foundation to "talk'n the talk!" and an understanding of how "them thar conducting rocks really work." Some of the students feel that there is to much information for an 18 hour course, yet they feel the book is a valuable, readable informatative resource.

...to a complex and every-changing field, J. Glenn Brookshear's COMPUTER SCIENCE: AN OVERVIEW provides a comprehensive look at the world of computer science. There is no programming-language specific information in the book, as examples are worked in a simple, spoken-English psuedocode (and occasionally in multiple other language samples). The book may be small and expensive, but it offers little extraneous information, instead moving at a quick pace through interesting topics. The questions and exercises are actually beneficial, and the bibliography at the end of each chapter offers great resources for more advanced study. I highly recommend this book as the cornerstone for any introductory class of computer scientists.

Those who have a general understanding of how computers work and have studied a programming language, particularly modern ones such as C++, are unlikely to benefit from this book. The book provides an extremely general and conceptual view of computer hardware (e.g., what is a megabyte? what are the types of media?), programming (what is a variable?), and software (e.g., what is an operating system?) in terms of terminology definitions, pseudocode, and flow charts. Chances are, if have an aptitude for computers, the broad and lengthy explanations in this text won't enlighten you or teach you anything that you didn't already know.

Look elsewhere if you want a general overview of computer science to help you to advance to more specific topics in computer science. - Computer software is categorized as an operating system or an application. - Not very helpful.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for information that you can use. All topics are covered on an extremely shallow surface. For example - The book mentions Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools, but only in terms of what it is and what the advantages are of this method.

In addition, you should not buy this book if you are looking for a comprehensive overview of computer science in the context of current technology. Part of my reason for buying this book was to get an overall understanding of what's out there and how it all fits together. This book is just way too vague of an overview.

A non-technical person or a middle school student or someone studying computer science only to pass a test may find merit (hence the two stars). But, for the rest of us, it's a waste of money.

It's like a rock. A good foundation for computer science majors. I got schooled as a dbl major in CS and IS and I'm now working on my MCS at UIUC, so I've had to survey and digest various texts on the "intros" to computer science. I actually read "Computer Science: An Overview" (5th edition) during my first lower division computer science course. I was so newbie back then. hahaha. Anyways, each chapter was totally addictive. Every once in a while I'll pick up this book for a computer science reference because there are advanced topics in this text as well. But there are also beginner topics too. It's a impressive mix.

A computer science text as best by far.

I read this book to prepare for the DANTES test in Computer Science. Anyone who understands the material in this text will ace the Intro. to Computer Science test. This is well worth the price of the book considering the test gives 3 undergraduate units without any classroom time. Additionally, the book was enjoyable to read. I would recommend it to anyone wishing to know more about computers.

good overall review touching on all aspects of computer science: binary code and machine language, the evolution of software, storage techniques, and machine operations. the book is not practical and don't expect to learn many things that can be immediately applied. also, to understand the material you'll need to do the practise problems and exercises.

accordingly, this book is most well suited for an introductory class in computers or as a reference guide.

I took the CS Gre on Dec. 8th, 2001; this book does a good but not complete job of prepping to take this exam. The majority of my exam focused on algorithms, algorithm analysis and code execution, which the book does not cover very well. However, there were 3-4 questions on the test for each of the following subjects:

1. Machine Architecture, including Binary math
2. Operating Systems
3. Programming Languages, specifically
a. Scope of Variables
b. Compilation vs. Interpration
4. Data Structures
5. Computability/Computation Theory

The book did an excellent job of providing a basic overview of the above subjects.

Although, I only studied for about 2 weeks for the CS Gre, I thought this book's most important role is that it did an excellent job of getting me in the computer science mindset after being out of school for more than a year. For a complete prep for the CS Gre, i would recommend reviewing this book, INTRODUCTION TO ALGORITHMS by Cormen, Leiserson, and Rivest and also anything covered basic logic principles applied to computer science (there were several questions on logical circuits).

It's like a rock. A good foundation for computer science majors. I got schooled as a dbl major in CS and IS and I'm now working on my MCS at UIUC, so I've had to survey and digest various texts on the "intros" to computer science. I actually read "Computer Science: An Overview" (5th edition) during my first lower division computer science course. I was so newbie back then. hahaha. Anyways, each chapter was totally addictive. I still review this book for a computer science reference because it has advanced topics; on the other hand, it has novice topics as well. It's a impressive mix.

A computer science text as best by far.