Free Computer Science: An Overview (12th Edition) Ebooks Online
Computer Science: An Overview is intended for use in the Introduction to Computer Science course. It is also suitable for all readers interested in a breadth-first introduction to computer science. Computer Science uses broad coverage and clear exposition to present a complete picture of the dynamic computer science field. Accessible to students from all backgrounds, Glenn Brookshear and Dennis Brylow encourage the development of a practical, realistic understanding of the field. An overview of each of the important areas of Computer Science provides students with a general level of proficiency for future courses. This new edition incorporates an introduction to the Python programming language into key chapters. Teaching and Learning Experience This program will provide a better teaching and learning experience–for you and your students. It will help: Develop a Practical, Realistic Understanding of Computer Science: An overview of each of the important areas of Computer Science prepares students for future courses. Fit your Course Preferences: Individual chapters are independent and can be covered in an order that suits your course. Use Python to prepare students for future courses: A new focus on Python provides programming tools for exploration and experimentation. Reinforce Core Concepts: More than 1000 Questions and Exercises, Chapter Review Problems, and Social Issues questions give students the opportunity to apply concepts. Support Learning with Student Resources: The Companion Website www.pearsonhighered.com/brookshear features resources that enhance learning.
Paperback: 640 pages
Publisher: Pearson; 12 edition (April 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0133760065
ISBN-13: 978-0133760064
Product Dimensions: 8 x 1 x 9.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #48,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #252 in Books > Computers & Technology > Computer Science #587 in Books > Textbooks > Computer Science #13609 in Books > Reference
I only have 4th edition so I can't comment on the 12th. And yeah, the 4th is certainly old regarding computers (1994).However, if you are interested in finding out about how computers actually work then this is a good book. It is a good introduction to a lot of important stuff and you should, by the end, have a much better idea of how computers do what they do.But yes -- two warnings. First, you should know something about computers before hand. There is not much point reading this unless you are deeply interested in computers and want to know how they work. You should also actually have attempted to program computers, and the more familiar you are, the better. Because a lot of what he talks about is difficult to understand if you have no context. Unfortunately there isn't much Glenn can do about this because this is the nature of this puzzlingly and interesting field. The second warning is that I wouldn't try to read this in one go. There is too much to get from it, and it is tough going. I just read it whenever I have time, a little bit here and there if my curiosity is piqued.I think those two warnings explain a lot of the negative reviews here.But overall, it is a great book for those who want to broaden their knowledge, and I highly recommend this book. I have benefited from it a lot.If you are looking for something lighter and you are newer to this area, I would suggest the book 'Code' by Petzold before this one. I actually only got half way through but it is much more grounded in its approach and it works from very simple pieces upwards. Plus it is written for a much wider audience and is more interesting to a lay person than this book.If you are looking for something more simple than 'Code' - which I admit is certainly hard at times too! - I don't have any suggestions yet. Sorry!
It's a pretty decent book, i mean it's required for my coursework so I can't complain. The biggest thing I'd recommend this book for school late as possible, and then buying the book two weeks after classes have started. Originally, it would've been like $45, but I got it for $15 by waiting the school prices out. I got it with prime 2-day shipping, so I ordered on Friday and got it on Sunday.
If you don't have to read Computer Science: An Overview (12th Edition) for a college class (as I do), then I recommend that you don't read it at all.I'm most of my way through an AA degree, which means I still have a long way to go, but I've never encountered a text as dull as this one. I can be absolutely wired on coffee and positive energy, and then I sit down and try to read a chapter in this torture device and I find myself falling asleep within a few pages.What might be the reason for that? Every page has 4 or 5 new terms that may or may not actually be useful, and there's a bunch of discussion also about formulas and algorithms and such. This you would expect from a book on computer science, a topic that actually does interest me, but here it is presented dryly and the goal doesn't seem to be to provide the promised overview. Instead, the authors seem to be attempting to cover every element of computer science with a few sentences devoted to each topic before moving onto the next concept. There's no time for anything to sink in before you're moving onto the next awful clump of sentences. Often, the author will waste time describing something, then say "But don't worry about that until chapter 12" or whatever.I've built dynamic web sites using HTML and PHP (which to me feels more intuitive than the Python used here), and even so, the paragraphs introducing relatively basic concepts such as recursive algorithms nearly induced a coma without providing much of the enlightenment you might hope for. In summary, there's a lot of good information here, but good luck caring about it--let alone retaining much of it--the way it is presented.
This is a decent overview of computer science textbook. A few people rated this poorly but honestly I felt my instructors used the material well and thier lectures built on what Brookshear was trying to accomplish with this textbook. This was used for an overview introductory class not a hard core algorithm or programming course.
I read this as required reading for a Computer Science Course. The book is well structured with good explanations, bold highlighting of key words/concepts. The best parts are the historical background in each of the key areas. Though some of the content has likely been updated in these later editions, unfortunately the overall feel is that of a textbook that hasn't changed significantly in over a decade. The color combo and graphic layout is a cookie cut from many of the other textbooks I've endured plowing through over the years. Nothing really exciting jumped out at me.If you're a student using this book as the required text for a course, you'll find it works well. If you're looking to be inspired by a text covering the dynamic and exciting field of computer science, this one could be improved on.
Although the textbook details information in it's chapters in a way that is easy to understand, many of the chapter review questions contain information that cannot be easily found within the chapter in question, if its been discussed in the book prior at all. This book teaches you why computers do certain things, and then expects the student to be able to fathom the how and execution with minimal to no help.
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