The Tao of Computing, 2nd Edition

The Tao of Computing, 2nd Edition

by Henry M. Walker
Released July 2012
Publisher(s): Chapman and Hall/CRC
ISBN: 9781439892527

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Book description

Describing both the practical details of interest to students and the high-level concepts and abstractions highlighted by faculty, The Tao of Computing, Second Edition presents a comprehensive introduction to computers and computer technology. This edition updates its popular predecessor with new research exercises and expanded discussion questions.

It uses a question-and-answer format to provide thoughtful answers to the many practical questions that students have about computing. Among the questions answered, the book explains:

  • What capabilities computers have in helping people solve problems and what limitations need to be considered
  • Why machines act the way they do
  • What is involved in getting computers to interact with networks

The book offers a down-to-earth overview of fundamental computer fluency topics, from the basics of how a computer is organized and an overview of operating systems to a description of how the Internet works. The second edition describes new technological advances including social media applications and RSS feeds.

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover (1/2)
  2. Front Cover (2/2)
  3. Contents (1/4)
  4. Contents (2/4)
  5. Contents (3/4)
  6. Contents (4/4)
  7. Preface (1/2)
  8. Preface (2/2)
  9. Acknowledgments
  10. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (1/6)
  11. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (2/6)
  12. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (3/6)
  13. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (4/6)
  14. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (5/6)
  15. Chapter 1 - How Are Computers Organized? (6/6)
  16. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (1/6)
  17. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (2/6)
  18. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (3/6)
  19. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (4/6)
  20. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (5/6)
  21. Chapter 2 - How Are Numbers and Characters Represented in a Computer (and Who Cares)? (6/6)
  22. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (1/6)
  23. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (2/6)
  24. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (3/6)
  25. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (4/6)
  26. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (5/6)
  27. Chapter 3 - How Are Images Represented (and Does It Matter)? (6/6)
  28. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (1/6)
  29. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (2/6)
  30. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (3/6)
  31. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (4/6)
  32. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (5/6)
  33. Chapter 4 - Where Are Programs and Data Stored? (6/6)
  34. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (1/6)
  35. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (2/6)
  36. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (3/6)
  37. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (4/6)
  38. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (5/6)
  39. Chapter 5 - What Is an Operating System, and What Does It Do? (6/6)
  40. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (1/8)
  41. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (2/8)
  42. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (3/8)
  43. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (4/8)
  44. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (5/8)
  45. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (6/8)
  46. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (7/8)
  47. Chapter 6 - What Can Computers Do for Me? (8/8)
  48. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (1/7)
  49. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (2/7)
  50. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (3/7)
  51. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (4/7)
  52. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (5/7)
  53. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (6/7)
  54. Chapter 7 - What Should I Know about the Sizes and Speeds of Computers? (7/7)
  55. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (1/7)
  56. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (2/7)
  57. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (3/7)
  58. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (4/7)
  59. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (5/7)
  60. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (6/7)
  61. Chapter 8 - How Are Software Packages Developed? (7/7)
  62. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (1/7)
  63. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (2/7)
  64. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (3/7)
  65. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (4/7)
  66. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (5/7)
  67. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (6/7)
  68. Chapter 9 - How Are Computers Connected? (7/7)
  69. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (1/6)
  70. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (2/6)
  71. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (3/6)
  72. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (4/6)
  73. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (5/6)
  74. Chapter 10 - How Do Computers Share Information So That I Can Exchange Materials with Others Using a Computer Network? (6/6)
  75. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (1/8)
  76. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (2/8)
  77. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (3/8)
  78. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (4/8)
  79. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (5/8)
  80. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (6/8)
  81. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (7/8)
  82. Chapter 11 - When Can I Consider My Personal Data Secure? (8/8)
  83. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (1/7)
  84. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (2/7)
  85. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (3/7)
  86. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (4/7)
  87. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (5/7)
  88. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (6/7)
  89. Chapter 12 - How Does the Internet Work? (7/7)
  90. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (1/7)
  91. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (2/7)
  92. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (3/7)
  93. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (4/7)
  94. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (5/7)
  95. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (6/7)
  96. Chapter 13 - How Do Web Applications Work? (7/7)
  97. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (1/7)
  98. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (2/7)
  99. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (3/7)
  100. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (4/7)
  101. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (5/7)
  102. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (6/7)
  103. Chapter 14 - How Private (or Public) Are Web Interactions? (7/7)
  104. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (1/6)
  105. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (2/6)
  106. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (3/6)
  107. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (4/6)
  108. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (5/6)
  109. Chapter 15 - How Universal Is Access to Computers and the Web? (6/6)
  110. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (1/6)
  111. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (2/6)
  112. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (3/6)
  113. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (4/6)
  114. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (5/6)
  115. Chapter 16 - Can I Use Web-Based Materials in the Same Way as I Use Printed Sources? (6/6)
  116. Chapter 17 - Can Computers Think (Now or in the Future)? (1/5)
  117. Chapter 17 - Can Computers Think (Now or in the Future)? (2/5)
  118. Chapter 17 - Can Computers Think (Now or in the Future)? (3/5)
  119. Chapter 17 - Can Computers Think (Now or in the Future)? (4/5)
  120. Chapter 17 - Can Computers Think (Now or in the Future)? (5/5)
  121. Back Cover

Product information

  • Title: The Tao of Computing, 2nd Edition
  • Author(s): Henry M. Walker
  • Release date: July 2012
  • Publisher(s): Chapman and Hall/CRC
  • ISBN: 9781439892527