computer science simplified
December 2, 2005 11:02 AM Subscribe
Is there a good book/series/website that simplifies comp. sci. concepts (I'm thinking encryption, hashing, etc.) enough for the average engineer to comprehend? I'm thinking "Computer Science for Theory Dummies".
Old textbooks you liked would be great.
Old textbooks you liked would be great.
The university-level textbook that has stuck with me the longest is Andrew Tanenbaum's Modern Operating Systems. His prose is quite readable, and he gives a good overview of the details of, well, modern operating systems.
For encryption and hashing, you can't go too wrong with Bruce Schneier, particular the classic Applied Cryptography.
Unfortunately, neither of these fits into the "dummies" category, but they are both valuable references. These are the sort of books that someone outside the field can read a few chapters of, and skip the overly-technical bits without feeling bad.
posted by flipper at 11:31 AM on December 2, 2005
For encryption and hashing, you can't go too wrong with Bruce Schneier, particular the classic Applied Cryptography.
Unfortunately, neither of these fits into the "dummies" category, but they are both valuable references. These are the sort of books that someone outside the field can read a few chapters of, and skip the overly-technical bits without feeling bad.
posted by flipper at 11:31 AM on December 2, 2005
The Feynman Lectures on Computation is short and surprisingly easy (and fun) to read. Unfortunately it only covers a few narrow areas of computer science.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:42 AM on December 2, 2005
posted by mbrubeck at 11:42 AM on December 2, 2005
It's not a text book, but Simon Singh's The Code Book is probably my favorite of all time. (Code meaning encryption in this case).
It talks about the history of encryption and gets you comfortable with the basics of how it all works.
Really a great book, even for non-techies.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2005
It talks about the history of encryption and gets you comfortable with the basics of how it all works.
Really a great book, even for non-techies.
posted by freshgroundpepper at 11:49 AM on December 2, 2005
Hashing and encryption relate to information theory, not computer science, by the way. Applied Cryptography would be a good read for you, I would think (Havn't read it myself)
posted by delmoi at 12:31 PM on December 2, 2005
posted by delmoi at 12:31 PM on December 2, 2005
The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs is an excellent introductory computer science text used at places like MIT and Berkeley. The full text is available online at that link. If your focus is on 'simple' it's probably not your best bet but it is an excellent text if you want to develop a deep understanding of the concepts it covers.
posted by harmfulray at 1:00 PM on December 2, 2005
posted by harmfulray at 1:00 PM on December 2, 2005
Aho and Ullman is the classic text from my CS education.
posted by jimfl at 1:42 PM on December 2, 2005
posted by jimfl at 1:42 PM on December 2, 2005
Anyone looking for a "fundamental concepts" book might want to look at Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold. I have just checked it out from my local library and it looks promising (quick skim).
posted by Mike C. at 12:03 PM on December 3, 2005
posted by Mike C. at 12:03 PM on December 3, 2005
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posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:20 AM on December 2, 2005