Computer Science Distilled: Learn the Art of Solving Computational Problems - Softcover

Ferreira Filho, Wladston

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0997316020 ISBN 13: 9780997316025

Publisher: Code Energy, 2017

Synopsis

A walkthrough of computer science concepts you must know. Designed for readers who don't care for academic formalities, it's a fast and easy computer science guide. It teaches the foundations you need to program computers effectively. After a simple introduction to discrete math, it presents common algorithms and data structures. It also outlines the principles that make computers and programming languages work.

About this title

From the Back Cover

The missing guide to computer science topics every programmer should know Do you know basic coding, but hesitate to tackle big problems? You're not alone. Many programmers don't know how to push computers to their full potential. Computer Science Distilled will teach you the principles of computational problem solving. If you're not sure how your code works, this book will open you the door to programming mastery. It's also a simple reference to be consulted in times of doubt. It will not waste  your time with boring academic formalities! The fundamentals of computer science are fun and easy. Let's keep them that way.

Review

This book is an interesting offering. It attempts to condense a large subset of a standard computer science curriculum in a mere 168 pages—a rather formidable task. The result? It depends on the reader and what he or she expects to get out of it. The book offers a glimpse of important topics usually taught in discrete mathematics, data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, databases, operating systems, and programming languages courses. It offers no practice to the reader and only a few examples, which are carefully chosen for their pedagogical value. Who could benefit though from this fragmented and concisely summarized knowledge? The author targets the casual coder who is missing fundamental knowledge in computer science. The claim that this book can open the door to programming mastery is a bit farfetched, as the material it exposes barely scratches the surface. Nevertheless, it certainly offers good value to the novice coder who aims to explore the computer science field further. This book provides an overview of very important and carefully selected topics, and does so in an approachable and often entertaining way.

Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers.

—D. Papamichail, The College of New Jersey, Choice, Vol. 55 (3), October, 2017)

Edition details

• Publisher: Code Energy
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0997316020
• ISBN 13: 9780997316025
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 186
• Editor: Pictet Raimondo