Additional information
by Fm Bill Jordan (Author)
This is a book describing some of my adventures as a self-taught programmer. I later worked as a programmer and was an IT trainer for 10 years. I am also a master chess player, chess having some things in common with programming.
Who is this book for?
It is for anyone learning or interested in learning about programming or is simply curious about what is involved with programming.
This is also a story for anyone who had or used an Amiga, a Commodore 64, an Apple IIe or any other early PC. In short, anyone who is interested in retro computers.
The book talks about the BASIC and C/C++ languages. While BASIC may not be an important language these days, there are many ideas from BASIC that apply to current programming languages.
One of the themes of the book is developing the art of thinking abstractly.
C is an important language because is the descendant of many modern languages:
- C++
- Java
- JavaScript
- Python
- Actionscript
Many languages are designed to look like C to make them easier to learn.
This book will give many ideas and coding examples of programming.
It's also for experienced programmers who are interested in stories about programming.
In fact, the most important thing about this book is the stories.
The image on the front cover is part of a Mandelbrot which is a type of computer-generated image. This Mandelbrot was generated on an Amiga computer which was popular in the late 80s and early 90s.
My other books on programming include:
- The Joy of Chess Programming
- How to Write a Chess Program
- How to Write a Bitboard Chess Engine
- How to Write a JavaScript Chess Engine
