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E.C. Meade Looks at Books

THE COMPLETE HANDBOOK OF PERSONAL COMPUTER COMMUNICATIONS
Alfred Glossbrenner
St. Martin’s Press
325 pages/$14.95

If you want your computer to manage electronic mail, search stores for bargains, bank, book reservations, and do research, this is a useful tome. Sure to become dated as technology evolves, but a good, informal primer.

THE NEW AMERICAN COMPUTER DICTIONARY
Kent Porter
New American Library
320 pages/$3.50

For the price, you can’t beat this as a basic “bluffer’s guide” to computer terms. On the other hand, none of the 2,000 definitions is as detailed as a non-layperson might like.

GENESIS II
Dale Peterson
Reston
224 pages/$15.95

The book carries a steep price tag, but it’s worth the investment. This is an easily-understood guide to how computers create art and music, illustrated with eye-popping color.

ROM
Marvel Comics
32 pages/$.60

If you think Tron is the end-all of hi-tech superheroes, pick up a copy of Rom for nifty gadgets, surprisingly sombre tales, effective characterization, and lots of action. It’ll be a nice break from all the online/glossarial reading you’ll be doing.