Book Review

Taming Your Computer -
The Simple Basics and Beyond

as Printed in the
Senior Focus newspaper, Denver, CO

Most computer manuals are written by programmers for advanced users who click on menus and buttons until they find what they're looking for. "Taming Your Computer - The Simple Basics and Beyond," written by computer columnist Barb Walker, is a user-friendly manual in plain English, with large, easy-to-read text, and diagrams that demonstrate each step of the lesson.

"I highly recommend this book to all beginner and intermediate computer users," says Betty Olsen, one of Walker's clients. "Its simplicity gives me confidence to try new tasks. The glossary defined computer terms I didn't understand. I'm a visual learner and the diagrams were a great reinforcement."

"I wrote this in a format my 80-year-old mother could understand," says Walker. "Studies have shown that we learn better and retain more information when lessons are reinforced with pictures and written at a seventh-grade level. Humor goes a long way to make learning fun."

Walker focuses on a variety of tasks from changing screen savers and deleting icons, to mouse functions, managing files and folders, document preparation, and viruses.

"One topic people love to see demonstrated is how to print envelopes from their computer. It's so easy to do, but it's generally 'buried' in big manuals where you can't find it easily. This lesson is always a hit with the readers!" says Walker.

Each one-page lesson gives step-by-step instructions to successfully accomplish that task. It's fun to read, full of graphics that teach, and makes you smile.

- Published 2007

Click here to try some sample lessons