Bit Literacy or Big Java

Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-Mail Overload

Author: Mark Hurst

Bit Literacy is essential reading for anyone who has experienced "digital overload": the daily flood of e-mail, multiple todo lists, a cluttered desktop, documents in various file formats, and the constant distraction of cell phones and other devices.

More than a quick fix or another "how-to" guide, this book offers an entirely new way of attaining productivity that users at any level of expertise can put into action right away. This is "bit literacy," a method for working more productively in the digital age, with less stress.

Mark Hurst - who has reached hundreds of thousands of readers through his Good Experience e-mail newsletter, Uncle Mark technology guides, thisisbroken.com, and other websites - has revealed the way to survive, and thrive, in the digital age: "Let the bits go."

What People Are Saying

This is The Elements of Style for the digital age.
—Seth Godin, author, The Dip

Mark Hurst has written the indispensable guide to the digital era. Instead of a mere "how-to" guide, Hurst shows what's really going on when we struggle with e-mail and todo lists. For anyone who has ever used a computer, this will not just wildly increase their productivity (as it has for me!)—it'll also let their ideas fly.
—David Bodanis, author, E=mc² and Passionate Minds

An informative and clear step-by-step guide on how to turn the ever-increasing avalanche of bits into a force that will propel your life and career.
—Tom Hughes, Chief Design Officer, Idealab

Mark Hurst is the smartest person thinking about ways technology can make our lives easier rather than harder. If you're willing to give up some of your useless bytes for true knowledge and crowded RAM for zen clarity, then get bit-literate today.
—Douglas Rushkoff, author, Get Back in the Box

A lot of people feel left out of the whole Internet and computer thing, but realize it could be really valuable for them. Bit Literacy provides the basic skills required for anyone to engage the wave of informational change.
—Craig Newmark, founder, craigslist.org

Most of us learned how to deal with digital technology in piecemeal fashion. We developed habits that served us well for a time. But for the modern digital age, almost all of our habits are bad. In Bit Literacy, Mark Hurst provides brief, no-nonsense, clear, and unbelievably helpful advice on how to replace those bad habits with good ones. Take his advice and instead of being tyrannized by the overload that comes at you daily, you'll be liberated.
—Barry Schwartz, author, The Paradox of Choice

The word 'empowerment' should be included in the subtitle of this book, as I believe reading it reduces the hypertension involved in our daily journey through the flotsam and jetsam of life. Bit Literacy helps make the complex clear.
—Richard Saul Wurman, author, Understanding USA

Table of Contents:

Preface

PART I: THE CONTEXT
Chapter 1: Bits
Chapter 2: Users
Chapter 3: The Solution

PART II: THE METHOD
Chapter 4: Managing Incoming E-mail
Chapter 5: Managing Todos
Chapter 6: The Media Diet
Chapter 7: Managing Photos
Chapter 8: Creating Bits
Chapter 9: File Formats
Chapter 10: Naming Files
Chapter 11: Storing Files
Chapter 12: Other Essentials
Chapter 13: The Future of Bit Literacy

Appendix A: Message to Developers
Appendix B: On Mac vs. Windows
Afterword by Phil Terry

Interesting textbook: Tough Calls or Biotech

Big Java

Author: Cay S Horstmann

No one brews up a better Java guide than Cay Horstmann and in this Third Edition of Big Java he's perfected his recipe. Thoroughly updated to include Java 6, the Third Edition of Horstmann's bestselling text helps you absorb computing concepts and programming principles, develop strong problem-solving skills, and become a better programmer, all while exploring the elements of Java that are needed to write real-life programs.

A top-notch introductory text for beginners, Big Java, Third Edition is also a thorough reference for students and professionals alike to Java technologies, Internet programming, database access, and many other areas of computer science.

Features of the Third Edition:
* The 'Objects Gradual' approach leads you into object-oriented thinking step-by-step, from using classes, implementing simple methods, all the way to designing your own object-oriented programs.
* A strong emphasis on test-driven development encourages you to consider outcomes as you write programming code so you design better, more usable programs
* Helpful "Testing Track" introduces techniques and tools step by step, ensuring that you master one before moving on to the next
* New teaching and learning tools in WileyPLUS--including a unique assignment checker that enables you to test your programming problems online before you submit them for a grade
* Graphics topics are developed gradually throughout the text, conveniently highlighted in separate color-coded sections
* Updated coverage is fully compatible with Java 5 and includes a discussion of the latest Java 6 features