Safe Computing : How to Protect Your Computer, Your Body, Your Data, Your Money and Your Privacy in the Information Age

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Summary: You Need This Book!
Review: It's easy to become cavalier with your computer. This book tells you why that's risky & what you can do to protect your investment. Tom Bentley's gentle, whimsical book offers hands-on advice for every imaginable aspect of your computing world. Each chapter contains zillions of useful links that are 1.) actually relevant and 2.) still exist on the Web. I especially appreciated the chapter on data protection & the convenient table on backup devices. The book includes 4 pages of amusingly-illustrated stretching exercises which are so handy I've put them on my wall as reminders.

Bentley gives equal time to both Windows & Mac platforms, which means there's simply no excuse to avoid this book. It makes an excellent reference sourcebook which should be kept within arm's reach--make that an ergonomically correct reach--of everyone's workstation. "Safe Computing: How to Protect Your Computer, Your Body, Your Data, Your Money and Your Privacy in the Information Age" is both entertaining and educational, with nary a tinge of stuffiness.

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Summary: For anyone wanting or needing to use the computer
Review: Safe Computer: How To Protect Your Computer, Your Body, Your Data, Your Money And Your Privacy In The Information Age is specifically designed for anyone wanting or needing to use the computer for the personal and professional needs but are reluctant or uncomfortable in doing so because of all the stories they've heard about computer viruses, hackers, computer fraud, computer crashes, eyestrain, data loss, aching wrists, even identity theft. Tom Bentley takes a clear, comprehensive, reassuring, "reader friendly" approach in teaching the novice computer user how to protect and back up data; avoid computer usage caused aches, pains and repetitive stress injuries; avoid and overcome viruses, worms and Trojan Horses; foil hackers and identity thieves; keep secure from theft and fraud; preserve privacy while Web surfing, and much, much more. Very highly recommended reading guaranteed to restore operator confidence and assurance, Safe Computer is also enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM.

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Summary: Great resource for novice users
Review: Safe Computing is a great book for the novice user. I manage a group of PC techs and this is exactly the kind of information that we try to communicate to our customers. The links are extremely helpful as is the sample CD. I will recommend this book to those users who would like an easy to understand and comprehensive reference for safe computing practices.

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Summary: Buy This Book
Review: Safe Computing is an invaluable reference to protecting one's data, computer, money, privacy and warding off those nasty viruses and worms. It comes with a bonus CD-ROM relative to the contents of the book, for those of you fear too much separation from your computer.

It is written and formatted in a layout that is quickly accessible as you consider tossing caution to the winds and exposing your wider identity/credit card numbers to that amorphous and uncertain Cyber-World. Furthermore, when your eyes are burning, your back hunched like so many Quasimodo computer geeks, and your wrists twinging after all-night forays on the Internet, it offers a pleasing alternative to the computer screen. Unlike those software manuals, it is actually the sort of book that you may wish to keep close by your computer, for a much-needed chuckle at Mr Bentley's writing style, as well as its topical hints. It may even find its way into parents and parents-in-law Christmas stockings this year, to ward off those pesky questions concerning computing (which you can never seem to answer adequately anyhow).

A comprehensive reference manual it is, so toss out those slighter volumes about trying to protect your kids from all the mayhem on the net or how to sit up straight when typing away, and buy it.

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Summary: safe computing
Review: This is a valuable book for all computer users but especially for the new person learning to make better use of the computer. It is always a worry when shopping with one's credit card on the net, and this book makes it possible to take the fear out ofthe wrong person getting personal information.

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Summary: A wealth of great lesson plans just waiting to be adapted!
Review: Tom Bentley's self help manual offers lots of wonderful information to help anyone who deals with computers but, as a high school info tech (or computer)teacher I especially have found it beneficial. His pointers, advise and general information have practical application for the computer class, career preparation and business computing. I would even recommend it as a manual for employers who are concerned about the well being of employees and their computers.

Bentley has found a common sense approach for passing on information which is neither preechy or condescending. In short, I found this book to be a great read and a lot of help to me personally and the students I am teaching.