BKBYTEME.RVW   970429

"Byte Me!", Robert P. Libbon, 1996, 1-57297-204-1, U$11.00/C$16.00
%A   Robert P. Libbon
%C   200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY  10016
%D   1996
%G   1-57297-204-1
%I   Ace/Berkley/Boulevard/Charter/Diamond/Jove Books
%O   U$11.00/C$16.00 +1-800-788-6262 http://www.berkley.com/berkley
%P   208
%T   "Byte Me!: Computing for the Terminally Frustrated"

The cover is blue, rather than yellow, but you know who this parody is
aimed at.  I was more than half-way through the book when the full
irony of this hit me.  I've waded through dozens of works whose
authors try to be funny and only end up sounding sarcastic.  By
rights, Libbon should be sarcastic, but instead, he is funny,
insightful, and surprisingly informative.

Techno-peasants (and I still can't figure out why some people insist
on being proud of their ignorance) can enjoy it.  Libbon is funny,
doesn't require you to know about computers in advance, and comments
on plenty of human nature, as well.  For the full effect, though, you
need a geek background.  I mean, the Kevin Mitnick award?  "Takedown"
notwithstanding, who remembers what he did?  No, Libbon knows his
technical stuff, for all his fooling around, and his in-jokes are much
further "in" than the usual lame jokes about "Any" keys.

And therein lies an interesting point.  If you knew enough about
computers to strip out some of the silliness, this book provides some
very useful and thoughtful advice for those approaching a computer for
the first time.  Kind of a Catch-22, isn't it?  If you can understand
the material, you don't need it.

Well, ironies aside, it's a fine book.  Perhaps not side-splitting all
the way through, but amusing enough, and thought-provoking at times,
to boot.

copyright Robert M. Slade, 1997   BKBYTEME.RVW   970429