Review of the book 'Spectrum M/C for Beginners' by Paul Holmes

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Never write a book, especially a brainy one, when you are still a teenager. Members of the opposite sex won't believe you as you brag in clubs, most other people will resent your talent/ability, and most importantly - no one likes a smart alec before their time. There's the distinct possibility that Paul Holmes, who wrote SPECTRUM M/C FOR BEGINNERS in 1983, looks back and shudders when he reads what used to pass as his 'humour' and rapier like wit. I'm being unkind. Most of us weep when machine code is mentioned, I actually have several panic attacks when confronted with a DIM statement. I've been working my way through this book very slowly and am beginning to just about get the merest of understanding together. Relatively simple BASIC instructions like changing BORDER colour are demonstrated in M/C to great depth. This method of dropping you in at the shallow end is far more productive than similar books I've attempted to consume... like R.A & J.W Penfolds INTRODUCTION TO Z80 M/C for instance. I think I'd rather have red hot pokers up my ring than try to read that book again. I'll be honest with you, I haven't got the patience or the mathematical nous to ever conquer M/C, and books like the Penfolds one is hardly going to fill my mind with challenging new goals. Give me my BASIC error messages and slow running programs any-day of the week, cos' that's what half-wits like me are stuck with. Have you read The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart? it's very good. It's got some dice in it.