In the preceding chapters, you learned how to buy a computer — and how to operate it by using operating systems, word processors, the Internet, and other means of communication.

Now let’s see how computers can handle tricky applications. We’ll start by looking at how computers handle spreadsheets (tables of numbers) and databases (such as lists of names & addresses), then get into applications that are even trickier and wilder, such as art, music, games, and fun! Lovemaking, too! Let’s get wild! This section shows you how to do it all.

It tackles even the trickiest challenges, such as building a robot that acts just like you, and finding an accounting program that actually works well!

I wish you happy hunting through this thicket of pleasures and pain. When you finish, you’ll understand why computers are just a high-tech form of sadomasochism.

Enjoy!