The big day is approaching fast when my first book will be published - October 17th to be exact - and it is getting very exciting. I had not anticipated the amount of work that has to go in to the process of publishing if the project is to be a success. There are signing sessions to be arranged, video interviews to be organised, flyers to be distributed and an accompanying website to be developed.

The book is already ready for pre-order on many booksellers websites and the publishers are enthusiastic about the prospects for sales.

If you want to have a taster of what the book will be like, these are the Authors comments I have posted on the Amazon website -

From the Author
I have been teaching members of the Third Age how to use their home computers for the past ten years and it soon became apparent that much of what I taught during the lessons was quickly forgotten. To overcome this I created a number of revision notes for the benefit of my pupils and it was these notes that formed the original basis for this book.In this respect I can say that the contents have been extensively consumer tested to provide the easiest understandability of the lessons which make up the text.

I have made a deliberate choice to avoid all acronyms and "computerspeak" within the text without patronising the reader in any way. The book is designed to help the readers enjoy their computing experience by laughing at their mistakes and not taking life too seriously. The learning process is designed to be fun not a frazzle.

There will be a website linked to the publication of the book where readers can put their own questions and difficulties to me and between us we should be able to sort out most of the early computing problems From the Back CoverComputing for the Older & Wiser is a simple–to–follow user friendly guide aimed at the older generation introducing the basics of mastering a computer. Covering the latest release of Windows Vista Home PremiumTM and Windows XPTM, this book is designed for people who want straightforward instructions on how to use their home PC.

Written in plain English, using no unintelligible ‘computer speak’ Adrian guides you step–by–step through the basics of computing including chapters on:

Use of the keyboard and mouse
Email and the Internet
Customising your desktop
Word processing
Digital photography
Useful websites
and much more

Useful tips and tricks and a question and answer revision section in each chapter will build your confidence, get you up–to–date and technologically savvy in no time!
If you want to learn how to search and shop online, email or chat to family and friends, and you have the enthusiasm to learn a new skill then this book is for you.

With explanatory screenshots in full colour
Easy to read font
Supplementary website – including additional exercises to help improve your PC skills, further online hints and tips, and a directory of useful resources. www.pcwisdom.co.uk

“Computing for the Older & Wiser will take readers comfortably through getting started on their home PC. The content is similar to what we would take our clients through if they were to attend a class, which is exactly the right level.”
Faye Lester, Computer Training Coordinator, Age Concern Camden, UK

“I have not had so much fun for years”
Renée Moore, 79, pupil at Age Concern, Colchester, UK

About the Author
I am a retired veterinary surgeon who was one of the first of the profession to computerise his veterinary practice before becoming President of the British Veterinary Computing Association. Since retiring, my main hobby has been teaching members of the mature generation how to use their home computers. This private work has now been expanded since becoming a computing tutor with Age Concern in Colchester. Excerpted from Computing for the Older and Wiser: Get Up and Running on Your Home PC by Adrian Arnold. Copyright © 2008. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.One Texan doctor began his computing career at the age of 86 and now has his own web page ten years later. My oldest client is 91 and happily sending e-mails to her grandchildren scattered across the globe.

The mind may be a little slower and memory more elusive but if you can drive a car or use a video recorder you should be able to use a computer. Note that I did not say "understand" - few of us understand the finer points of the internal combustion engine but that does not prevent us using a car. Decreasing vision and slower reflexes may result in a road accident but you will never run anyone over with a computer. So long as your mind is active and enquiring a computer can expand your horizons far beyond the comfort of your own home.

There is invariably apprehension at the approach of new technology. My father had a brilliant mathematician's mind but he insisted on checking the early calculators' answers by doing it manually. It took him about three years to admit that they could be faster and occasionally more accurate. Cash machines are simply basic computers like the controls of a microwave.
Personally, I risk personal damage if I try and program the video recorder because it bears a specific grudge against me and insists on recording any program other than the one I had intended. My wife has no desire to use a computer and yet the video recorder obeys her every command. This is not to say that she does not recognise the benefits of computers at home - she asks me to organise things on the Internet several times a week - it's just that she has no desire to learn computing skills and that's just fine.

Some familiarity with the QWERTY typewriter keyboard is an advantage but touch-typing skills are not called for. I have been computing for 25 years and I still only use about four fingers and even then I get it wrong from time to time. It can be frustrating `hunting and pecking' for letters and symbols but like riding a bicycle, it comes together after a short while. After all one thing we older members of society should have is time.

This is just so much fun!