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Which Computer Books For Prisoners?
Brian D. writes "I've recently begun working with a group that sends books to prisoners in federal and state prisons. We try to match their requests as well as we can. One request that we consistently have trouble filling is for computer books. This is not for lack of books, but because the prisoners' requests tend to be vague and their computer resources are obviously severely limited. Keep in mind that we send prisoners all types of books — from gardening and landscaping to cooking and sailing — about topics they don't have the resources to experiment with. With basically one shelf devoted to books on computing, what types of books should I tell them we should keep? What are the best types of books to send a prisoner who requests a book on 'computer repair?'"
...they say that prison is nothing but a graduate school to make better criminals. So anything from Microsoft Press, I suppose.
Life is hard, and the world is cruel
...nothing about tunneling protocols!
~Philly
I know of at least one prison who will appreciate such a book.
It depends on if you think prisoners are in prison to be punished or rehabilitated.
I think it's the former, so I recommend Miranda: The Craft Of Functional Programming by S. Thompson, which I encountered in my undergraduate course.
Heh, you can't do the time...
that they're already proficient in filesystem design? :P
I mod down anyone who says "I will be modded down for this", regardless of the rest of their comment
I suggest books on how the internet actually works. Maybe while he is behind a series of bars he can see the folly in his series of tubes comment.
Monstar L
something on jailbreaking iphones? Or maybe FreeBSD jails?
Cuckoo's Nest
What?