Three cheers. The authors have spotted that using variables such as X, Y, and Z complicates the issue. You could easily replace 'oil filter' for X, 'oil' for Y, and 'labour' for Z.

This book puts Basic in plain English, rather than making it look like a mathematical mess. It takes you from scratch and must surely be the toddlers' guide to learning Basic.

Chapter 9, Animation for Games, had me glued to the spot, learning how to create animated snakes and bouncing balls. And it continues to be very readable when it explains mathematical functions and string handling, file handling, programmable characters and sound.

The cherry on the top is the mine of information in the glossary and index. This book is well worth the investment.

Wendie Pearson