Yet another independent supplement to Commodore's own reference manuals to the C64 but this is definitely one of the best.

Here, you get product reviews although restricted to best sellers. The common feeling seems to be that this shouldn't be done as products come and go, but as most computers have a selling life of only a year or two, why not give the reader all the help you can?

Tim Onosko does this by looking at word processors in general and four of the bestsellers, plus a good look at expanding the system with disks, printers, software applications and more advanced languages.

Finally, one of the best features of the book is a group of three appendices by experts in the fields of Commodore hardware, graphics and sound: Jim Butterfield, Paul Schatz and Frank Covitz respectively. Butterfield's contribution is a tour of the C64 memory map and how to program different configurations of RAM and ROM.

Schatz gives a lucid and helpful look at graphics, sprites, high resolution and character design with three excellent programs including a mind graphics language.

The final chapter on sound is simply the best introduction to sound synthesis on the C64 available. Covering not only the hardware but the theory of sound in easy-to-follow language, Covitz finishes with a handful of sound effect programs you can include in your own games.

With a good index to tie things up, this brings to four my list of essential books on the C64, joining the Programmer's Reference Guide, Pete Gerrard's Using The 64 and 64 Machine Code Master by Lawrence and England.

Peter Worlock