As Christmas approaches, you're probably thinking about buying a micro as a present - but which one? That's where a book like The Personal Computer Handbook is supposed to step in.

In 208 pages, Peter Rodwell takes you inside a computer and finishes up with a round-up of the different machines. Each chapter is divided into modules with sub-headings which makes it easy for you to find your way around the book.

Written in a clear informative style, a newcomer to the micro arena will find this paperback a pleasure to read. With clear labelled diagrams and photographs, you learn what a computer is, how to set up the necessary equipment, how the computer works plus bits and pieces on add-ons and software.

One of the major problems with a book of this type is that it becomes out-of-date so quickly. The industry moves at such a pace that it's virtually impossible to list all the machines available at one time. Not only that, but recently there's been a spate of bankruptcy among manufacturers, so that some machines no longer exist when a book is finally published.

At £8.95 this handbook seems a bit expensive as an initial outlay in deciding what computer to buy. But as a start it offers the layperson a wealth of information in a condensed form.

Sandra Grandison