Delete your fears and enter computer age

Book review: Taming the Electronic Beast: Conquering Computer Fear (UnTechnical Press, $14.95) by Michael Bremer. If you are one of those people who is deathly afraid of computers,

Friday, July 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Book review: Taming the Electronic Beast: Conquering Computer Fear (UnTechnical Press, $14.95) by Michael Bremer.

If you are one of those people who is deathly afraid of computers, good news: Computer guru Michael Bremer says a computer can't hurt you unless you plug it in and take it into the bathtub with you.

He further reassures technophobes by telling them that they are not dummies or idiots. All they need is a little help from the Neighborhood Nerd.

In this book, Mr. Bremer is the helpful, reassuring Neighborhood Nerd. Blending common sense with healthy scoops of humor and sarcasm, he leads the squeamish through the strange land of computers, fully confident that even the most hopeless cases will emerge more computer literate.

He's probably right. He does a good job of bringing order and a comforting manner to nervous Nellies who haven't even been able to unpack their new computers. Mr. Bremer addresses common fears and shows the fearful how to overcome them.

The format of the book is a bit repetitive and grates on the nerves after a while. But it's easy on the eyes and will prove useful to those who know zero about computers and want to overcome their fear.