Question

You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Some programs work with direct user input, such as mouse and keyboard interaction. The timing and order of such input can’t be predicted in advance. This requires a different approach to control flow than the one we have used so far.

This is a book about getting computers to do what you want them to do. Computers are about as common as screwdrivers today, but they contain a lot more hidden complexity and thus are harder to operate and understand. To many, they remain alien, slightly threatening things.