BOOK REVIEW TITLE: PROGRAM YOUR PCW! AUTHOR: IAN SINCLAIR PUBLISHED BY: GLENTOP PUBLISHERS LTD. PRICE: #6.95 REVIEWED BY: GERRY AUSTIN "Owning a computer and not programming it for yourself is like buying a Ferrari and getting someone else to drive it - while you pay for the petrol." This is how Ian Sinclair likens the computer 'user' and then goes on to describe in detail how to start programming your PCW. His style makes the book both informative and readable. While aimed mainly at the novice computer user it does offer a few new tricks that even the seasoned BASIC programmer may find useful. Have you ever wondered what the BASIC programming language is on the flip side of your LocoScript master disc, and how to use it? Do you find 'off-the-peg' programs don't always match your needs? If you are new to computer programming a closer look at BASIC could have you creating your own customised programs much sooner than you think. The first chapter of this book is entitled "Setting up" and describes: Programming languages, Compilers and interpreters and the Principles of programming. Ian Sinclair doesn't assume any prior knowledge. Thereafter he goes about describing MALLARD BASIC's reserved words and how they are used with plenty of examples for you to try out on your own machine. If you are interested in getting to grips with how BASIC handles files and filing techniques including JETSAM there are two very good chapters here with more examples. A JETSAM database type program-listing for indexing a collection of books is printed with plenty of detailed explanation on how it works. This could be adapted to your own requirements without too much additional work. The remaining chapters are entitled: Printing; Exotic variations; Working with numbers; Getting repetitive; Strings and Things; Complex data; Menus, subroutines and programs; Last roundup. There are seven useful appendices giving information on "A self-starting disc"; "The CLS key"; "Editing and debugging"; "The slashed zero and the hashmark," and more. If you have been riding in the back seat of your Ferrari, why not give the chauffeur a break and take a test drive!