About the Author

John Dooley wrote his first program 40 years ago – on punch cards in Fortran IV. Since then, he's spent more than 18 years in industry, working for companies such as Bell Labs, IBM, McDonnell Douglas, and Motorola, along with the obligatory stint at a start-up. He's also spent 17 years teaching computer science to undergraduates, including at Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where he is chair of the Computer Science Department and has taught for the last 10 years. As a software professional, he has written everything from device drivers to compilers to embedded phone software to financial applications. He has also managed teams of from 5 to 30 developers in companies large and small. He holds degrees in mathematics, computer science, and electrical engineering.