Bill Daley

I was not a good student during my K thru 12 years. In fact, I was a big problem for almost all of my teachers. It wasn't that I didn't have the intelligence or aptitude - I just didn't like school and consistently acted out on my frustration of having to be there. So how did I end up teaching college and authoring a textbook? Well, it all began in Mrs. Rose's typing class at Corvallis High School. You see, there was this really beautiful girl in that class. I sat next to her as often as I could and worked really hard to impress her with my fast and accurate typing skills. She wasn't impressed - but I became a really good typist!

In 1971 our class was granted the use of an IBM Selectric. This wasn't just any electric typewriter - it had an interchangeable font "key ball" instead of keys and it was really fast! I was very impressed by this leap in technology and that planted the seed that would grow into my work with software, personal computers, and computing systems.

I didn't begin college in earnest until I was 33 years old. I was hired to manage a fledgling computer lab in the college. One of my first jobs was to remove 20 manually operated typewriters and replace them with 20 new computers. By the end of my undergraduate program the lab covered 3 rooms, employed 23 student workers, and served more than 500 students per day. I gained a lot of experience in managing that lab and in working with all those students.

When I began teaching I was disappointed in the textbooks that were available for my classes. I started out editing other author's work, then began writing ancillary materials (with my wife, who quickly took over) and eventually moved into authoring.

I absolutely love the classroom! I believe that what goes on there should be supported by the textbook. The voice and character of the textbook play an important role in helping the student to learn facts and to experience new ways to know about the subject at hand.

I turned the reins of the 10th edition of Computers Are Your Future over to the capable hands of Diane Coyle. I'm currently working on researching and evaluating ideas for a non-textbook.