We live in exciting times. My book, Brown Dogs and Barbers (which explains computer science to just about anyone who can read), is very close to publication.

The funding drive over the last few months raised enough to produce a professionally designed paperback and ebook, complete with crisp design, beautiful diagrams and an insanely cute front cover. It will be available to buy in places like Amazon and iTunes later this month.

Until then, you can follow the links above to get hold of a sample of the final book...

... and behold the front cover!

Although it's proven informative even to IT veterans (read what Professor Cornelia Boldyreff kindly wrote about it), it's particularly aimed at beginners. I've shared drafts with readers who are firmly outside the computing sphere and the response has been very encouraging. Despite the topic being new to them, my test audience got the hang of the concepts I discuss, concepts that go to the heart of computer science.

So, if you already work in IT, there's every reason to be interested in it. Furthermore, if you have friends of relatives who puzzle over what exactly you do for a living and pester you to explain what you do all day long, you might consider Brown Dogs and Barbers an ideal gift. After they've read it, the recipient will have gained an understanding in the fundamentals of your subject and won't harass you any longer... either that, or they'll have a hundred more questions for you, their appetite suitably whetted.

In fact, my crowd funding campaign has the ideal perk for you. If you contribute €60 (that's about $80 US or £50 UK), you'll get two signed advance copies of the book, one of them already gift-wrapped ready for you to give as a present. The book scheduled to be ready in June, so it would arrive just in time to supply some summer holiday reading.

Go over to the crowd funding page and contribute today.

"For many of us, our relationship with computers is one of bemusement, frustration, and fascination, all experienced at arm's length. We sometimes even find ourselves as the servile member in the relationship, desperately reacting to the unfathomable whims of our computer trying to make it happy. This is not the best state of affairs to be in if we're going to be so reliant on them in our everyday lives. It doesn't have to be this way. If our relationship with computers is sullied by their mysteriousness, the answer is simple: learn more about them... To understand what's going on in that magic box beneath your desk, we'll look in this book at the science behind it."

I believe that by learning about the scientific principles behind computers, we put ourselves in a much stronger position: informed, confident, and empowered.

While perusing one of my favourite authors, Ben Goldacre, I found we share similar sentiments in this regard. In his excellent book Bad Science Ben explains how an ignorance of science can have negative impacts.

"Fifty years ago you could sketch out a full explanation of how an AM radio worked on the back of a napkin, using basic school-level knowledge of science... When your parents were young they could fix their own car, and understand the science behind most of the everyday technology they encountered, but this is no longer the case. Even a geek today would struggle to give an explanation of how his mobile phone works because technology has become more difficult to understand and explain, and everyday gadgets have taken on a 'black box; complexity that can feel sinister, as well as intellectually undermining."

Today's mobile phones are not phones - they're computers with an antenna attached to them. And it's not just phones; computers have crept into most modern technology, rendering them much harder to understand. This is not going to go away. If anything, it's going to intensify with some truly staggering applications of computers on the horizon (self-driving cars, anyone?).

By making sure people have a basic understanding of computing principles, we can dispel the ignorance, the suspicion and the frustration.

I offer my book as one place to start. Please help me crowdfund the publication process so I can make it available to everyone.

I'm going to self-publish it and for that I need several things to make it a professional piece of work. These all need paying for, so I've launched a crowdfunding project at Indiegogo to cover the costs. Time for the hard sell...

What's this all about?

Computers are a huge part of our lives. They are everywhere powering so much of what we do.

And yet, how well do we understand them or how they became so ubiquitous? We take computers for granted but many of us don't appreciate the fascinating ideas behind them. If you look closely, there is a rich trail of puzzles that had to be solved to make them what they are now.

I've written a book, Brown Dogs and Barbers, which explains how the ideas of computer science developed throughout history.

When you read this book, you will join me on a journey through the story of computing, discovering the basic principles of what makes the machines tick and learning why computers work they way they do.

Who is the book for?

I would like to make computer science accessible to all. Brown Dogs and Barbers is a work of popular science aimed at both beginner and experienced alike, no expertise required with as little in the way of formulas and code as possible.

If you are a beginner you will get an introduction to the fascinating world of computer science. If you are experienced you can enjoy reading about your field from a different perspective and perhaps learn a new thing or two. It would also make a great gift for an IT worker's friends and family who haven't got a clue what it is they do all day.

In any case, you will develop an understanding of the puzzles and theories behind computers, and meet some of the characters who have steered computing over the centuries.

Why me?

I'm a big fan of reading about science. Whenever I go into a bookshop, I'm dismayed to see that the popular science section hardly ever seems to carry titles explaining my subject - computer science - to the masses.

I'm trying to fill this gap with my book. Brown Dogs and Barbers examines some of the foundational concepts of computing. I can still remember the stumbling blocks I encountered when I first learned about these fascinating ideas, so my book strives to light the path so you may avoid them. I'm also a PhD-level computer scientist, an experienced teacher and a published writer on IT and computing topics.

What's the current status?

All text is written and a collection of placeholder diagrams and illustrations are in place. It now needs some polish, formatting and professionally designed images to make it a kick-ass publication.

The book has 38 chapters. That might sound like a lot, but each chapter deals primarily with one idea and in the final product I estimate chapters will be around 5-6 pages long on average. That's about 220-230 pages.

What do I need funds for?

To polish the book, I need three things:

• A professional proof reader to fix any mistakes, inconsistencies and grammatical errors.
• An illustrator who can produce an awesome-looking front cover, and also take my placeholder diagrams and illustrations and make them look beautiful.
• A copy editor to give the book a professional finish.

I already have estimates for each of these services.

Want to read a sample?

Go here.

You might also be interested to know I've contributed several articles in the past to Linux User and Developer magazine. Some of them are available online (e.g. "Wikimedia: Wikipedia's Game Changer" and "Kolab: David and Goliath" ).

Other ways you can help

Don't forget, you can contribute in ways other than donating funds. Tell your friends, share this page and tweet about it to the world. Help me get the word out!

Please visit the project's Indiegogo page to find out more and, more importantly, to contribute!

This time around I've contributed an article to the latest issue of Linux User and Developer about Kolab, one of the leading FLOSS groupware servers challenging proprietary dominance of the market. Kolab is a comprehensive software package that offers numerous groupware features, including email, calendar, address book, task management, notes and much more. It's 100% free software, runs on several platforms including mobile, and can be used by large and small organisations alike.

You can read an excerpt here. Try the excellent Kolab user community website to learn more about the software.

I've become a freelancer. To be more specific: a freelance IT professional providing consultancy, training and writing services. It's quite a change and there's lots of other information you probably would like to know. In the meantime, I'll direct you to my new business website, where you can learn a lot more.

One of the best things about it is that I will remain in Berlin, a city I love and in which I've made myself a wonderful home. Still, the nature of my work gives me good flexibility, so I can consider taking on work from clients who are based anywhere in the world.

What about Freie Universität? Sadly, extending my contract didn't synchronise with our efforts to extend the Saros project, which paid my wages.  On a happier note, Saros development continues with me as a part of it (we are still seeking its extension as I write this) and I can now count Freie Universität Berlin as my first client!

And my interest in free/libre/open source software isn't going anywhere. I remain an advocate of FLOSS and will endeavour to carry on playing a part in it.