Been so many years, I forgot to login first... Forgot to mention that this stuff can be used for years. Amazing how many techs and engineers I used to know that had this book on their shelf as a quick reference. Also, if you can find any of the old Howard Mims electronics books that were originally written for Radio Shack, get them.

Here's a nice assortment of science fiction and fantasy books, all available in digital format. Some old stuff, some high profile authors, some lesser knowns, some interesting collaborations, Enough to keep you busy for a while. Also, if you go to the local library, look for any CD audio books by Baen Publishing - usually the last CD contains these plus others that you can copy off. http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx

As a secondary technical education instructor in the Mississippi school system, I understand that all new technical-related hires are required to get this certification. Also, all currently-employed tech instructors will be required to get this certification. I went ahead and got it just to be "ahead of the game". The process, for me, consisted of an online class/workshop, online practice exams through Certiport, and a final 3-section exam. The exam covered basic computer hardware and OS knowledge, MS Office usage, and internet and networking principles. Was it the most comprehensive test? No. Was it a complete novice test? Also, no. Surprisingly, it covered a lot of ground - both hardware and software. I do not know what would be involved for employers to acquire this certification for their employees, but I can say from experience that anybody that receives it could be considered "computer literate". Here's a wikipedia link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC3_(certification).