While I was in elementary school in the 1990s, my mom returned to college. Sometimes I would attempt to read some of her textbooks from courses she already finished. One book that I will always remember and helped spark a lifelong interest in computing is a 1995 book that introduced people to computing called New Perspectives on Computer Concepts by June Parsons. It was a comprehensive book that started with basic computer literacy information (e.g., what is a personal computer, what is a disk, what is a mouse, etc.) but covered a wide range of topics, such as the Internet (including the then-nascent Web), very basic computer architecture (e.g., what is a processor, what is a bus, etc.), ethics and legal matters, and even programming (there was a program written in BASIC for computing the price of a pizza). While I was interested in computers before reading this book, this book set a foundation that would influence the rest of my life.

Another book that influenced me at an early age was a QBASIC textbook written by a Sacramento State University professor; I received this book from my mom's friend when I started learning QBASIC at nine years old and was seeking out resources. I still have this textbook; it was my very first programming text, not counting the computer literacy book I mentioned.