This textbook is designed for a one-semester introductory course in which the goal is to give students a foundation in the basics of information technology (IT). It focuses on how the technology works, issues relating to its use and development, how it can lend personal and business advantages, and how it is creating a globally networked society. Each chapter features a list of competencies called "Now You Can...," a collection of key terms, a self-test, short-answer questions, discussion questions and projects, and questions designed for Internet searches and group work. Chapters include: (1) "Information Technology: What It Can Do For You"; (2) "Software: The Intellectual Interface"; (3) "Input and Output Devices: The Physical Interface"; (4) "The CPU and Internal Memory: The Processing Engine"; (5) "Storage Devices and Database: Organizing Your World"; (6) "Communications and Connectivity: Living in a Networked World"; (7) "Building IT Systems: The Tools You Use and Your Role"; (8) "Information Technology in Business: How Organizations Use IT"; (9) "Reaching the World Through IT: Information Technology as Your Passport to the World"; and (10) "Putting IT All Together: Careers, Social Issues, and Horizons." Contains a glossary and index. (BEW)