Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Stanley Trost wrote several books about early microcomputers, including Atari BASIC Programs in Minutes, Doing Business with VisiCalc, Multiplan on the Commodore 64, Useful Basic Programs the for IBM PC, VisiCalc for Science and Engineering, and others. He was also the creator of Financial Cookbook, which was published by Electronic Arts in 1984 (and one of only two "home management" titles released by EA, the other being Cut and Paste, "the Remarkably Simple Word Processor").
Financial Cookbook provided 32 financial calculators and decision-making tools, including understanding your marginal tax rate, living on your savings, how much life insurance you need, variable rate mortgages, and so on. Versions of the program were sold for Atari 8-bit and ST, Apple II, Commodore 64, Macintosh, and perhaps other platforms.
This interview took place on March 24, 2025.
Atari BASIC Programs in Minutes: archive.org/details/Atari_Basic_Programs_In_Minutes
Doing Business with VisiCalc: archive.org/details/doingbusinesswit0000tros_k7r0
Financial Cookbook at AtariMania: atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-financial-cookbook_27176.html
Inverse ATASCII podcast about Financial Cookbook, including many screenshots: inverseatascii.info/2023/09/29/s7e08-electronic-arts-financial-cookbook-supplement
Support Kay's interviews on Patreon: patreon.com/savetz
Stanley Trost wrote several books about early microcomputers, including Atari BASIC Programs in Minutes, Doing Business with VisiCalc, Multiplan on the Commodore 64, Useful Basic Programs the for IBM PC, VisiCalc for Science and Engineering, and others. He was also the creator of Financial Cookbook, which was published by Electronic Arts in 1984 (and one of only two "home management" titles released by EA, the other being Cut and Paste, "the Remarkably Simple Word Processor").
Financial Cookbook provided 32 financial calculators and decision-making tools, including understanding your marginal tax rate, living on your savings, how much life insurance you need, variable rate mortgages, and so on. Versions of the program were sold for Atari 8-bit and ST, Apple II, Commodore 64, Macintosh, and perhaps other platforms.
This interview took place on March 24, 2025.
Atari BASIC Programs in Minutes: archive.org/details/Atari_Basic_Programs_In_Minutes
Doing Business with VisiCalc: archive.org/details/doingbusinesswit0000tros_k7r0
Financial Cookbook at AtariMania: atarimania.com/utility-atari-400-800-xl-xe-financial-cookbook_27176.html
Inverse ATASCII podcast about Financial Cookbook, including many screenshots: inverseatascii.info/2023/09/29/s7e08-electronic-arts-financial-cookbook-supplement
Support Kay's interviews on Patreon: patreon.com/savetz
