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But How Do It Know? The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone
Finally, this brand new book exposes the secrets of computers for everyone to see. Its humorous title begins with the punch line of a classic joke about someone who is baffled by technology. It was written by a 40-year computer veteran who wants to take the mystery out of computers and allow everyone to gain a true understanding of exactly what computers are, and also what they are not.
Years of writing, diagramming, piloting and editing have culminated in one easy-to-read volume that contains all of the basic principles of computers written so that everyone can understand them.
There used to be only two types of book that delved into the insides of computers. The simple ones point out the major parts and describe their functions in broad general terms. Computer Science textbooks eventually tell the whole story, but along the way, they include every detail that an engineer could conceivably ever need to know.
Like Baby Bear's porridge, 'But How Do It Know?' is just right, but it is much more than just a happy medium. For the first time, this book thoroughly demonstrates each of the basic principles that have been used in every computer ever built, while at the same time showing the integral role that codes play in everything that computers are able to do.
It cuts through all of the electronics and mathematics, and gets right to practical matters. Here is a simple part, see what it does. Connect a few of these together and you get a new part that does another simple thing. After just a few iterations of connecting up simple parts - voilà! - it's a computer. And it is much simpler than anyone ever imagined.
'But How Do It Know?' really explains how computers work. They are far simpler than anyone has ever permitted you to believe. It contains everything you need to know, and nothing you don't need to know. No technical background of any kind is required.
The basic principles of computers have not changed one iota since they were invented in the mid 20th century. "Since the day I learned how computers work, it always felt like I knew a giant secret, but couldn't tell anyone," says the author. Now he's taken the time to explain it in such a manner that anyone can have that same moment of enlightenment and thereafter see computers in an entirely new light.
Years of writing, diagramming, piloting and editing have culminated in one easy-to-read volume that contains all of the basic principles of computers written so that everyone can understand them.
There used to be only two types of book that delved into the insides of computers. The simple ones point out the major parts and describe their functions in broad general terms. Computer Science textbooks eventually tell the whole story, but along the way, they include every detail that an engineer could conceivably ever need to know.
Like Baby Bear's porridge, 'But How Do It Know?' is just right, but it is much more than just a happy medium. For the first time, this book thoroughly demonstrates each of the basic principles that have been used in every computer ever built, while at the same time showing the integral role that codes play in everything that computers are able to do.
It cuts through all of the electronics and mathematics, and gets right to practical matters. Here is a simple part, see what it does. Connect a few of these together and you get a new part that does another simple thing. After just a few iterations of connecting up simple parts - voilà! - it's a computer. And it is much simpler than anyone ever imagined.
'But How Do It Know?' really explains how computers work. They are far simpler than anyone has ever permitted you to believe. It contains everything you need to know, and nothing you don't need to know. No technical background of any kind is required.
The basic principles of computers have not changed one iota since they were invented in the mid 20th century. "Since the day I learned how computers work, it always felt like I knew a giant secret, but couldn't tell anyone," says the author. Now he's taken the time to explain it in such a manner that anyone can have that same moment of enlightenment and thereafter see computers in an entirely new light.
221 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2009
564 people are currently reading
2565 people want to read
About the author
J. Clark Scott
1 book19 followersJohn Clark Scott has had a long and diverse career in the computer industry.
From childhood, Scott showed a keen interest in technology, often disassembling machines to understand their workings. As a teenager, he self-taught electronics and radio technology, earning a commercial radio station license.
After briefly attending university, Scott discovered his passion for computing through self-study. He began his career in Silicon Valley during its early boom years. Noticing confusion about computers among his peers, he started giving explanatory lectures, which inspired his book, "But How Do It Know? - The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone".
Scott's professional experience includes work with major tech companies like Intel and IBM, as well as consultancy for entertainment firms such as NBC and EMI. He has also worked with banks, software companies, and start-ups.
His expertise covers a wide range of computer systems, from mainframes to microcomputers. Scott has programmed in numerous languages and developed three nationally marketed consumer software packages, including a six-part suite that became an industry standard for over a decade.
From childhood, Scott showed a keen interest in technology, often disassembling machines to understand their workings. As a teenager, he self-taught electronics and radio technology, earning a commercial radio station license.
After briefly attending university, Scott discovered his passion for computing through self-study. He began his career in Silicon Valley during its early boom years. Noticing confusion about computers among his peers, he started giving explanatory lectures, which inspired his book, "But How Do It Know? - The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone".
Scott's professional experience includes work with major tech companies like Intel and IBM, as well as consultancy for entertainment firms such as NBC and EMI. He has also worked with banks, software companies, and start-ups.
His expertise covers a wide range of computer systems, from mainframes to microcomputers. Scott has programmed in numerous languages and developed three nationally marketed consumer software packages, including a six-part suite that became an industry standard for over a decade.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 24, 2017
Notes:
- There really need to be more pictures.
- The author does a good job explaining things. He uses analogies very well. They're appropriate and relatable.
- Very good job in being comprehensive without going into too much detail. The author explains things sequentially and makes sure that you don't have any gaps in your understanding before proceeding forward. He does about as good a job as I can imagine at explaining how computers work such that you won't have any major questions while being concise.
- I think he could be even more concise with his explanations at times, though. Also, he explains how a lot of things work by taking you through the wiring pretty thoroughly. I often thought that you could just accept that "it could be wired to do that" and move on.
Conclusion: I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how computers work. I think the author does about as good a job as you can at:
1) Explaining it clearly and completely (such that you don't have any major gaps in your knowledge).
2) Doing so as quickly as possible.
- There really need to be more pictures.
- The author does a good job explaining things. He uses analogies very well. They're appropriate and relatable.
- Very good job in being comprehensive without going into too much detail. The author explains things sequentially and makes sure that you don't have any gaps in your understanding before proceeding forward. He does about as good a job as I can imagine at explaining how computers work such that you won't have any major questions while being concise.
- I think he could be even more concise with his explanations at times, though. Also, he explains how a lot of things work by taking you through the wiring pretty thoroughly. I often thought that you could just accept that "it could be wired to do that" and move on.
Conclusion: I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know how computers work. I think the author does about as good a job as you can at:
1) Explaining it clearly and completely (such that you don't have any major gaps in your knowledge).
2) Doing so as quickly as possible.
December 7, 2014
This approach is awesome. The most understandable CS book I have ever read.
May 30, 2019
On the day of a customer meeting, my colleague and I were way early and ended up spending an antisocial half an hour in his car in a parking lot, making the best of the time on our phones. On that particular time, the rabbit hole took me to an article about someone 3D printing parts of transistors to show how they work. The article praised the project to high heaven and off-handedly mentioned this book - which ended up being my next, as well as the final stop, for a while.
But How Do It Know is how all teaching should be done - by engineers and almost in a violent way proving that science is not hard, but if you put a lot of very simple bits together, they end up looking complicated to the uninitiated. As the book itself - correctly - claims, you'll need to understand English and be capable of doing simple addition, such as 5+8=13. This makes it accessible to pretty much anyone over perhaps the age of 7 or 8, and I'd love to see how an 8-year old would enjoy this.
I loved it. During my life I've come across bits and pieces of information about the computer design (e.g. the computers being stupid and only really knowing how to add, about there being registers - whatever those are - inside, things like that). This book brings it all together in a concise, interesting manner that will give your brain just enough workout to bring some light sweat.
This book is for everyone, not only because it's good to know how these ubiquitous machines work - at a high level - but also for showing how technical people think. Enjoy irresponsibly!
But How Do It Know is how all teaching should be done - by engineers and almost in a violent way proving that science is not hard, but if you put a lot of very simple bits together, they end up looking complicated to the uninitiated. As the book itself - correctly - claims, you'll need to understand English and be capable of doing simple addition, such as 5+8=13. This makes it accessible to pretty much anyone over perhaps the age of 7 or 8, and I'd love to see how an 8-year old would enjoy this.
I loved it. During my life I've come across bits and pieces of information about the computer design (e.g. the computers being stupid and only really knowing how to add, about there being registers - whatever those are - inside, things like that). This book brings it all together in a concise, interesting manner that will give your brain just enough workout to bring some light sweat.
This book is for everyone, not only because it's good to know how these ubiquitous machines work - at a high level - but also for showing how technical people think. Enjoy irresponsibly!
May 8, 2020
I had some gaps in my understanding about computer architecture. This book helped me fill in some of those gaps. Learned quite a bit about how CPU works (specially the control unit).
April 30, 2025
Would have been five, if not the sophism at the end about how brain is magical and cannot be replicated using current computers.
July 19, 2017
For those who have ever wondered, "How does a computer do what it does?"
The author takes the reader step by step from basic gates to fetching and executing machine instruction in an incredibly simple and interesting manner. The book was intended for non-CS people, so first 30% can be skimmed through. At about 52% into the book it gives a clear idea how the CPU, Registers, clock, bus and RAM combinedly makes a stupid machine do amazing things! It kind of feels like the first flight scene in Iron Man 1, "Yeah, I can compute!"
The author takes the reader step by step from basic gates to fetching and executing machine instruction in an incredibly simple and interesting manner. The book was intended for non-CS people, so first 30% can be skimmed through. At about 52% into the book it gives a clear idea how the CPU, Registers, clock, bus and RAM combinedly makes a stupid machine do amazing things! It kind of feels like the first flight scene in Iron Man 1, "Yeah, I can compute!"
April 28, 2018
Overall I think I'd still give the edge to Petzold's "Code," but this was a very good take on much of the same material, more in the style of Amdahl's "There Are No Electrons." No harm in reading both, and you can't really go wrong with either one; this was a nice refresher on the basics of circuit logic and rudimentary assembly.
May 22, 2022
It is a good introduction to how the computer works. The last chapter discussed the possibility of computers competing with humans in certain tasks and seems to suggest certain tasks will not be doable for the computer in the near future.The author is completely unaware of the recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning which makes computers more human like.
October 12, 2021
As advertised, I better understand what "0s and 1s" actually means. Some lines blew my mind and it feels really cool to get things like how fonts work.
I wish I could've spent more time with this book, and I definitely will in the future. Four stars only because I think there could've been a better reference page to refer back to names and descriptions. This one is best consumed all at once (e.g. every day for two weeks vs. how I had to do it a little bit at a time over the course of a month).
I wish I could've spent more time with this book, and I definitely will in the future. Four stars only because I think there could've been a better reference page to refer back to names and descriptions. This one is best consumed all at once (e.g. every day for two weeks vs. how I had to do it a little bit at a time over the course of a month).
December 31, 2019
I wish I had this in high school...
January 6, 2021
The book is beneficial to anyone who wonders about how computers really operate. I think the book is accessible to anyone with enough effort (yet non-technical people may have hard times). Also the language is enjoyable. My advice is to have paper and pencil as reading the book. Sketch details of each "black box", then you can always uncover abstraction levels in more complex diagrams.
September 14, 2021
Offers an introduction to computer architecture fundamentals in plain English.
I'd recommend this book to both technical and non-technical audiences who are curious about how hardware enables the magic-like powers of computers.
It does a good job of simplifying complexity enough to make it easy to follow but doesn't leave out details for the more analytical reader.
I'd recommend this book to both technical and non-technical audiences who are curious about how hardware enables the magic-like powers of computers.
It does a good job of simplifying complexity enough to make it easy to follow but doesn't leave out details for the more analytical reader.
July 22, 2019
Excelletnt Job!
I very much enjoy every BIT of it. I wish had the time to actually try to build the computer described in this book from scratch.
I very much enjoy every BIT of it. I wish had the time to actually try to build the computer described in this book from scratch.
October 17, 2020
Probably the best book ever when it comes to teaching the basics of how a computer works. After reading this book i think one can make a working computer from scratch if he knew the following:
1. Basic electronics (like transistors,capacitors,resistors,breadboard...)
2. Bit of coding will help 😗(this is optional if u want to make your computer do some advanced stuff say use it to play a simple game then obviously u need some coding constructs and some programming experience)
This is a recommended for people who also are enthusiastic about learning how things work at the lower levels of computing say ALU(alrithmetic Logic Unit),RAM(Random Access Memory),etc. Various other things that let the computer do what it is doing right now.
Note: People who also feel like computers are doing majic ""Trust me computers are dumb""
Computers just perform simple stuff couple of billions of times per second that is why they are able to do the things they are doing right now.
Prologue :(This happened after i read this book)
My curiosity increased more and more and wanted to build a small working computer so i emailed the author asking him where can i learn more about computers and their inner workings he sent me this working computer made in excel. I'd highly recommend checking 'but how does it know' website where all the resources are available for free..
Reading this book paved way for me to learn more about how they operate above the hardware level
So i started to learn how to code which will give me insights regarding how software is used to control the hardware and do the tasks it is supposed to do.
Yeah that is it for the review.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who are even teeny-tiny bit interested or amazed by computers and want to know their inner workings ask the question "But How Does it Know?"
and read this book next🧐
Good luck reader 👍
1. Basic electronics (like transistors,capacitors,resistors,breadboard...)
2. Bit of coding will help 😗(this is optional if u want to make your computer do some advanced stuff say use it to play a simple game then obviously u need some coding constructs and some programming experience)
This is a recommended for people who also are enthusiastic about learning how things work at the lower levels of computing say ALU(alrithmetic Logic Unit),RAM(Random Access Memory),etc. Various other things that let the computer do what it is doing right now.
Note: People who also feel like computers are doing majic ""Trust me computers are dumb""
Computers just perform simple stuff couple of billions of times per second that is why they are able to do the things they are doing right now.
Prologue :(This happened after i read this book)
My curiosity increased more and more and wanted to build a small working computer so i emailed the author asking him where can i learn more about computers and their inner workings he sent me this working computer made in excel. I'd highly recommend checking 'but how does it know' website where all the resources are available for free..
Reading this book paved way for me to learn more about how they operate above the hardware level
So i started to learn how to code which will give me insights regarding how software is used to control the hardware and do the tasks it is supposed to do.
Yeah that is it for the review.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who are even teeny-tiny bit interested or amazed by computers and want to know their inner workings ask the question "But How Does it Know?"
and read this book next🧐
Good luck reader 👍
July 30, 2024
Very good introduction to hardware
Definitely an informative read to a complete noob with only a tiny bit of programming experience (even that definitely not required though). The book at times falls into the usual "textbook for dummies" trap of fluctuating between four paragraphs of hammering in the ridiculously transparent content like the reader is a five-year-old, only to then punch the lever deep into the hyperspace of super-cryptic intricacies that are likely to hold you back for days, but the vast majority of the time, it flows well and neatly progresses without losing too much of your attention. Would be awesome if it were accompanied by some sort of desktop app allowing you to graphically set up your own architecture, preferably enabling you to zoom in onto individual NAND gates, simulating flowing current to observe the reactions, because without that, visualizing every one of the numerous "okay, this connection is on, this one is off, so in an AND gate they would be off, but if both were off, then it would be off..." scenarios solely in your head can get tedious—make no mistake: as you read, your thinking gate must be hooked up to both bits being on. I also think the text could use several more throwbacks to terms thrown around earlier since this is one of those books that you are unlikely to consume in large doses at any given time and so you tend to forget. But this is where the Kindle search engine comes into play.
Overall, I'm more than happy I gave it a read. Did everything stay in my head? Hell, no. Would I benefit from a re-read? Most certainly.
Definitely an informative read to a complete noob with only a tiny bit of programming experience (even that definitely not required though). The book at times falls into the usual "textbook for dummies" trap of fluctuating between four paragraphs of hammering in the ridiculously transparent content like the reader is a five-year-old, only to then punch the lever deep into the hyperspace of super-cryptic intricacies that are likely to hold you back for days, but the vast majority of the time, it flows well and neatly progresses without losing too much of your attention. Would be awesome if it were accompanied by some sort of desktop app allowing you to graphically set up your own architecture, preferably enabling you to zoom in onto individual NAND gates, simulating flowing current to observe the reactions, because without that, visualizing every one of the numerous "okay, this connection is on, this one is off, so in an AND gate they would be off, but if both were off, then it would be off..." scenarios solely in your head can get tedious—make no mistake: as you read, your thinking gate must be hooked up to both bits being on. I also think the text could use several more throwbacks to terms thrown around earlier since this is one of those books that you are unlikely to consume in large doses at any given time and so you tend to forget. But this is where the Kindle search engine comes into play.
Overall, I'm more than happy I gave it a read. Did everything stay in my head? Hell, no. Would I benefit from a re-read? Most certainly.
Read
August 6, 2019So all the reviews of this book say how excellent it is at explaining the basic principles of computers. That said, it is still fairly complicated.
The explanation of gates begins with a NAND gate - as NAND gates are the ones that are mainly used in setting up the memory and ALU. But here's the thing - unless you already know about AND gates- NAND gates can be quite a tricky concept to understand?
So I had to go online, read up on various gates and start again.
There were a few cases where that was an issue, and at one point I just gave up trying to understand the wiring thoroughly. But that's okay. I'm not necessarily the quickest to catch on those technical things.
What I would have liked to have in the book are some exercises to verify my understanding of the computer design. After simply reading the book, I have some level of knowledge, but I would like to be able to somehow that my suspicions about certain gate combinations and how they work are correct? Anyhow. A good read for persistent beginners.
The explanation of gates begins with a NAND gate - as NAND gates are the ones that are mainly used in setting up the memory and ALU. But here's the thing - unless you already know about AND gates- NAND gates can be quite a tricky concept to understand?
So I had to go online, read up on various gates and start again.
There were a few cases where that was an issue, and at one point I just gave up trying to understand the wiring thoroughly. But that's okay. I'm not necessarily the quickest to catch on those technical things.
What I would have liked to have in the book are some exercises to verify my understanding of the computer design. After simply reading the book, I have some level of knowledge, but I would like to be able to somehow that my suspicions about certain gate combinations and how they work are correct? Anyhow. A good read for persistent beginners.
September 9, 2017
In terms of actual content, this is easily a 5-star book, but the gratuitous comma errors throughout was enough for me to knock it down a star. Seriously, learn what a comma splice is.
Aside from that, this book was fascinating and amazingly helpful even for complete beginners. I can't tell you how many times my mind was blown as I read this. It starts with the very basic knowledge and builds from there, focusing on the hardware, which is the root of it all and what I really wanted to learn about.
The best thing to do while reading is make sure you fully understand each chapter before you go to the next. This does mean flipping back and forth and re-reading passages a lot. By the end, even though they're talking about the whole computer, all that lower-level information will have been completely processed and you'll be good to go. It works a lot like how you teach algebra really thoroughly before you move up to Calculus, and it works really well.
Aside from that, this book was fascinating and amazingly helpful even for complete beginners. I can't tell you how many times my mind was blown as I read this. It starts with the very basic knowledge and builds from there, focusing on the hardware, which is the root of it all and what I really wanted to learn about.
The best thing to do while reading is make sure you fully understand each chapter before you go to the next. This does mean flipping back and forth and re-reading passages a lot. By the end, even though they're talking about the whole computer, all that lower-level information will have been completely processed and you'll be good to go. It works a lot like how you teach algebra really thoroughly before you move up to Calculus, and it works really well.
February 16, 2019
Early in the book, when describing a nand gate, the author says that this diagram is as dificult as you will find...if you get this one, all the others willbe easy. I appreciate his optimism, but I have to respectfully diagree. In the end, I can't say I took away a lot of specifics from this book, outside of some broad basics. Then again, that's mostly what I was looking to take away from it in the first place, so even if a good 70% of the material sort've went in one ear and out the other, the basic ideas made sense and stuck. Also, his explanation of the hexadecimal system was REALLY good...I mean...I could explain hex to somene now using his examples, and for a guy like me who has a seriously hard time with most anything involving numbers, that's actually a pretty big take away from the book.
June 3, 2025
I’ve read quite a few books on this topic, and while I can say that this book aims to be beginner-friendly, I’m not entirely convinced. From a technical perspective, it feels like it glosses over some important details. On the other hand, when trying to understand the basics for beginners, it can be quite challenging.
In my opinion, books like “Code: The Hidden Language of Hardware and Software” are much more accessible. These books are structured in a way that’s easy to grasp, using simple explanations and analogies that relate to real-world scenarios.
So, while this book isn’t entirely lacking in content, it might be a bit too complex for a truly beginner level and could be quite dull for those with some experience in the field.
In my opinion, books like “Code: The Hidden Language of Hardware and Software” are much more accessible. These books are structured in a way that’s easy to grasp, using simple explanations and analogies that relate to real-world scenarios.
So, while this book isn’t entirely lacking in content, it might be a bit too complex for a truly beginner level and could be quite dull for those with some experience in the field.
September 7, 2020
the book delivers well to its premise (teaching the basic of how computers work and receive bits of data and how does the hardware translates into the software and all of the basics), the way this book is written (lots of small chapters) is a very convenient and comfortable approach especially for a busy reader, but there is a bit of a steep curve in difficulty after the first few chapters which may confuse some people outside of the IT community and may require 2 or 3 reads to get a hold of the full concept...
all in all i really recommend it to any person who have lots of basic questions regarding the most glorious of all human inventions...
all in all i really recommend it to any person who have lots of basic questions regarding the most glorious of all human inventions...
January 29, 2022
As a working programmer I found it to be a good overview of the fundamental concepts that make up the most common computer architecture in use today. It does a good job providing just enough detail to get across ideas before getting swamped in minutiae. There were a few mind-expanding moments for me as I thought about things I hadn't really considered or fully understood before, and connected them with things I see in my day job or general use of computers. I'm not sure how much somebody that isn't already passingly familiar with the concepts will get out of the book, but it's definitely one of the simplest breakdowns of how stored program computers actually work.
April 30, 2020
As someone who was always curious on how a computer could do anything, I couldn't ask for a better book. 'How do It Know?' walks through the building blocks of a computer from the bits and bytes all the way to a simple computer. The process is built with out with the beginner in mind and sets out lessons in basic computer principles that explains things such as how a CPU works, what is RAM?, and how does a keyboard work?
Can be a little dense but highly recommend for anyone interested in understanding the basics of a computer.
Can be a little dense but highly recommend for anyone interested in understanding the basics of a computer.
May 10, 2021
"But How Do it Know?" is an interesting book that takes you through the journey of building a simple 8-bit computer. Clark Scott successfully breaks down each of the components of a computer and explains the fundamentals in a way that even a high school student will be able to understand. For someone who has been working in the software industry for over a decade, this book actually gives a different perspective to look at things. This is, perhaps, the perfect refresher for the Computer Architecture course studied in college.
April 10, 2022
Detailed and honest presentation of how computers function
In J. Clark Scott’s book ‘But how do it Know’, the inner workings of a computer are explained. From the most basic components such as logic gates and memory, to more advanced concepts such as CPUs. As Scott says “It all comes down to NAND gates”.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about how computers work. It is fun and educational. There is even humor and very detailed descriptions. A good read for anyone wanting to know more!
In J. Clark Scott’s book ‘But how do it Know’, the inner workings of a computer are explained. From the most basic components such as logic gates and memory, to more advanced concepts such as CPUs. As Scott says “It all comes down to NAND gates”.
I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about how computers work. It is fun and educational. There is even humor and very detailed descriptions. A good read for anyone wanting to know more!
November 18, 2022
During the first sections of the book I was fascinated. My admiration was growing towards Scott. Presenting the functioning of computers into “easy terms” was no easy feat.
However, as I kept reading, the book incrementally grew more technical and with chapters difficult to digest. It’s impressive work, but you have to be completely engaged to fully comprehened the explanations.
This is a book for people with at least a fundamental programming background who want to learn about all the components that make up a computer. If you don’t fit this description I wouldn’t recommend this book.
However, as I kept reading, the book incrementally grew more technical and with chapters difficult to digest. It’s impressive work, but you have to be completely engaged to fully comprehened the explanations.
This is a book for people with at least a fundamental programming background who want to learn about all the components that make up a computer. If you don’t fit this description I wouldn’t recommend this book.
February 17, 2020
Although this is my first book about the insides of the computer, i felt that the book was overall very successful at unraveling the complexities of the computer is a simplified manner. And even though some chapters did feel a little under explained for me personally, that might say more about me than about the book itself, since some of the misunderstandings might have been simply due to careless reading.
December 27, 2020
Un libro muy basado en compuertas lógicas, boole y cuestiones que se aprenden en arquitecturas de computadoras. No está orientado al público general. Recien a partir de la mitad empiezan asomar temás más vinculados al público general: ram, discos rígidos, pantallas, periféricos, renderización. ETc. No tiene nada sobre Internet.
Me imaginaba encontrar un libro similar a "La Radio? Pero Si Es Muy Fácil" De Aisberg (1969) Pero no fue así.
Me imaginaba encontrar un libro similar a "La Radio? Pero Si Es Muy Fácil" De Aisberg (1969) Pero no fue así.
September 30, 2024
The first half and a liitle more was allright. It was easy to follow and understand. The author gave some comparisons with the real world for the reader to understand the concepts better. For the rest of the book it got harder for me to to fully comprehend what the author was saying, but I don't want to give the impression that was really hard. Maybe it was mid-level. However, I'm really glad I was able to finish it and don't regret it! Thank you to the author for this book!
August 20, 2025
The beginning and the end of this book are essentially a much faster, more direct version of Charles Petzold’s book “Code.”
The middle? I think it’s a bit overkill, frankly. Some of those chapters had a level of detail that an intro (and I mean INTRO) book does not need.
Regardless, this was a very helpful book in terms of seeing just how “simple” computers are at their most basic and how much work it took to make anything appear legible.
The middle? I think it’s a bit overkill, frankly. Some of those chapters had a level of detail that an intro (and I mean INTRO) book does not need.
Regardless, this was a very helpful book in terms of seeing just how “simple” computers are at their most basic and how much work it took to make anything appear legible.
August 19, 2017
This is one of my favorite books. Most of us spend A LOT of time with computers. It's about time to learn something about the mystries that go on inside. This book breaks it down beautifully - you will actually understand it! It really comes down to simple, ingenious building blocks!
HIGHLY recommended reading!
HIGHLY recommended reading!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews