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Title: Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold ISBN: 0-7356-1131-9 Publisher: Microsoft Press Pub. Date: 11 October, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.72 (36 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An easy to follow historical and technical perspective
Comment: Charles Petzold a does an outstanding job of explaining the basic workings of a computer. His story begins with a description of various ways of coding information including Braille, Morse code, and binary code. He then describes the development of hardware beginning with a description of the development of telegraph and relays. This leads into the development of transistors and logic gates and switches. Boolean logic is described and numerous electrical circuits are diagramed showing the electrical implementation of Boolean logic. The book describes circuits to add and subtract binary numbers. The development of hexadecimal code is described. Memory circuits are assembled by stringing logic gates together. Two basic microprocessors are described - the Intel 8080 and the Motorola 6800. Machine language, assembly language, and some higher level software languages are covered. There is a chapter on operating systems. This book provides a very nice historical perspective on the development of computers. It is entertaining and only rarely bogs down in technical detail.
Rating: 5
Summary: Wow. What a Book.
Comment: Have you ever opened up the case of your PC, only to find that there are seemingly millions of lego-esque pieces stuck together? Have you ever wondered how computing went from the abacus to the Palm IV? Have you ever asked how the engineers are able to do the things they do?
Well, ask no more. Instead, read this book. Charles Petzold is able to describe the workings of a simple computer, starting from the ground floor. He begins with descriptions of a simple circuit, and slowly works his way to more and more complex structures. You learn about flashlights, Morse code, and the early computers, and how each has impacted modern computing.
Will this book teach you how to program? No. But if you were not a computer science major or electrical engineer in college, this book will lay some of the foundations for understanding this technology. The technical aspects get a little dense at times, but this did not detract from the impact of this book.
If you have been curious about what goes on in that beige box, now is your time to investigate. This is the place to start.
Rating: 4
Summary: pretty good
Comment: The books starts off great, but later drowns in tedious details about the construction of complex circuits. I can't be too critical since it is apparently the purpose of the book to give such details, and I'm glad it didn't have the opposite problem of dumbing it down too much, but I think it could have been done better with the intended audience in mind.
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Title: Pattern on the Stone (Science Masters) by Daniel Hillis ISBN: 046502596X Publisher: Perseus Books Group Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: How Computer Programming Works (Technology in Action Series) by Dan Appleman ISBN: 1893115232 Publisher: Apress Pub. Date: 01 May, 2000 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: Moths in the Machine: The Power and Perils of Programming by Daniel Kohanski ISBN: 0312254067 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Programming in the Key of C# by Charles Petzold ISBN: 0735618003 Publisher: Microsoft Press Pub. Date: 30 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
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Title: Programming Windows, Fifth Edition by Charles Petzold ISBN: 157231995X Publisher: Microsoft Press Pub. Date: 11 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $59.99 |
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