Where developers do not often venture ...

This unique book describes how a computer from its electronic components from the lowest level (logic gates, transistors, integrated circuits) to the software via the assembler and high level languages.

Its ambition: to enable developers (and any curious strongly interested in electronics and IT) to understand how the data and instructions become electrical impulses and how these impulses can be transformed into mechanical motion. Mission accomplished and remarkable way: writing is nice and the author manages to simplify all the concepts with examples and graphics many more.

The first chapters introduce the concept of information exchange by code: human language, hand signals, Morse code, Braille is a code. The author takes the opportunity to introduce the binary calculation: Braille and Morse code is composed of two symbols, the number of "characters" possible in each of these codes are expressed by a power of two.

Then, the basics of electricity (atoms, electrons, current, voltage, etc.) are introduced in the chapter describing the anatomy of a flashlight.

The next chapter describes one of the first inventions where electricity is combined with a mechanical device to communicate: the telegraph.

Then come two chapters describing the bases 10 and 2, and a chapter describing the logical operations (and, or, not, ...) and making a reconciliation between them and switches. Follow the logic gates, bit, byte, hexadecimal, processor, machine language, etc.

My appreciation: one of the very good books I read this year. I saw most of the concepts outlined here in courses there twenty years but we showed the way too fast and incomplete - I have withheld nothing. I really enjoyed this book to read at that time!

Note: the English used is easy to understand.