Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software

The classic guide to how computers work, updated with new chapters and interactive graphics

"For  me, Code was a revelation. It was the first book about programming that  spoke to me. It started with a story, and it built up, layer by layer,  analogy by analogy, until I understood not just the Code, but the  System. Code is a book that is as much about Systems Thinking and  abstractions as it is about code and programming. Code teaches us how  many unseen layers there are between the computer systems that we as  users look at every day and the magical silicon rocks that we infused  with lightning and taught to think."
- Scott Hanselman, Partner Program Director, Microsoft, and host of Hanselminutes

Computers  are everywhere, most obviously in our laptops and smartphones, but also  our cars, televisions, microwave ovens, alarm clocks, robot vacuum  cleaners, and other smart appliances. Have you ever wondered what goes  on inside these devices to make our lives easier but occasionally more  infuriating?

For more than 20 years, readers have delighted in  Charles Petzold's illuminating story of the secret inner life of  computers, and now he has revised it for this new age of computing.  Cleverly illustrated and easy to understand, this is the book that  cracks the mystery. You'll discover what flashlights, black cats,  seesaws, and the ride of Paul Revere can teach you about computing, and  how human ingenuity and our compulsion to communicate have shaped every  electronic device we use.

This new expanded edition explores more  deeply the bit-by-bit and gate-by-gate construction of the heart of  every smart device, the central processing unit that combines the  simplest of basic operations to perform the most complex of feats.  Petzold’s companion website, CodeHiddenLanguage.com, uses animated  graphics of key circuits in the book to make computers even easier to  comprehend.

In addition to substantially revised and updated content, new chapters include:
• Chapter 18:  Let’s Build a Clock!
• Chapter 21:  The Arithmetic Logic Unit
• Chapter 22:  Registers and Busses
• Chapter 23:  CPU Control Signals
• Chapter 24:  Jumps, Loops, and Calls
• Chapter 28: The World Brain

From the simple ticking of clocks to the worldwide hum of the internet, Code reveals the essence of the digital revolution.