This completely reworked and updated Second Edition walks you through everything from basic introduction to these computers-on-a-chip all the way through design and ready-to-launch products. The author coaches you through sophisticated applications using plenty of examples and clearly illustrated learn-as-you-go instructions.
Holy cow! If you are the type that really likes to take things apart--this is the book for you. Several years ago I had a commercial project with the AVR and everything I knew about it I had gleaned from the data-sheet. I truly wish I'd found this book then!
The book starts by introducing you to just what is a micro-controller (and how they differ from a general-purpose processor such as the x86). It then gives you a 30,000 foot tour of the architecture before introducing you to each component individually. Examples are in C and ASM
My volume is all marked-up with notes, stickies, and dog-eared pages--looks like it took several rides on the floor of the bus. This is the best AVR book out there! (Make: AVR Programming: Learning to Write Software for Hardware is the natural follow-on companion.)