David's Reviews > How Computers Really Work

I enjoyed the evergreen material in the first half of this book, which takes us from transistor logic to high-level programming. As for the second half, I can't really disagree with the choice of the "cloud" and "app" material since that's what people probably think of in terms of modern computing...but it felt insubstantial and fad-ish compared to the earlier material. (Because it IS insubstantial and fad-ish!)

The really stand-out feature are the activities. This book covers a vast scope of material and being able to put ALL of it into hands-on practical experience is a brilliant move.

I bought this book to read to my kiddos (and that's exactly what I did - it came after the regular bedtime story). I think it's an amazing resource for young audiences. I would have given my right arm for this breadth of coverage when I was at the right age for it. But really, this would be incredible for anyone with a curiosity about computers.

I'm still a huge, huge fan of "The Pattern on the Stone" by Hillis, which packs an incredible amount of lucid explanation in a tiny package. But now I also have a book to recommend with practical exercises. I also think the use of the Raspberry Pi is right on the mark - I love the idea that we have a cheap, common teaching instrument that is a REAL computer that is itself available for less than the price of a book. It's a perfect combo.