But How Do It Know? – The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone by J Clark Scott (PDF)

Description

Finally, this brand new book exposes the secrets of computers for everyone to see. Its humorous title begins with the punch line of a classic joke about someone who is baffled by technology.It was written by a 40-year computer veteran who wants to take the mystery out of computers and allow everyone to gain a true understanding of exactly what computers are, and also what they are not.Years of writing, diagramming, piloting and editing have culminated in one easy to read volume that contains all of the basic principles of computers written so that everyone can understand them.There used to be only two types of book that delved into the insides of computers. The simple ones point out the major parts and describe their functions in broad general terms. Computer Science textbooks eventually tell the whole story, but along the way, they include every detail that an engineer could conceivably ever need to know.Like Baby Bear’s porridge, But How Do It Know? is just right, but it is much more than just a happy medium. For the first time, this book thoroughly demonstrates each of the basic principles that have been used in every computer ever built, while at the same time showing the integral role that codes play in everything that computers are able to do.It cuts through all of the electronics and mathematics, and gets right to practical matters. Here is a simple part, see what it does. Connect a few of these together and you get a new part that does another simple thing. After just a few iterations of connecting up simple parts – voilà! – it’s a computer. And it is much simpler than anyone ever imagined.But How Do It Know? really explains how computers work. They are far simpler than anyone has ever permitted you to believe. It contains everything you need to know, and nothing you don’t need to know. No technical background of any kind is required.The basic principles of computers have not changed one iota since they were invented in the mid 20th century. “Since the day I learned how computers work, it always felt like I knew a giant secret, but couldn’t tell anyone,” says the author. Now he’s taken the time to explain it in such a manner that anyone can have that same moment of enlightenment and thereafter see computers in an entirely new light.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐i like to read it when im bored

⭐I have always been intimidated by computers. They seem ridiculously complex and overwhelming to understand. I wasn’t happy having this feeling about something I used every day so I decided to try to learn a little more about them. I didn’t realize it at the time, but computers are evidently very difficult to explain. Part of the reason for this I think is that there are so many areas of specialization in computers that no one seems able or willing to sit down and try to give a beginner a good overview of the subject that is simple yet detailed enough to allow them to walk away feeling like they learned what they wanted to know.I think that may be why Mr Scott wrote this book. He genuinely wants you to understand how a computer works. He evidently spent a LOT of time designing the computer in this book. It is a fully functional computer and, from other research I have done, it actually works a lot like the computers we use every day. That is rare to find. There are many books out there that talk about the grand theories of computing but never get down into the hardware and what the wires and transistors are actually doing to make things work. Other books will try to build a very very basic computer with you but since it is just a teaching tool, you learn a lot of concepts about computing that don’t really work well in reality. This book is the happy medium between the two, not too technical to be overwhelming and not so basic that its unhelpful.If you are looking for a book that will help you understand how your computer works, this is it. There is no other book that I have found that can explain this subject in such a way that you walk away feeling like you finally have clarity on a subject that has been so fuzzy for so long. Its a good feeling, and I highly recommend this book to you if you are looking for that kind of clarity about computers as well.

⭐In J. Clark Scott’s book ‘But how do it Know’, the inner workings of a computer are explained. From the most basic components such as logic gates and memory, to more advanced concepts such as CPUs. As Scott says “It all comes down to NAND gates”.I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about how computers work. It is fun and educational. There is even humor and very detailed descriptions. A good read for anyone wanting to know more!

⭐I had always wanted a book like this. It is short, and explains how to make an admittedly primitive toy CPU out of individual logic gates. By the last page, you have a fully functional 8-bit CPU, and at no point does the prose rise above a level perfectly understandable to an average high schooler.shameless plug: This would be a super companion to my own book, “Ones And Zeros” by John Gregg:

⭐. Both Scott and I seem to be trying to use the same sort of voice, trying to hook the same sort of audience. My book talks more about the history and mathematical logic than Scott’s, and thus does not go as far up the complexity ladder as the entire CPU. Read mine first, then Scott’s. OK, plug over.As I said, this book was a revelation. I had never seen a CPU laid out so clearly and simply. I would, however, have liked to have seen more gestures in the direction of how “real” CPUs work, at least a mention here or there. I don’t think it would have been too big a digression to give a little more detail about how you might expand the address bus to 16 or 32 bits to make the whole thing actually useful. It might also have been nice to explain, briefly, in general terms, about pipelining, or microcode, or the idea behind finite state machines. I emphasize, I’d like just a hint of things like that, without a full, rigorous exploration, just to let the reader know the sorts of directions the real world takes using Scott’s toy CPU as a starting point.Quibbles though. Buy this book.

⭐this book takes you from transistors to logic gates and then all the way (in easy to understand steps) to a complete, theoretical CPU. Step by step and is written to educate, not confuse.We all know what a CPU is, but do we know whats going on inside if it? Before I read this a CPU was just a chip with address and data pins and the insides were a mystery, after reading it I have a better understanding of the internals and can look at machine language of a 6502 or z80 (or for that matter any CPU) and realize that there is a method to the madness of all those op codes and what they actually do internally.turns out it isn’t magic after all, its logical and explainable.

⭐I am a seasoned computer enthusiast and part time novice computer repair technician, while I may not be the target demographic this book helped me re-solidify my fundamentals. This book is for people who no virtually nothing about computers, but if this isnt your first time aroumd the bus, you can still learn a thing or two.

⭐I bought this book after watching a video on youtube called “How a CPU works” from a channel called InOneLesson, I suggest everyone interested in the book watch that 20 minute video for a flavour of the book, the CPU used in the video is the same used in the book.This book begins simply with logic gates and goes on to show how connecting them in particular ways builds components of the computer (memory, adders, comparators), how these components fit together and how they interact with each other to preform an instruction cycle.

⭐It is exactly what it says in the review, and well produced, cogent, insightful, enlightening, easy to read. A great toilet book made up of short chapters. I don’t mean any disrespect by that, as others who like to read in the bathroom will know.

⭐I bought this book and it inspired me to build the computer in a software package called Logisim. I created some online videos showing how I built it. I had a great time. If you have ever wondered how a computer works then this is the book for you. The writing is very clear precise and fun and the design DOES work for real. Buy the book and go build it yourself and see, just like I did !

⭐This book manages to make very complex concepts almost too easy. There are so many books which dont really explain it they just throw terms out but this book takes the time to explain every part, no matter how small a detail, so you understand it all inside and out. This is a truly educational book and if you are interested in the subject I cannot recommend it highly enough.

⭐I enjoyed this book, just wish I had read it (or something) similar 30 years ago, it would have made my whole exam process a lot easier! Some parts are a little convoluted, but I got over that, and for anybody remotely interested in computer architecture, it is a great place to start; even though modern computers have a lot more going on.

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