Name: Understanding the Digital World
ISBN: 9780691219103

Understanding the Digital World

A brand-new edition of the popular introductory textbook that explores how computer hardware, software, and networks work Computers are everywhere. Some are highly visible, in laptops, tablets, cell phones, and smart watches. But most are invisible, like those in appliances, cars, medical equipment, transportation systems, power grids, and weapons. We never see the myriad computers that quietly collect, share, and sometimes leak personal data about us. Governments and companies increasingly use computers to monitor what we do. Social networks and advertisers know more about us than we should be comfortable with. Criminals have all-too-easy access to our data. Do we truly understand the power of computers in our world? In this updated edition of Understanding the Digital World, Brian Kernighan explains how computer hardware, software, and networks work. Topics include how computers are built and how they compute; what programming is; how the Internet and web operate; and how all of these affect security, privacy, property, and other important social, political, and economic issues. Kernighan touches on fundamental ideas from computer science and some of the inherent limitations of computers, and new sections in the book explore Python programming, big data, machine learning, and much more. Numerous color illustrations, notes on sources for further exploration, and a glossary explaining technical terms and buzzwords are included.

What Hacker News says

ZetobalNov 2023

Sometimes I imagine a world were everyone in my corp, no matter dev or not, would have read "Understanding the Digital World" by Brian W. Kernighan. Communication and understanding would sky rocket.

thread

ghostpepperMar 2022

Another one like code but even more gentle is Understanding the Digital World by Brian Kernighan

thread

throwmeariver1Mar 2022

Everyone in tech should read the book "Understanding the Digital World" by Brian W. Kernighan.

thread

ThisIsTheWayApr 2020

I recommend "Understanding the Digital World" [0] to everyone, but especially those who work in the tech field. Understanding how the systems work is absolutely fundamental, but many people do not spend the time to build that foundation.

Highly recommended, it's a great book.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Digital-World-Computers...

thread

dansoOct 2019

Was just about to comment that in lieu of buying an ebook version of the currently discussed Unix book, I discovered he had written "Understanding the Digital World" and bought it on impulse. Currently going through the first chapter now. Like all of his books, extremely well-written. I was surprised at how much the introduction focused on data sharing and the Snowden-revelations, which he segues into after talking about how he and his wife weren't using Airbnb, Uber, and Whatsapp, on a recent vacation trip.

thread

hackermailmanMar 2019

Every prison mailroom is different, I usually just ignore what the bop or state website claims and phone the prison mailroom directly to ask. In general, all books must come from a store/publisher, and have an invoice. I use Books A Million for prison deliveries because they always include an invoice and Amazon often doesn't.

Anybody wondering some good books for prison are the Little Schemer series of books, since they can be done with pencil & paper. The Schemer's Guide is another pencil & paper boook if you can find it. Kernighan also has a good book for this but it contains a chapter on cryptography which some prisons may not allow but I haven't had any problems yet "Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security" or get the older paperback version "D is for Digital". They give an intro to programming. Code by Charles Petzold, a really good intro book, may not get in either just because of the title.

thread