A transformative way of teaching computer architecture
When I read Code, after the humor, after the journey of learning that book took me through, I felt one thing: relief. I felt relieved because I finally was able to understand some of the concepts that had escaped me for so long. I remember being so frustrated in 2017 when I was learning how to code because I just could not understand the mechanics of what was happening inside of the computer on the physical level, and how it actually operated.
I find the first half of the book to be taught in such an intuitive, easy to grasp way, that I’ve found myself re-reading it many times. Now, the latter half of the book I find more challenging. I have not yet read the second edition, though, so perhaps it’s a bit easier to pick up. However part of my challenge with the second half was trying to conceptualize the processes he was describing. I think that if I were physically building my own model step by step like he was theoretically, I would have an easier time. In fact, desire to build my own models and experiment with micro computing really grew while reading this.
Something that surprised me about the book is how much about computing I already understood because of things I had explored in my life. My high school logic class certainly came in handy when I learned about how circuits are arranged with Boolean logic! I was so amazed at how cleverly computers were designed, and I was so happy to see a system that just made sense. I look around and there are so many systems in the world that don’t make a lot of sense or don’t work as intended. But with computers, there is a simplicity. On or off. One or zero. An open circuit or a closed one. In series, in parallel, on and on times a zillion until I’m watching myself type these words on the screen.
I love exploring systems. I love breaking them apart to see how they work, and then putting them back together again, both as they were, and then differently, to see how they can change and what they can do. Learning more about computers actually led me into my journey with Ham radio (and now have my Technician’s license!).
This was such a great book and gave me what I needed to feed my curiosity and desire to understand computer architecture and has continued to inspire me.
