BIBLIO is the largest independent book marketplace in the world, with over 100 million books.

Skip to content

How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
Stock photo: cover may vary

How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine Paperback -

by Matthew Justice

Add to wish list

Reader reviews for How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

Write a review for this book

There are no reviews for this book yet. Be the first to write a review!

Your review will be anonymous unless you login or create an account first.

Overall rating
Remember: You’re rating the book as a work, not the seller or the condition of the specific copy you purchased!

Important Terms and Guidelines

  • Please focus on the book’s content and context. Also, add any personal comments as to how you enjoyed the book. Substantiate your likes and dislikes. You may make comparisons to other books.
  • Reviews must be at least 140 characters in length.
  • Please do not reveal critical plot elements.
  • This is not a help line. Contact customer support if you need help.
Your review must not include:
  • Obscenities, discriminatory language, or other insulting language not suitable for public domain
  • Advertisements, “spam” content, or references to other products, offers or websites.
  • Email addresses, URLs, phone numbers, physical addresses or other contact information.
  • Overly critical comments about other reviews or reviewers
  • Time-sensitive material (i.e. promotional tours, seminars, lectures, etc.)
  • Availability, price, or alternative ordering/shipping information

From the publisher

An approachable, hands-on guide to understanding how computers work, from low-level circuits to high-level code.

How Computers Really Work is a hands-on guide to the computing ecosystem: everything from circuits to memory and clock signals, machine code, programming languages, operating systems, and the internet.

But you won't just read about these concepts, you'll test your knowledge with exercises, and practice what you learn with 41 optional hands-on projects. Build digital circuits, craft a guessing game, convert decimal numbers to binary, examine virtual memory usage, run your own web server, and more.

Explore concepts like how to:

  • Think like a software engineer as you use data to describe a real world concept
  • Use Ohm's and Kirchhoff's laws to analyze an electrical circuit
  • Think like a computer as you practice binary addition and execute a program in your mind, step-by-step

    • The book's projects will have you translate your learning into action, as you:
  • Learn how to use a multimeter to measure resistance, current, and voltage
  • Build a half adder to see how logical operations in hardware can be combined to perform useful functions
  • Write a program in assembly language, then examine the resulting machine code
  • Learn to use a debugger, disassemble code, and hack a program to change its behavior without changing the source code
  • Use a port scanner to see which internet ports your computer has open
  • Run your own server and get a solid crash course on how the web works

    • And since a picture is worth a thousand bytes, chapters are filled with detailed diagrams and illustrations to help clarify technical complexities.

    Requirements: The projects require a variety of hardware - electronics projects need a breadboard, power supply, and various circuit components; software projects are performed on a Raspberry Pi. Appendix B contains a complete list. Even if you skip the projects, the book's major concepts are clearly presented in the main text.

    Details

    • Title How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    • Author Matthew Justice
    • Binding Paperback
    • Pages 392
    • Volumes 1
    • Language ENG
    • Publisher No Starch Press
    • Illustrated Yes
    • Features Illustrated, Index
    • ISBN 9781718500662 / 1718500661
    • Weight 1.6 lbs (0.73 kg)
    • Dimensions 9.1 x 6.9 x 1.2 in (23.11 x 17.53 x 3.05 cm)
    • Category Computers - General Information
    • Library of Congress subjects Electronic digital computers
    • Library of Congress Catalogue Number 2020024168
    • Dewey Decimal Code 004

    About the author

    Matthew Justice, a software engineer, spent 17 years at Microsoft where his work included debugging the Windows kernel, developing automated fixes, and leading a team of engineers building diagnostic tools and services. He has worked on everything from low-level software to high-level web applications.
    Back to top↑

    More Copies for Sale

    Show all copies
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • Used
    • Paperback
    Condition
    New
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    ThriftBooks
    Biblio Top Seller
    Item price
    A$36.21
    Free Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    No Starch Press, 2020. Paperback. Like New. Pages are clean and are not marred by notes or folds of any kind. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$36.21
    Free Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • Used
    Condition
    New
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    5
    Seller
    GreatBookPrices
    Item price
    A$39.86
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    like new.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$39.86
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Matthew Justice

    • New
    • Paperback
    Condition
    New
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    3
    Seller
    The Saint Bookstore
    Biblio Top Seller
    Item price
    A$57.00
    A$19.40 Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    Paperback / softback. New. An approachable, hands-on guide to understanding how computers work, from low-level circuits to modern software.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$57.00
    A$19.40 Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work : A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work : A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • Used
    Condition
    Used
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    Better World Books
    Biblio Top Seller
    Item price
    A$44.75
    Free Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    No Starch Press, Incorporated. Used - Good. Pages intact with minimal writing/highlighting. The binding may be loose and creased. Dust jackets/supplements are not included. Stock photo provided. Product includes identifying sticker. Better World Books: Buy Books. Do Good.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$44.75
    Free Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • Used
    • Paperback
    Condition
    Used
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    Ergodebooks
    Item price
    A$54.33
    Free Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    No Starch Press, 2020-12-17. paperback. Used: Good. 7.00x0.90x9.25. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$54.33
    Free Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • New
    • Paperback
    Condition
    New
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    Massive Bookshop
    Item price
    A$58.37
    A$7.30 Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    No Starch Press, 2020 Book. New. Paperback.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$58.37
    A$7.30 Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • New
    Condition
    New
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    5
    Seller
    GreatBookPrices
    Item price
    A$59.83
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    new.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$59.83
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • New
    • Paperback
    Condition
    New
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    6
    Seller
    Ergodebooks
    Item price
    A$61.61
    Free Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    No Starch Press, 2020-12-17. paperback. New. 7.00x0.90x9.25. Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$61.61
    Free Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work

    by Matthew Justice

    • New
    Condition
    New
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    Cold Books
    Item price
    A$83.91
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    pp. 380 . Papeback. New.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$83.91
    A$5.82 Delivery to USA
    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine
    Stock photo: cover may vary

    How Computers Really Work: A Hands-On Guide to the Inner Workings of the Machine

    by Justice, Matthew

    • Used
    • Good
    • Paperback
    Condition
    Good
    Binding
    Paperback
    ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
    9781718500662 / 1718500661
    Quantity available
    1
    Seller
    Bonita
    Item price
    A$85.65
    Free Delivery to USA

    Show details

    Description:
    paperback. Good. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. May be an ex-library book.
    Add to wish list
    Item price
    A$85.65
    Free Delivery to USA
    Show all copies
    Back to top↑

    Please wait a moment while we load the requested page.