Understanding the Digital World
What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security
by Brian W. Kernighan · first published 2017
67% recommend33% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Gentle, well-written overview of how computers, the internet and software actually work; praised as a foundation for non-specialists and tech workers alike, and as an easy first step before more code-heavy material.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
xv, 238 pages : 27 cm
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Everyone in tech should read the book "Understanding the Digital World" by Brian W. Kernighan.
on “Ask HN: How does a CPU communicate with a GPU?” ↗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…
on “Ask HN: What is a must read for a developer without a computer science degree?” ↗Another one like code but even more gentle is Understanding the Digital World by Brian Kernighan
on “Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study?” ↗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.
on “If you could only have one programming book on bookshelf what would it be?” ↗…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…
on “Ask HN: Prisoners Not Allowed to Study Programming?” ↗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,…
on “Unix: A History and a Memoir, by Brian Kernighan” ↗Anyone able to comment on his recent non-programming-language books? For example, how's "Understanding The Digital World"? http://kernighan.com/udw.html
on “Unix: A History and a Memoir, by Brian Kernighan” ↗fwiw I looked up this paper because I was reading Brian Kernighan book, Understanding the Digital World (2017), and he quotes the first line of this paper in the first chapter of his book, and several times throughout his book (which is written as a layperson's guide to computers and the Internet). This…
on “Preliminary discussion of the logical design of an electronic computer (1946)” ↗…the Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work by Danny Hillis * D is for Digital: What a Well-Informed Person Should Know About Computers and Communications by Brian W. Kernighan (I think his Understanding the Digital World is probably a retitled newer edition of this book?) * Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold All three of these authors have had interesting and prominent careers…
on “Ask HN: Recommendation for the mom of a near-college-aged “tech geared” student?” ↗…Programming, 2nd ed. (2003) with Robert Fourer and David Gay D is for Digital: What a well-informed person should know about computers and communications (2011)[12] The Go Programming Language(2015)[13] Understanding the Digital World: What You Need to Know about Computers, the Internet, Privacy, and Security (2017)
on “Technical Writing: Learning from Kernighan” ↗