See MIPS Run (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design)
...this book is the best combination of completeness and readability of any book on the MIPS architecture... --from the Foreword by John L. Hennessey, a founder of MIPS Frederick Emmons Terman Dean of Engineering, Stanford UniversityRead the full review for this book.MIPS is a family of microprocessors with a checkered business past and a good number of shining technical successes. MIPS seems to have stabilized and acquired a world-class real-time programming environment in the form of an excellent, stable, and well-supported port of Gnu since the early 1990's. If you're eager to introduce yourself to the MIPS architecture and programming model from one tightly packed and expertly written book, you should considerSee MIPS Runby Dominic Sweetman. Of course, there is no such thing as "studying" a microprocessor. You build a board, make it work, and then program it, your fingers bleeding from thumbing through the manufacturer-supplied documentation. All the truth is there, but only once, and if you miss it reading quickly, you'll have a hard time finding it again.--Jack Woehr,Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books--Dr. Dobb's Electronic Review of Computer Books