How These Things Work
Publisher: reasonablypolymorphic.com
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Format: Web Book
Description: A few years ago, I asked my engineer friend about how much of civilization he could rebuild singlehandedly, should he survive some hypothetical apocalyptic event. “All of it,” he replied. “Not all at once, but I know enough to be able to puzzle together the pieces I don’t know right this second.”

That sentiment strongly resounded with me, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. I share my friend’s optimism, that given enough large pieces of the puzzle, it’s possible to work backwards and figure out what shapes must have filled the gaps. It’s likely not an overnight endeavor, but it’s doable.

And so that’s what this book strives to be: my contribution to any hypothetical survivors of the hypothetical apocalypse. A gentle, yet comprehensive introduction to how these things -- computers -- work. It won’t answer every question you might have, but the motivated reader will learn enough to be able to answer the remaining questions themselves.