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In summary, Code is a superb recount of the evolution of computers that explains why each step was developed, how it works and how it came to exist.

One of my co-workers commented that “having learned everything in school, it gave me a great appreciation for the book.” This book isn’t just for beginners though. This book also uses many terms and conventions typical to the computer industry and is careful to clearly define terms before they are used. There were few sticking points, especially for such an immense amount of information. Petzold gives a brief history lesson that provides context.Ĭoming into this book with little knowledge of the development of computers, I found that ideas were fed gradually and well explained.

After the reader has grappled with and appreciates a given topic, Mr. Once a problem and a concept are defined, a technology is developed to fill them. There are no major breakthroughs, just a series of little (but important) developments.Īnother characteristic I loved about this book is that first there is a problem, then an idea is developed. Each idea is derived from a set of circumstances and from previously developed ideas to solve a specific problem. One of my favorite characteristics of Code is that nothing comes from a vacuum.

Starting with the idea of communication and building upward, Code takes readers through a series of creations and revisions to model major steps in the development of computers and their components. Petzold states in the preface, Code is “a unique journey through the evolution of the digital technologies that define the modern age.” So, how computers work? Yes, but so much more! Code is not special because of its subject but rather because of how it weaves together the many and varied pieces that compose the topic.Ĭode takes its structure from the very object it seeks to explain: a computer.

Spencer Farley, who was a member of the Carnac team and is now a member of the Don’t Panic Labs team, shares his thoughts on the book Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold.Īs Mr. These interns were placed into four separate teams, with each team tasked to develop a product based around a specific need. This summer we hosted 23 interns at the Don’t Panic Labs office.