This blog is only possible due to large amount of research and tinkering I’ve done over the years. Here I’ve selected some of the books and tools from which I have learned the most. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend these to anyone interested in computing or Big Data.
Books
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by C. Petzold
If you ever wondered how exactly a computers work, how they can be programmed to do what we need and perform various functions we rely on every day – this is the book.
It starts with the very basics of what code is and then proceeds to how exactly instructions written in words can be translated into electrical signals inside a machine.
The Story of the Computer: A Technical and Business History by S. Marshall
The title of this one is quite self-explanatory. Sometimes this book skips a bit of technical detail to delve more into the business side things. For instance, it explains how computers were adopted by various organizations and how the business pressures inside IBM or Apple helped to shape the design of the computers they were building.
However, far from being a weakness it is one of the core strengths of this book – it provides a truly comprehensive account of how computers and those using them evolved. That is great because you cannot understand one without the other.
A History of Silicon Valley: The Greatest Creation of Wealth in the History of the Planet by A. Rao
This one is not about the computers per se, but rather about a small region which stood at the forefront of computer revolution. If you’ve ever wondered why the Silicon Valley is what it is – this is the book to read.
Hardware
Raspberry Pi
This is a computer that costs just a few bucks and can fit in a palm of your hand. That makes it great for several things like learning Linux, programming or networking.
Essentially, with this thing you can tinker without the fear of breaking something because to restore everything to normal you simply need to replace some files on a SD hard.
If you have ever wondered what sudo rm -r /* does on a Linux machine, this is the best place to try.
Arduino
Arduino is a micro-controller. This means it can be programmed to do something. A bit like a computer but much simpler (see how they differ). This is a great platform to learn more about smart-circuits and to build small scale DIY smart-home projects. Like a lamps that turn on/off from clapping and such.