Computer Hardware

Duntenmann, Jeff. Inside the Power PC Revolution. Scottsdale, AZ: Coripolis Group Books, 1995. Good comparative descriptions of different architectures, particularly CISC vs. RISC.

Malone, Michael S. The Microprocessor: A Biography. Santa Clara: Telos, 1995. Excellent, both on the technology and on the industry.

Prasad, Nallur, and Savit, Jeffrey. IBM Mainframes: Architecture and Design. Second edition. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc., 1994. Highly readable; clear explanations of basic hardware and software concepts.

Rosch, Winn L. The Winn L.Rosch Hardware Bible. Fifth Edition. Indianapolis, IN: Que, 1999. The indispensable reference on microcomputer hardware. Very clearly written and mostly accessible to the non-technical reader.

White, Ron. How Computers Work.Fifth Edition.Indianapolis, IN:MacMillan, 1999. One of those lavishly illustrated books that explains many things clearly but always seems to leave some key point out. Very useful nonetheless.

Wyant, Gregg, and Hammerstrom, Tucker. How Microprocessors Work. Emeryville, CA: Ziff-Davis Press, 1994. Excellent illustrations; clear explanations.