Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
This book builds an understanding of how computers work from the ground up, starting with flashlights and telegraph relays and gradually assembling logic gates, memory, and processors. The second edition adds chapters on floating point arithmetic, web technologies, and processor architecture. It requires no prior technical knowledge but by the end you’ll have a solid grasp of what happens inside a computer. The explanations are remarkably clear given how much ground it covers.