[ImageXav]

Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold is an excellent work that very clearly guides the reader through the components and steps that lead to the sophisticated computer systems we have nowadays. Each step is explained with no logical leaps and could be followed by a young child.

Improving almost anything by George Box blew my mind. As children and even as university students we have been lied to. We have been told that experiments must be carried out one at a time to assign effects. This is patently false. In fact, we miss out on potential interaction effects (think temperature and time in cooking) by using one factor at a time experimentation. In this book he discusses many now old but fundamental techniques by which large improvements in models can be gained with minimal data. It has helped me in my career immensely and made me aware of many usual methods and fields of study.

[bornfreddy]

Also by Charles Petzold: Programming Windows. Not sure how the new editions fare, but the first (second maybe?) was great.

[rramadass]

Good choice. That book is one of the best examples of "Technical Writing" and responsible for educating a whole generation of Programmers.

In fact i would go so far as to say it was directly responsible for the success of Microsoft Windows.

[ultrasounder]

The second edition was recently posted on HN. Preorders open and the book will ship in Aug 2022. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31696901

[charlieflowers]

What’s the george box reference? Sounds interesting.

[ImageXav]

The book is "Improving almost anything - Ideas and essays" and can be found on Amazon, but I think the Wiley description [0] does it more justice. His writing is accessible and full of witticisms such as "When Murphy speaks, listen" (referring to Murphy or Sod's Law). His works are good building blocks for all kinds of research.

[0]https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Improving+Almost+Anything%3A+Ide...