Circuits

by Henry Fountain

If you've ever wondered how the high-tech gadgets we encounter as we go about our daily lives work, from the computers on our desks, the CD players in our homes (and the remote controls we operate them with), the Automatic Teller Machines at the bank, to the machines that sort billions of pieces of mail everyday, this is the book that has the answers. Compiled from the Circuits section of the New York Times , a guide to the inner workings of computers,...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031228439X
• ISBN13: 9780312284398
• Release Date: November 2001
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.8" x 11.2"

Customer Reviews

Visually Delightful and Well Written

If you ever wondered how modern things worked - even a little bit curious - you'll enjoy reading or scanning this book. The pictures, graphics and design are outstanding and useful in understanding how things work. The text is written so a general newspaper reader can digest the content. This is a far ranging work with 80 entries. The six sections and a sample from each indicate the range of content and degree or relevance. Home: Digital camera Computers: Compressing music Entertainment: Laser tag Business: Face recognition Transportation: Electronic tolls Science: Weather radar The book is nearly a decade old, but the content seems just right for a non-technical reader. My only qualm is that the text often repeats much of what has been covered in the graphics.

Both a reference and a geeky browser

As you'd expect from the New York Times, this book has excellent illustrations and clear, concise explanations of how a long list of electronic machines work. I took it out of the library initially but ended up buying a copy to use as a handy reference. I've also browsed through it in a geeky sort of way. My only beef: No index!