DarkLordoftheMonkeys

I've been reading a book called Principles of Computer Hardware, by Alan Clements. It's a very comprehensive introduction to computer architecture and organization, and, I would say, one of the few good texts on the subject out there. Most books on computer hardware simply list all the components of a generic PC, gloss over their functions, and then launch into a detailed discussion of all the different models available. They never explore the scientific side of the computer or explain how any of it actually works. I am a scientist at heart; my interests are more intellectual and theoretical than practical, which is why I seek to understand the underlying concepts before I learn the details. Principles of Computer Hardware provides just that.

Right now I'm learning about the structure of the CPU. The book explains in eight fully illustrated pages what all the basic components of a generic CPU are and how they function. I find it very intriguing, so much so that I can become totally absorbed in the subject and lose track of the outside world. I am in my own inner universe of science and technology, held in awe as the intricate complexity of the computer unravels before my eyes, uncovering even more layers of complexity, as I transcend my previous understanding and move into new realms of comprehension. There is magic in the moment when you begin to truly understand something on an intellectual level, when everything starts to make sense and all the pieces fit together.

It is times like this that make me glad I left my old life behind. No more dweeb sitting in his room wishing he had a life. I am a full-fledged computer geek now - a programmer, a scientist, a thinker, and a lifelong learner. I have revived my old passions, passions that may actually get me somewhere. I can only hope that they will pay off. But even if they don't it's worth the ride.