What do flashlights, the British invasion, black cats, and seesaws have to do with computers? In CODE, they show us the ingenious ways we manipulate language and invent new means of communicating with each other. And through CODE, we see how this ingenuity and our very human compulsion to communicate have driven the technological innovations of the past two centuries.Using everyday objects and familiar language systems such as Braille and Morse code, author Charles Petzold weaves an illuminating narrative for anyone who’s ever wondered about the secret inner life of computers and other smart machines.It’s a cleverly illustrated and eminently comprehensible story—and along the way, you’ll discover you’ve gained a real context for understanding today’s world of PCs, digital media, and the Internet. No matter what your level of technical savvy, CODE will charm you—and perhaps even awaken the technophile within.

手电筒、英国入侵、黑猫和跷跷板与计算机有什么关系？在《代码》中，他们向我们展示了我们操纵语言和发明新的相互交流方式的巧妙方法。通过《代码》，我们看到这种聪明才智和我们人类对交流的渴望是如何推动过去两个世纪的技术创新的。作者查尔斯-佩佐德利用日常用品和熟悉的语言系统，如盲文和摩斯密码，为任何曾经想知道计算机和其他智能机器的秘密内部生活的人编织了一个有启发性的叙述。无论你的技术水平如何，CODE都会吸引你，甚至可能唤醒你内心的技术爱好者。