Essentials of Computer Architecture

This book features Doug Comer's unique ability to present technical material in a practical context, and focuses on the essentials of computer architecture for programmers. It shows programmers how the computer's organization and architecture directly affect their program's performance and potential for debugging. It covers all aspects from the low-level building blocks, without needless low level details, to system-level architectures, and succinctly explains the interface between hardware and software. The book's features include the basics of digital logic and data representation, broad and accurate coverage of processors, memory, and I/O and an overview of assembly languages and programming paradigms.
The book includes sections on assembly language, virtual memory, caching, microcode, and device driver software provide critical insight into how programmers can take advantage of the computer's architecture to design efficient, elegant, and reliable software. For readers and computer professionals that want an accessible, no-nonsense introduction to computer architecture that won't bury them in unnecessary details.