BTW, if you want to buy the kindle version, buy it from O'Reilly instead of Amazon: 5 formats and no-DRM: http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9780735611313.do ($1.83 more though).

Oh - in that case, Charles Petzold's 'Code' is in my opinion a genuine masterpiece. It's a hard-to-place book in many ways. It explains what computers 'are' from the ground up, in a way that's accurate, fun to read if you're even passingly interested, and fairly complete.

A fascinating book for both those who know nothing about computers, and so well written it's still a great read for those who know them inside out. If not for yourself, it's possibly a great gift for a family member who wonders what exactly it is that you 'do'.

http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780735611313/