You don't have to know how a car works to be able to drive it, but a little knowledge can be very useful.

To pursue the analogy, Peter Lafferty's Introduction To Computing doesn't say much about the 'driving', with only one chapter on writing your own programs, illustrated by a rather standard game called Tank Attack. Instead, this book is intended for those who wish to peer under the bonnet.

It gives clear and readable information about the microprocessor, ROM, RAM, interfaces and busses. It also gives a very detailed explanation of what happens from the moment you press a key to when a program runs. There is a chapter describing peripherals to expand your system and a concluding computer review tabulates details of current models. There is also guidance on how to choose a computer and what questions to ask yourself before buying.

The book is illustrated with diagrams, which in some cases hindered rather than helped. But despite such drawbacks this book is an easy way to get a basic grounding in computer hardware.