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Understanding the digital world : what you need to know about computers, the Internet, privacy, and security
Kernighan B., Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 2017. 256 pp. Type: Book (978-0-691176-54-3)
Date Reviewed: Feb 9 2018

The digital world is changing very rapidly with advancements in the embedded hardware and software on which it depends. Both the hardware and software changes inflict concerns about privacy and security over the Internet and for its users around the world. This book focuses on hardware, software, and privacy and security concerns.

This book consists of three parts: “Hardware,” “Software,” and “Communications,” which spread over 13 chapters with the 13th chapter wrapping up the previous 12 chapters. In the first part, the author discusses the hardware, comprising what’s in a computer, bits, bytes, the representation of information, and the central processing unit (CPU). Chapter 1 deals with the basic construction of a computer, including logical and physical construction and Moore’s law. Further, the author introduces the processor or CPU, primary memory or random access memory (RAM), disks, and secondary storage. In chapter 2, the author presents the fundamentals of bits, bytes, the representation of information, analog-digital conversion, and powers of two and powers of ten. Figure 2.7, the main highlight of chapter 2, shows an on-off switch and a standard on-off symbol, which explains the representation of bits, that is, 0 and 1. As the chapter title “Inside the CPU” suggests, the author briefly explains the operations, data processing, decision making, and processes that happen inside of the CPU. He further introduces a toy computer centering on two toy programs, real CPUs, caching, and other kinds of computers in chapter 3.

In Part 2, the author covers algorithms, programming and programming languages, software systems, and learning to program. Chapter 4 describes linear algorithms, binary search, sorting, and hard problems and complexity. This is the most interesting part of the book. Here, the author proclaims a prize of $1 million each for the six open problems offered by the Clay Mathematics Institute. Chapter 5 presents illustrations on programming languages and intellectual property. The author further extends it to assembly and high-level languages, software development, trade secrets, copyrights, patents, licenses, standards, and open source. Furthermore, he introduces and clearly explains “patent trolls” and overviews the slowly changing legal climate involving patent activities. Software systems--basically the operating system (OS), its working, file systems, applications, and layers of software--and other OSs are in chapter 6. The author further adds that the OS manages the CPU, RAM, and information stored on disks, and illustrates system calls, device drivers, disk file systems, and other file systems. Chapter 7 explains learning to program using programming language concepts; includes two JavaScript examples, loops, conditionals, libraries, and interfaces; and covers how JavaScript works. Also, the variants of processed output in Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Edge beautifully present the “Hello, world” program.

In Part 3, the author spreads communication into networks, the Internet, the World Wide Web (WWW), data and information, and privacy and security. Chapter 8 focuses on networks, starting from simple topics such as telephones and modems to advanced topics including bandwidth, compression, and error detection and correction. In this chapter, the author summarizes networks and clearly warns about using free Wi-Fi services and open access points before accessing public networks. In chapter 9, the author presents details about the Internet, including domain names and addresses, routing, transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) and high-level protocols, copyright on the Internet, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He explains simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP) using an email program and the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) pertaining to digital copyright issues. Further, chapter 10 discusses the WWW and its working; Hypertext Markup Language (HTML); cookies; active content on webpages as well as elsewhere; viruses, worms, and Trojan horses; attacks on clients, servers, and on information in transit; and defending yourself. In addition, the author illustrates phishing attacks on clients using an example; “A phishing attack from Russia.” Chapter 11 emphasizes data and information, including search, tracking, social networks, data mining and aggression, and cloud computing. Also, the author provides detailed behind-the-scenes descriptions of searching, tracking, and cloud computing. Chapter 12 briefs readers about privacy and security, including secret-key and public-key cryptography and Tor, the Tor browser, and Bitcoin in cryptography and anonymity, respectively. The author illustrates and differentiates weather searches made on Yahoo.com using a Tor browser and using Firefox; however, the author erroneously refers to Figure 12.3 instead of Figure 12.4.

This book is an interesting read for academics (students and professors) and professionals, including research scientists and programmers. The introduction to a toy computer in chapter 3, illustrations on algorithms in chapter 4, and a section “Defending Yourself” in chapter 10 are must-read parts of the book. Covering hardware and software in Parts 1 and 2, respectively, with a dedicated chapter on wrapping up, makes the book a worthwhile read. Overall, this book presents topics on hardware, systems, software, the Internet, and security on the Internet in an interesting way.

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Reviewer:  Lalit Saxena Review #: CR145846 (1805-0211)
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Web-Based Interaction (H.5.3 ... )
 
 
World Wide Web (WWW) (H.3.4 ... )
 
 
Security and Protection (K.6.5 )
 
 
Systems And Software (H.3.4 )
 
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