Assembly Language Step-by-step: Programming with DOS and Linux (with CD-ROM)
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Spotlight Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 3.88Customer Rating: 5
Summary: A great book for beginners
Comment: Many people aspiring to learn assembly have been discourage by the high learning barrier of understanding the arcane aspects of language and computer architecture. I was one of them. This book helped me broke that barrier.
As the author said that he set out to write a book that "taught people how to program in assembly language as ther first experience in programming"; the book lives up to that promise.
Unlike many other books that rushes through basic concepts and dives into assembly instruction, the author has great explanations of every concepts in assembly. I especially liked the metaphors approach to describe many difficult concepts.
The NASM assembler and NASM-IDE tools included in the book is another bonus to the book. The author also has a web site to for book errata, links to other great web pages about assembly.
The author dedicated the last 100 pages of the book to Linux programming, and done a decent job at it. I agree with him that the reason he did not choose Windows was that the results from learning and programming windows applications in Assembly is not worth the time. However, I wondered if it would be better that if the author spend that last 100 pages on building something useful with assembly, like a hex editor, so that we get a better feel for the language. He could write a book on programming in assembly for Linux.
But, overall, the book is so well-written, living up to the title: Step by Step - that I didn't even feel any difficulty learning the concepts, as I did in other books.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: I recommend highly for any Assembly beginner
Comment: Like everyone else I've ever met who's looked into learning assembly, I had a little trouble comprehending how everything fit together. I'd heard wonderful things about Duntemann's last edition of Assembly Language: Step by Step, so I decided to purchase the updated linux version. Duntemann's 600+ page book slowly guides the beginner into an understanding of Assembly. Don't be confused by the book's size - this book will NOT make an expert - perhaps not even an intermediate programmer. Instead, this book teachers the basics of assembly and provides a decent background into the workings of computer memory, the cpu, and other concepts that EVERY programmer should know. This book can't be given a higher recommendation for anyone looking to start in assembly - Duntemann has a way of explaining (and re-explaining) through metaphors that enhance comprehension. Anyone who already has a background in this material will be amazed by the extreme explanations ("a whole CHAPTER on hex and binary! "), but it's really the perfect way to pound the knowledge in. By the end of the book, the reader will know so much more about assembly - and how/why it works. Just don't expect to be a highly skilled professional.
Customer Rating: 5
Summary: Good Intro
Comment: This book filled in a lot of gaps in my knowledge about computers in general as well as introducing me to the world of assembly language. I didn't know how much I didn't know until I read this text.
The book is enjoyable and easy to read. If I had it to do over again, this is probably the first computer programming book I would read. The author really explains the concepts in simple terms that are easy for even a novice to understand. I found parts of the book moving along a bit slowly for my taste, but I was certainly able to reatin all the knowlege.
The first 150-200 pages is mostly background. I found some useful morsels of information through these sections, although I was able to read through them quite quickly. Then there's about 200 pages on assembling for DOS and another 120 pages on assembling for LINUX. All parts of the book are relevant to each other.
If you are new to assembly, or want to fill in some gaps in you knowlege this is a great book to start with. If you have programmed in assembly before, you will probably be disappointed with this book.