This book, Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective (CS:APP), is for pro-
grammers who want to improve their skills by learning what is going on "under
the hood" of a computer system.
Our aim is to explain the enduring concepts underlying all computer systems,
and to show you the concrete ways that these ideas affect the correctness, per-
formance, and utility of your application programs. Unlike other systems books,
which are written primarily for system builders, this book is written for program-
mers, from a programmer's perspective.
If you study and learn the concepts in this book, you will be on your way to
becoming the rare "power programmer" who knows how things work and how
to fix them when they break. You will also be prepared to study specific systems
topics such as compilers, computer architecture, operating systems, embedded
systems, and networking.