Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers (4th Edition)

This is a review for the Fourth Edition of Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers by Kip Irvine. This book has just been released.

I teach Assembly Language at a community college, and have used the third edition with much success. Matter of fact, I was so impressed by it that when Dr. Irvine asked if any of the current teachers who'd registered at his site wanted to review the fourth edition, which was still being written, I volunteered. The fourth edition is an organizational improvement on an already well-written book.

The first nine chapters cover what I need to teach for an introduction to Assembly Language, required by Computer Science departments for a major in that field. Engineering programs can teach introductory hardware using it as well, with the emphasis on different chapters.

The book starts with basic concepts of data representation and number-base conversions and moves on to the Intel IA-32 processor architecture. By the time we start to actually discuss Assembly Language in Chapter 3, the student understands why Assembly works the way it does. That's no small feat.

Unlike many Computer Science books purported to be for beginners, this one really is written for students near the beginning of their studies. It's aimed at those who have taken maybe one previous programming class. Dr. Irvine has a knack for reducing a very complex topic to its elements and explaining those elements so they're easily understood.

It's possible to learn Assembly Language using this book alone, not taking a formal class, even though the text isn't really designed to be a Teach Yourself program. Assembly Language is a rather difficult topic, so the student would have to be very motivated.

Instead of having a series of review questions at the ends of the chapters, this book has section reviews. This focuses the student on what was just read, reinforcing a smaller amount of data, so it sticks more easily. Students have access to answers to odd-numbered questions. For teachers who prefer to have students look in the textbook for the answers, the even-numbered questions cover material similar to what's asked by the odds. There are programming exercises at the ends of chapters, too.

The author maintains a web site for the book. There are sections for students who use the book and parts just for teachers. Odd-numbered problem answers are on the students' site. Security is maintained at the teachers' site. When I logged in, I found sample tests, PowerPoint presentations, and FAQ's, to name but some of it.

Rather than describe the contents of the book further, I'll give you the author's website. He has the complete table of contents posted, as well as a few sample chapters. Take a look for yourself.

I'm going to enjoy teaching from the Fourth Edition of Assembly Language for Intel-Based Computers. I feel like I have a well-organized book that covers what I have to teach, so I don't need to design my course around several textbooks. There's plenty of supplemental material on the website, which saves me lots of my most precious commodity - time.

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