If the reference manuals are overwhelming, I&#x27;d recommend to start by reading <i>Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software</i> by Charles Petzold. It covers how computers work for a general audience, from logic gates and boolean algebra, up to assembly, opcodes on the Intel 8080 processor, and how operating systems work. It was one of the most consequential books I&#x27;ve read, and I&#x27;d recommend it to both professional programmers and anyone else who is intellectually curious.