Interesting book about computers/programming/software etc

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Hi! I dont really know much about programming, software development, java etc but for a present I'd like to get someone who's interested in all of this a really interesting book, ideally it could have really interesting facts, maybe give the reader some more esoteric knowledge etc, so it's not so typical and is kind of better and more interesting than a typical revision book on Java or whatever.

I'd be really grateful for any suggestions to help me get an ideal present!! ! Or even suggestions other than a book if there's something else that could be better.

Thanks!

O'Reilly's "Practical Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science Using Python" is a great book. More of an introduction to using computers to solve problems rather than just a language guide.

http://shop.oreilly.com/product/9781934356272.do

thanks a lot!

Latest edition of Java 2 by Herbert Schildt.

If you want to learn C++, you should also get C++ from the ground up by him as well.

His book has tonne of examples, plus his explanations are very good as well

The Linux Programming Interface is as good and as comprehensive as it gets for the C/POSIX interface.

I would suggest HTML and CSS, followed by JavaScript.

If you're interested in a broader book on programming and how computers work, I'd like you to consider this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319

Charles Petzold is a very well known author and programmer, and in this book he tackles the history of programming. How we went from morse code and semaphore all the way to machine language and high level languages, and every step along the way. By the end of the book, even a novice will have a pretty clear understanding of what goes on in those tiny little chips at the heart of their computer.

It's interesting knowledge for the layman, and vital knowledge for the technical professional.