If someone without a computer [science] background was interested in learning more about computers, what they can do, programming, etc., but did not want to read a textbook, what books would be good to recommend?
AFTER EDIT: While I thought about the first three books I mentioned, I thought of another, Write Great Code, Volume 1: Understanding the Machine by Randall Hyde.
http://www.amazon.com/Algorithmics-Spirit-Computing-David-Ha...
The New Turing Omnibus
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Turing-Omnibus-Excursions/dp/0...
is also good, as is Code by Charles Petzold.
http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softwa...
AFTER EDIT: While I thought about the first three books I mentioned, I thought of another, Write Great Code, Volume 1: Understanding the Machine by Randall Hyde.
http://www.amazon.com/Write-Great-Code-Understanding-ebook/d...