This book was recommended to me by Amazon.com based on the type of searches I was making in their
online bookstore. I ordered it from a local retailer and started a self-study program. I've had some computer science classes in the past and so was not unfamiliar with some of the topics but I felt that reading this book afforded me the opportunity to learn how all the various fields are integrated in a way that you just don't get attending the average college program. I discovered this forum by doing a google search on one of the compiler messages I got that had me perplexed. So far I am very pleased with the purchase and would recommend it to just about anyone interested in the subject matter. I might even post a review on Amazon which I've never done.
If you're doing self-study, and you've never read Code, by Petzold, you really need to get that book. It's an excellent accompaniment to the TECS book.