Good beginner source to learn about how computers work I am a senior year high school student. I love programming and my chosen language is Java. I'm very much into high-level programming and Object Oriented design.

Recently, I started to show first interest in the low-level side of things. Especially the most basic level of how computers work (the more theoretical level, not the hardware side).

For example, how computers make basic calculations has always been a mystery to me. How is it that a computer can even come up with the result for 5 + 2? (As a kid I used to think that every computer stores the answers for all of the possible calculations.. lol)

I am also interested in the most basic level of how computers, well, generally do things internally. Again, at the most basic and fundamental level.

As you can see it's hard for me to phrase what I'm interested in learning, probably because I know almost nothing in computer science. But I hope you get the idea.

Could you direct me to a good source that I can learn from - at the most beginner level - this kind of knowledge? (A website or a book [preferably a website]).

Thanks
What I have got for you is :


Computer  Systems - A  Programmers Perspective
Computer Organization and Design
The Elements of Computer System 
The Pattern on the Stone (Misleading title)
Code - The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software


These books should help you understand how computer works. A bit knowledge of computer hardware is a must and it will surely speed up your learning process.