The Internet Book

This book explains how computers communicate, what the Internet is, how the Internet works, and what services the Internet offers. It is designed for readers who do not have a strong technical background - early chapters clearly explain the terminology and concepts needed to understand all the services.

Douglas Comer is a Distinguished Professor at Purdue University in
the departments of Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
He has created and enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate
courses on computer networks and Internets, operating systems, computer
architecture, and computer software. One of the researchers who
contributed to the Internet as it was being formed in the late 1970s and
1980s, he has served as a member of the Internet Architecture Board, the
group responsible for guiding the Internet's development. Comer is an
internationally recognized expert on computer networking, the TCP/IP
protocols, and the Internet, who presents lectures to a wide range of audiences.
In addition to research articles, he has written a series of textbooks
that describe the technical details of the Internet. Comer's books
have been translated into many languages, and are used in industry as
well as computer science, engineering, and business departments around
the world. He is a Fellow of The Association for Computing Machinery
(the major professional society in computer science) and editor of the
scientific journal, Software - Practice and Experience.
Professor Comer had dial-up Internet access from his home in the
late 1970s, has enjoyed a direct connection with twenty-four hour per
day service since 1981, and uses the Internet daily. He wrote this book
as a response to everyone who has asked him for an explanation of the
Internet that is both technically correct and easily understood by anyone.
An Internet enthusiast, Comer displays INTRNET on the license plate of
his car.