Firstly, you'll need some basic computer architecture knowledge before you start with this book. Fortunately, the authors of this book have you covered with "Computer Organization and Design" (also a good book).I liked the book because the authors wrote it with students in mind. They were engaging, made slight jokes along the way and presented the topic in a way that makes it easy for a student to learn. The diagrams were well drawn and had very detailed explanations with them so you could keep up. The chapters are somewhat modular in that a student could read some chapters while completely ignoring the rest and it still make sense. My class didn't follow any of the case studies or real world examples, so I can't comment on that. It's also up-to-date as it makes references to the latest Core i7's in the text and explains that the concept you are learning is used in the chip.What are the downsides? It gets incredibly dense sometimes. The sections can be really long you have to actively pay attention otherwise you'll get lost easily. If your mind drifts off for even a paragraph, you're done! You have to re-read that section again from where you started to day dream. It's pretty long too. If you've got an exam coming up give your self two weeks (a week at a minimum) to read the relevant parts. My suggestion is to do a section a day so that it is easier to digest.Overall, this is a excellent introduction to advanced computer architecture and a perfect continuation of Hennessy and Patterson's "Computer Organization and Design." I'm going to keep the book because it is very interesting and I might still refer to it in the future. If you have the patience to learn from it, it has the ability to teach you.