It's a challenging book and really pushes abstract thinking on a level rarely encountered. Yes, it's an introductory text in some sense because it introduces y

It's a challenging book and really pushes abstract thinking on a level rarely encountered. Yes, it's an introductory text in some sense because it introduces you to a dizzying array of subjects in computing, but imo, it's not the equivalent of a typical introductory course in Chemistry or something. It's hard, especially if the things it goes over are new to you, and I think few people would think failing to grok it the first time around implies anything about your suitability as an engineer.