(Author of the linked book) Funny you mention that Petzold book; I read that as an IT student doing airy courses about software requirements and design and rea

(Author of the linked book) Funny you mention that Petzold book; I read that as an IT student doing airy courses about software requirements and design and realized I had to get across to the electrical engineering building. I didn't have the prereqs for the OS course, so I did the first assignment from the previous year and sent it to Gernot and begged to be let in. He ended up my thesis supervisor. (The other person I remember not being totally thrilled with the IT courses was Scott Farquhar, of billionaire Atlassian fame) So that book can change your life, and is the first thing I tell people to read who show an interest in the systems area