This book is intended to provide a highly motivating context in which to learn procedural programming language. Using a non-product specific approach and a programming (versus hardware) perspective, this text lays a foundation that supports the multi-threaded style of programming and high-reliability requirements of embedded software. Reflecting current industrial applications and programming practice, it focuses on the more modern 32-bit protected mode processors and on C as the dominant programming language—with coverage of assembly and how it can be used in conjunction with, and support of, C.