Did you have The Way Things Work or The New Way Things Work? I had the latter around the same time. I thought the extended computer section (Bill's Gates!) was very helpful. I still really like the visual in which the image of a mammoth is turned into a series of pumpkin/no pumpkin signals being launched through the air, then becomes a picture of a mammoth on the other side of the field. I think it got a bit too technical for me when it started showing how transistors are constructed-- I guess I should've stuck with the pumpkins.

Now I have both editions and have looked through them side-by-side. It's a bit unfortunate that some pages were dropped to make room for the expanded digital section in the newer edition, but well worth the trade-off for more/better explanations in the digital realm.