Pattern on the Stone

Danny Hillis offers a clear, easy-to-understand explanation of how computers perform their amazing feats.

"Highly recommended." -Library Journal

"When Daniel Hillis tells you computers are simple, he's quite persuasive." -Industry Standard

"A helpful and succinct volume." -Publishers Weekly

"Clear and down-to-earth; even hopeless technophobes should find it entertaining." -Kirkus Reviews

Most people are baffled by how computers work. What they don't realize is that the computer's complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts performing simple procedures over and over. In this welcome volume, W. Daniel Hillis makes a computer seem as basic as a bicycle. Hillis begins with a rundown of basic logic to clear descriptions of what programming languages, algorithms, and memory are. He then takes readers in easy steps up to the most exciting development in computing today-quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems.