The Pattern on the Stone provides readers with a straightforward explanation of how computers work, breaking down seemingly complex operations into easy-to-understand parts that perform simple procedures. This book would be a good read for anyone who wants to learn how computers operate without getting bogged down in technobabble or discussions of advanced hardware. Hillis's lucid explanations and colorful anecdotes make this book an enjoyable and informative read. The most unique feature of this book is its ability to demystify the workings of computers so anyone can understand them.

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Most people are baffled by how computers work and assume that they will never understand them. What they don't realize—and what Daniel Hillis's short book brilliantly demonstrates—is that computers' seemingly complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts that perform the same simple procedures over and over again.Computer wizard Hillis offers an easy-to-follow explanation of how data is processed that makes the operations of a computer seem as straightforward as those of a bicycle. Avoiding technobabble or discussions of advanced hardware, the lucid explanations and colorful anecdotes in The Pattern on the Stone go straight to the heart of what computers really do.Hillis proceeds from an outline of basic logic to clear descriptions of programming languages, algorithms, and memory. He then takes readers in simple steps up to the most exciting developments in computing today—quantum computing, parallel computing, neural networks, and self-organizing systems.Written clearly and succinctly by one of the world's leading computer scientists, The Pattern on the Stone is an indispensable guide to understanding the workings of that most ubiquitous and important of machines: the computer.

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