Customer Reviews

The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In this book, Hillis has managed to cover all of the basics of how computers operate, from theory like Boolean algebra and finite state machines, up to applications of the theory like multiprocessors and their limits. He even manages to find space to discuss Turing's Halting Problem, and Godel's Incompleteness Theorem.

To fit so much information into such a small book, Hillis has minimised his explanations, to the point that I think a true newcomer to these concepts would have difficulty in following a lot of the details. The text has been designed so that not understanding parts of it will not greatly affect the understanding of the rest, however I believe the reader would have much less appreciation for how all of the ideas mesh together in this case.

Hillis has crafted a beautiful book, one that provides excellent insight into the workings of computer technology, and a slightly different approach to that taken by standard textbooks. While I don't think this book would serve as a substitute to a standard text, it makes an excellent companion book for anyone who is already partly familiar with the concepts covered.

Danny Hillis is known for his child-like approach to things. This book is a good example. I think it's a definate must read for the computer neophyte of any age (I'm buying several for people ranging from a teenager to my father-in-law). He introduces the *real* workings behind computers. Forget about RAM, bits, bytes and all that. Think about information flowing like water and computation performed with little gears. The long-term computer lover will find this book a quick, light, but thouroughly enjoyable read.

I believe the title is a bit misleading. If you want to buy this book to learn how computers work, STOP! and buy "Code: Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software" By Charles Petzold. (Because of the title/quotes on the book which suggested that this book will teach you "How Computers Work"... I gave it 4 stars--I almost made it 3! :) This book will cover how computers work only in the first two chapters.. and it covers the subject so abstractly and briefly--with a lot of gaps--that if you don't already know how it works, you probably will have a VERY hard time understanding...

Now, to the good stuff... this book is a GREAT intro for someone who has some fundamentals in CS, but would like to explore it a bit more.. or get interesting ideas--especially in the department of Artificial Intelligence.

Remmember one thing... althought it's meant to be a book for "newbies"... it really isn't... some of the concepts/terminology is complex... but as a whole it's a simple short book. To me it seems VERY simple because I already read a lot of books dealing with all this stuff beforehand... but I would imagine someone who hasn't had a lot of exposure may want to at the very least read CODE (as I've already stated). You will learn a lot from CODE! (BTW, I just read this book in about two days, after finishing CODE... so that can attest to it's simplicity... not too much depth.. but a nice intro to CS with a concentration on AI).

I took a one-year intensive detour into computer programming with the idea of becoming a programmer. The single best thing I got out of it was an acquaintance with this book. It is very short and perfectly clear, yet it is also the deepest reflection on computers I know of. I'm not alone in thinking this--writing in the eminent magazine New Scientist, the reviewer Peter Thomas called it "The best book on computers I have ever read." It seems quite fitting that in looking through others' reviews of this book I found it pressed eagerly both on complete novices and on computer science majors; it's that kind of book, profoundly simple.

The idea of the last chapter, Beyond Engineering, is one of the most exciting ones I've ever heard: let me summarize it briefly to entice you. Hillis thinks that we may not be able to design a true artificial intelligence because we may not ever be able to understand how our own decentralized brains work. (An artificial intelligence is a computer with a consciousness like a person's, like HAL in "2001".) Yet he thinks we can still create an artificial intelligence by simulating evolution--by imitating the same process that created us! We may be able to "breed" computers as smart as human beings without ever having to understand how we, or they, achieve the miracle of consciousness.

In the computer world, that's the kind of idea they call "sexy".

Daniel Hillis has a unique view of technology that many have called "child-like". In his writing, there comes through not only a deep understanding of the subject, but also a genuine interest and excitment. And the best part? Its contagious.

I've been a computer science major for several years, and, after reading this book, I realized that I'd forgotten why I first chose this profession. This book reminded me about how much fun, how interesting, and how varied working (playing?) with technology can be. Thank you Mr. Hillis!

I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Hillis has a way of writing that is both educational and entertaining. I had taken this book out of the library at least a half-dozen times, so many in fact that my wife suggested I just buy the darned thing (I had a enough late charges to pay for it at least once!) It is easy to read, engaging, and really does get to the heart of what a computer is and how it works in a manner that even my eight year old daughter could work with. Good work Mr. Hillis!

Reading Hillis' book is full of joy. His insights inspired many thoughts I never had during those computer and logic design courses. The examples he gave are illustrative and illuminating. People interested in or fascinated by the "mysterious" power of computers should grasp the central ideas of computation after finishing this book.

Very easy to read. A truly nice piece.

Creativity comes from applying what you already know, or experiences that you've already had, in unexpected contexts. Daniel Hillis demonstrates his thorough understanding of computing by the simple/understandable way he explains even the most complex of ideas. I have bought several copies of this book to give to local libraries.

If you are involved in computer science and are getting burned out, then READ THIS BOOK! Mr. Hillis will renew your interest and excitement about the computing sciences.

As a programmer I found this book clarifying and thought provoking. He covers alot of territory - the logical operations of computers, what is an algorithm and how is it different from a heuristic, how does compression and encryption work, why a computer should eventually be able to mimic human intelligence (an idea I never took seriously before reading this), and why parallel processing important. The book maintains a continuous thread, and because its explanations are so clear and straighforward, I think a person at any level of knowledge will learn from it.

Unfortunately, I'm a nerd, so I'm not in this book's target audience.

Hillis presents the big ideas of computing. This starts with a little about the ones and zeroes that underlie all of digital computing, and the fundamental idea of a "state machine". Next, Hillis describes the basics of programming languages. In order to keep this at the conceptual level, he deliberately avoids jargoneering, and mentions only an extremely simple language used in education. This builds up to a discussion of Turing's "Universal" machine. That's a mathematical abstraction, but it's what lets computer scientists talk about all possible computations, not just what one machine can do. Ideas don't get much bigger!

That completes Hillis's discussion of the machine itself. After that, discussion moves on to what goes on inside the machine, the algorithms and other techniques that get the answers. Along the way, Hillis mentions decidability - the computer scientist's statement that some problems simply can not be solved by computation, a form of Goedel's theorem. Without using tech-talk ("NP completeness"), he also describes problems that are exactly soluble in theory but not in practice. Their exact solution requires more millions of years than the universe has existed. Instead of hard mathematical rules for perfect solutions, Hillis describes heuristic rules of thumb for good-enough solutions. Discussion becomes more philosophical after this point, with musings on how to harness multiple computers to solve problems faster, and speculations on what might follow the current epoch of computing technology. Think about it - the technology is barely fifty years old, and has achieved incredible feats. What do the next fifty years bring? Or five hundred?

Hillis never descends to "magical" descriptions of what goes on in computers, but never loses his sense of wonder, either. I think that's the right balance, They are man-made machines, after all. Understanding them doesn't eliminate the awe however, at least not for me, it only sharpens it.

-- wiredweird