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W. Daniel Hillis

The Pattern On The Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work (Science Masters) Paperback – February 10, 2015

by W. Daniel Hillis (Author)

19 customer reviews

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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.

Editorial Reviews

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Peter Thomas, New Scientist
“This is the best book on computers I have ever read. Hillis takes us on a lightening tour of the fundamentals of computing.... Nowhere does [he] lose sight of the fact that what is important is not the detail of these issues, but the story that flows through them and rationality of thought that connects them.”

Dan Brekke, WIRED
“[Hillis'] conclusion is thoughtfully optimistic—and appealing even to a skeptic.”

Bill Brazell, The Industry Standard
“The Pattern on the Stone illustrates basic computing concepts with line drawings of Tinkertoys in various positions—a surprisingly helpful approach.... The book's gradual pace, low-tech design and gentle title are meant to bring hope to those who feel swamped by a tidal wave of computer-wrought change. And the approach succeeds, by showing the reader how humans, not magicians, discovered a few basic principles and built these amazing machines.”

Publisher's Weekly
“Hillis…provides an almost philosophical approach to the machine that has changed our lives.... [He] writes with the authority of an expert and the rigor of a logician.... A helpful and succinct volume.”

About the Author

As an MIT graduate student, W. Daniel Hillis designed the first practical massively parallel computer, the Connection Machine, and in 1983 co-founded the world-famous Thinking Machines Corporation to produce and market this device. The co-founder of the Long Now Foundation, Applied Minds, Applied Invention, and other technology companies, Hillis lives in Los Angeles, California.

Series: Science Masters
Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: Basic Books; Revised ed. edition (February 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0465066933
ISBN-13: 978-0465066933
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 19 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #162,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1046 in Computer Science (Books)

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Reverey Ravencurse

The Pattern On the Stone is the ABSOLUTE BEST EXPLANATION FOR HOW COMPUTERS WORK THAT I have EVER ...

January 26, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

First, I am not only an Artist and Game Designer, but also an Electronic Technician. The Pattern On the Stone is the ABSOLUTE BEST EXPLANATION FOR HOW COMPUTERS WORK THAT I have EVER come across, and is written at a level that many older - and some younger - Elementary School Children could understand! In my personal opinion as a Techie and Accused Hacker, it is the single most Elegent Concise Book that the Computer Technology Industry has EVER produced about Computers, bar none. Ultra Elite Mega Hacker, Etc. to School Child with their first box access, ANYONE who has or uses Computers should read THIS BOOK. Reverey

7 people found this helpful

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College Student

Great, easy-to-read book

March 15, 2019

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I buy this for friends and siblings as a present. Very accessible - but also contains solid content. I work with software/computers and I enjoyed reading it as a broad refresher.

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A M

An easy to understand "introduction" to computer science

May 19, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book is an easy to understand "introduction" to computer science. It explains the main ideas in this field including some "difficult" ideas such as the way artificial neural networks work.

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Ernesto Hernandez

Most foundational; highly recommend

July 31, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Clear, concise and foundational. I recommend this book to anyone that has some basic technical understanding of computers, but who is eager to learn more, while mastering the basics.

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MR DAVID BREW

Rarely does a book on comutation rise to such a ...

August 24, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Rarely does a book on comutation rise to such a level. This book unfolds and reveals the whole idea of computation rather than any particular technology. Hillis has joined the ranks of such thinkers as Turing and Shannon with his ground breaking practical work in the field; this gem of a book should be a must-read for not only everyone interested in computing but everyone interested in the future of civilisation as well.

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Peter Mccormick

An Excellent Theoretical Discussion!

June 29, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is written on a very abstract level. This is a wonderful introduction to the way computers work on a theoretical level, but you have to be prepared for the abstract discussion. Hillis is a big-time guy -- he really knows his subject.

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JMP2001

I definitely recommend to my family and friends

May 27, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Quick delivery, product matches description and ease of order.
I definitely recommend to my family and friends.

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Joshua G.

the best CS0 book, but not free from problems

August 25, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Honestly, the best CS0 book out there. Not really any detail on binary or assembler programming, but the students will get that in Architecture and/or OS. Much more understandable than other CS0 books for the average incoming CS major (I've taught at several schools from regional comprehensives to small private liberal arts colleges to R2s & R1s), and it's an INCREDIBLE book for non-majors, because I teach a version of CS0 for them, too. There are some parts where Danny Hillis kind of goes off the rails, but they're minor:
- He asserts that the brain was "designed" by evolution, which is a gross misunderstanding of evolution, and I do worry about that kind of thing with impressionable college freshman
- He calls an infinite recursion an "infinite loop"
- He says things like "only one of the registers in the memory is access at a time, but that's PER CONCURRENT INSTRUCTION
- He refers to Alonzo Church as "one of Turing's contemporaries", rather than as Alan Turing's PhD advisor
Stuff like this is not really all that important to students, and correctness can be debated, but it's a symptom of the only problem with the book, which is that Hillis goes up and down in terms of level of detail with which he explains things, and he does so either randomly or with a pattern I don't understand.

Why am I giving it five stars if it has problems? Look at other CS0 books. They have more problems, and they're on average about TEN TIMES AS EXPENSIVE. Hillis gives so much bang for the buck that I don't care. When it's important, I note it in class.

8 people found this helpful

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