Pattern on the Stone: The Simple Ideas That Make Computers Work

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.