Daniel Hillis has made a career of puzzling over the nature of information and the mechanisms that put information to use. Now, he's distilled his accumulated knowledge of computer science into The Pattern on the Stone, a glorious book that reveals the nature of logical machines simply and elegantly. Millions of times each second, to the drumbeat of a clock signal, electronic computers compare digital values. These comparisons, and the actions taken in response to them, are what computers are all about at their lowest levels, and, with the help of this book, they're not hard to comprehend. Moving on from the nature of logical circuits, the author deconstructs software and the mechanisms it employs to solve problems.
Hillis then stands atop the building blocks he's arranged into a sturdy foundation and discusses the future of computing. Parallel processors already are in use, and neural networks with limited abilities to learn and adapt have proved quite good at certain jobs. Hillis explores the potential of both these technologies. Then, he throws some light on quantum computing and evolving systems--emerging ideas that promise to make computers much more powerful, and thereby change the world. --David Wall
Hillis is prominent in the field of artificial intelligence. In this addition to Basic's Science Masters series, he takes the computer phobe by the hand and explains the underlying notions of computing, from the description of on and off switches to (possibly) self-organizing computer programs. Hillis concisely outlines how any computer functions. Whether built from Tinker Toys, hydraulic pipes, or silicon, a computer answers statements about Boolean logic, which Hillis illustrates with his description of a machine that plays tick-tack-toe. Constructing such a machine is just a wiring problem (or a plumbing job if water powers your computer); the next step is programming the thing. Giving a comprehensible example of simple computer language, Logos, Hillis conveys the guiding concept behind all computer languages, culminating with speculation on how a computer might eventually become intelligent. A delightful all-in-one introduction to computer science. Gilbert Taylor
From Kirkus Reviews
Here's a straightforward answer to the question every parent has been asked, and few can answer: How do computers really work? Hillis, the head of Disney's Imagineering Works, begins by describing a stone etched in a complex pattern, which can be asked questions in a strange language and give profound and useful answers. It sounds like witchcraft, but it is a literally accurate description of a computer chip. As he goes on to show, the internal workings of a computer can be broken down into simple components. His first chapter introduces the reader to the rudiments of Boolean logic and simple electrical circuits. These ideas can be used to build simple computers, such as the author's own early design of a machine to play tic-tac-toe, or another made from Tinker Toys. The next step in complexity is the development of specific logical functionsAnd, Or, Invertthat form the basis of almost all computing functions. These concepts are illustrated by the game Rock, Paper, Scissors, converted to digital form. Programming is illustrated with the famous ``turtle'' programs from the Logo computing language, designed to teach children. In similar manner, Hillis introduces the reader step by step to Turing machines, algorithms, encryption, and other advanced concepts. All this is done without discussions of state-of-the-art hardware or engineering problems; in fact, the author encourages the reader to think in terms of ``black box'' modulees that can be combined to perform a desired task. One need not know what's in the box as long as one knows its ultimate function. The final chapters look at issues on the frontiers of computing: machines that learn and adapt, possibly even (in time) machines that can be said to ``think.'' All this is done elegantly and entertainingly, without a whiff of condescension toward the nontechnical reader. Clear and down-to-earth; even hopeless technophobes should find it enlightening. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Review
His conclusion is thoughtfully optimistic--and appealing even to a skeptic. -- Wired, Dan Brekke
If you_ve ever tried to figure out how computers work, you_ve undoubtedly been told how _simple_ they are. When Daniel Hillis tells you computers are simple, he_s quite persuasive. Hillis and some friends once built a working computer out of tens of thousands of wooden Tinkertoys. Their device is now on display at the Computer Museum in Boston.
The Pattern on the Stone illustrates basic computing concepts with line drawings of Tinkertoys in various positions a surprisingly helpful approach.
Hillis once drove a fire engine to work and he currently works for Disney, but there_s nothing childish about his prose. His page-long explanation about the superiority of analog over digital measurements makes analog wristwatches seem like evidence of denial. The gentle way he dislodges such misplaced nostalgia makes him a perfect counselor for your inner Unabomber.
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.
– Bill Brazell -- From The Industry Standard
