The Pattern on the Stone (Science Masters)
Hillis, W. Daniel
ISBN 10: 0465066933 ISBN 13: 9780465066933
Published by Basic Books, 2015
Used
Soft cover
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World of Books (was SecondSale), Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
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About this Item
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Item in very good condition! Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00106397258
Synopsis:
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 colourful 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.
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.
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Pattern on the Stone (Science Masters)
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication Date: 2015
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Very Good