Product Description

Most people are baffled by how computers work and assume that they will never understand them. What they don't realise is that the computer's complex operations can be broken down into a few simple parts that perform basic procedures again and again. This audio book offers an easy-to-follow explanation of data processing that makes the operations of a computer seem as simple as those of a bicycle. This is an indispensable guide to understanding how computers work and think.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #658593 in Books
• Published on: 2000-12-04
• Formats: Abridged, Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 2
• Binding: Audio Cassette

About the Author
Daniel Hillis is one of the world's hottest computer scientists. He was co-founder and chief scientist of the Thinking Machines Corporation and principal architect of the company's major product, the Connection Machine. He is an Editor of several scientific journals, including Artificial Life and Future Generation Computer Systems and is currently Vice President and Disney Fellow at Walt Disney Imagineering. Adam Hart-Davis is a freelance photographer, writer and broadcaster. He won awards for the BBC 2 series, Local Heroes and his publications include Eurekaaarh! Born and raised in Henley-on-Thames, Adam Hart-Davis attended Eton College before studying for an MA in chemistry at Oxford University and later a DPhil in Organometallic Chemistry at the University of York. After carrying out three years' postdoctoral research at the University of Alberta in Canada, he took up a role at the Oxford University Press, editing science texts and chess manuals. His work in broadcasting began in 1977 when he joined Yorkshire Television as a researcher for Magnus Pyke, David Bellamy and Arthur C. Clarke among others. Adam has since followed an eclectic career path, but is best known as the presenter of a wide range of hugely popular television series, such as Local Heroes, What the Romans Did For Us and Science Shack. But as well as being television's favourite science enthusiast, he is the author of many books on popular science, including Why Does a Ball Bounce? and What the Past Did For Us. He is also a keen photographer and cyclist, and currently lives in Bristol with his partner, Sue Blackmore.

Customer Reviews

Excellent and rapid way to demystify your grey box
It's amazing that so many people use computers for hours every day without having the slightest ideas about the articulation within. At best, people may have changed a graphics card or added a hard drive. Maybe they installed something. Even without trying any of these things, there are some useful computer science concepts which really ought to be General Knowlege, but where would you learn them?

This short, easy to digest book is about the universal ideas behind computer and software design (so it won't go out of date for a while!). The stuff which operating systems try so hard to hide away from us, but which keeps popping up for no apparent reason. Why do the numbers 256 and1024 keep appearing? Why is compression less than pure magic?

I've been programming since the early 1980s, so I wondered how much I would learn from this book. I was thinking I could use it with my students (mostly artists and desingers). Actually, there are a lot of very elegant and simple descriptions here of stuff which I use all the time, plus many things I had no idea about (such as encryption). It's a voyage from the lowest levels of computer design - the nuts and bolts of switches and 'flow' up to entirely readable descriptions of parallel and quantum computing.

The only failing is that the people who should read this book probably wont, because they're scared it will go over their heads. (It wouldn't, but they might wonder why they need to bother with abstractions like these). Even if you think you know the basics, this book might surprise you with some refreshing perspectives and metaphors so you can explain yourself to others without their eyes glazing over.

Great for beginner programmers, curious tinkerers and an excellent little gift for a teenager with computer interests (if you're afraid your kid plays too many computer games, this book will make their game playing more meaningful).