The book focuses on a simple and surprisingly elegant data structure - the stack. Bracket structures, subroutines (including recursive ones), parameter transmission, parsing and evaluation of expressions, recognition of character sequences are described. The description of the device and the implementation of a simple but powerful stack machine are also considered; provides numerous examples of programs, as well as a list of tasks, including non-trivial ones. The website of the publishing house dmkpress.com contains additional materials, including the source codes of a simple stack machine translator (in Java). The publication is intended primarily for inquisitive high school students, university students, as well as those for whom programming is a hobby.