The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

Cinderella Book
 n.

    [CMU] Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation, by John
    Hopcroft and Jeffrey Ullman, (Addison-Wesley, 1979). So called because the
    cover depicts a girl (putatively Cinderella) sitting in front of a Rube
    Goldberg device and holding a rope coming out of it. On the back cover, the
    device is in shambles after she has (inevitably) pulled on the rope. See
    also book titles.


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

Cinderella Book

    "Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and
   Computation", by John Hopcroft and Jeffrey Ullman,
   (Addison-Wesley, 1979).  So called because the cover depicts a
   girl (putatively Cinderella) sitting in front of a Rube
   Goldberg device and holding a rope coming out of it.  On the
   back cover, the device is in shambles after she has
   (inevitably) pulled on the rope.

   See also book titles.

   [Jargon File]

   (1996-12-03)