So I'm currently reading Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs and I'm just wondering /g/'s thoughts on it.
It is quite an old book and I was just wondering if it is still worth its salt in regards to gaining a better understanding of the fundamentals of programming languages.
If not, could anyone direct me to a more current book that does a better job? I've heard it was one of the Holy Grail's of CS Books, so I had to pick it up.
>>53431511
bump
>>53431511
It's good but you have to have some mathematical maturity to appreciate it.
I am reading intel 8080 by Barry because I was figuring out how a number like 22 is stored in computer.
I am OCD driven perfectionist.
>>53431511
its just a book OP. bible is a life guide to billions, and irrelevant to just as many. chill out.
Go for it, it does a good job conveying fundamental concepts.
You also learn a neat little language on the way.
It's not that old. I don't think anything in it has lost its relevance. How are you liking it so far?
>>53434033
I just completed the first chapter. Even though it has started out pretty slow, I'm really enjoying how the book is structured.
I know a bit of C++ and the book has already helped me better understand the basic concepts at play in a language like C++.
>>53434138
If you want to go full 80's MIT undergrad, check out the lecture series that's up on MIT OCW:
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-001-structure-and-interpretation-of-computer-programs-spring-2005/index.htm
The lectures follow the structure of the book (the book was written by the lecturers based off that class) and there's projects and exams to practice if you want more than the exercises in the book. Audio quality goes to shit at one point but it's a very entertaining lecture series overall.
>>53434318
Thanks, I knew about the videos and I watched the first two before having to stop.
I appreciate it, but I believe the book and its 300+ or so exercises should be plenty.
>>53431511
Currently doing a class based on this book atm.
As other said, you need some mathematical understanding and/or some logics/discrete math to fully utilize it. I mostly drop the math heavy exercises.
A good book to present basic cs and programming terms. Not practical useful, but gives a solid understanding that is real helpful when programing in other non-functional languages.
>>53434953
>As other said, you need some mathematical understanding and/or some logics/discrete math to fully utilize it.
Incidentally, does anyone have any book / video suggestions to obtain the math/logic background?
I took some symbolic logic in school, but I transferred around a lot and that limited the math courses I was allowed to take. Really regretting not pursuing math harder when I see a really smart way of doing things.
>>53435041
Dont you only have to be a first semester calc babby to understand sicp?
>>53435041
The necessary thing is this magical bullshit mathematical maturity. There no book about that as of now, but the common path is doing lots of calculus and linear algebra.
MIT OCW has courses with lectures on that, as far as I remember.
And yeah, it's not wasted time, both subjects pop up a lot in CS, especially linear algebra.
>>53435318
Yeah, I'm fucking retarded whenever it comes to math but I've always been fascinated in the aspect of programming.
OP here, I've never even taken a calc class. Should I just pick up a good series of books just on calc and linear algebra and tear that shit up like a virgin snatch?
>>53435382
>>53435382
No, try it. Google newtons method. If you can understand newtons method you wont have any problems with any later chapters.
just learn data structs and algorithms and then pick a language
>wasting your time reading books instead of implementing stuff
>>53431511
>I've heard it was one of the Holy Grail's of CS Books
It's a high school level shallow (even more than normal) crash courses in CS.
>he fell for the sicp meme
SICP is a nice intro book
Only thing outdated is the chapter on pictures, and that's just because getting the damn picture software running the same as the book expects is damn near impossible.
Great to if you want to get your head around recursion.
>>53438011
there's a package for racket that should get things set up for you
>>53431511
What's the half life logo doing on the front? Or maybe a symbolologist could explain the cover?
>>53438453
lambda as in lambda calculus.
>>53438447
It doesn't work perfectly, I tried.
At least it didn't in 2012.
It is pretty good and goes over a bit of everything. It starts slow, but it sort of builds up your understanding on how to evaluate a program. Still seems pretty relevant today.
>>53431511
It's really good I find. It's made me way better at programming and I understand shit much better. It's also a book you can learn from for many years.
>>53439483
>touhou
>every 2hu fag who posts SICP takes pics of their fumo dolls reading a fresh never opened copy of SICP
I sincerely doubt anyone here has ever read SICP cover to cover and understood it.
>>53434318
Is that the same videos that are on youtube?
https://youtube.com/watch?v=2Op3QLzMgSY
>>53443165
Yeah, I mainly linked the OCW site for the supplementary materials. Last summer I stayed with a few other CS degree-holders and we "went to class" every weekday, putting an episode of the lecture series on a projector on the wall and doing the homework/readings to keep pace with the lectures. It was a lot of review for all of us but it was still a lot of fun.
>>53438453
the lambda in half-life is because gordon freeman was a physicist and lambda represents wavelength.
this lambda is for lambda calc.
..but im sure you already knew that
>>53434318
> These twenty video lectures by Hal Abelson and Gerald Jay Sussman are a complete presentation of the course, given in July 1986 for Hewlett-Packard employees, and professionally produced by Hewlett-Packard Television.
I knew it those people didn't look like typical undergraduates
>>53431511
>old
not a single good thing has happened in the world of computer languages since 1990
be sure to watch the lectures too though
https://archive.org/details/MIT_Structure_of_Computer_Programs_1986/
>>53443654
>not a single good thing has happened in the world of computer languages since 1990
JAVA
>>53443738
a perfect example, thank you
>>53431772
>>53434953
how do people even remember math stuff after finishing school? Programming jobs barely require any math. I had multivariate calculus and algebra in college but completely forgot them right after the graduation. I worked through several calculus and discreet math books a few years ago when I'd realized I barely even remembered highschool math but I forgot it again after few months
>>53435382
just read all of this :^)
>>53443738
>JAVA
He said "good"
>>53443738
>>53445730
>java
>bad
nice meme
>>53445543
only taocp will make him go insane
>>53435382
>Should I just pick up a good series of books
Yes, read these:
http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Mathematics
http://4chan-science.wikia.com/wiki/Computer_Science_and_Engineering
>>53443738
Even Perl is better than that, mang.
>>53445543
Oh shit, I'm certainly going to pick up reading the one with that bad ass monkey on the front. Whoever thought of doing that gets an 'A' in my book.
As for everything dealing with Knuth, I won't be able to understand it.
>>53445769
DAMn!!!! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!
>>53431511
>falling for the SICP meme
keks that book was "ok" in the 80's
>>53447383
Well direct me to a book that does a better job at what it's attempting to accomplish. We're trying to help everyone out here and I'd love it if you'd give some insight on a book or subject that you studied to replace the information present in SICP.
>>53445319
Yeah, maybe if you work on some real plebian projects.
>>53445319
>I had multivariate calculus and algebra in college but completely forgot them right after the graduation
That's easy as fuck though.
>>53443654
What happened in 1990? Haskell type classes?
>>53443654
>not a single good thing has happened in the world of computer languages since 1990
stay pleb
