6 ms·

Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, Second Edition (ePub)

128 points by ieure 16y ago

itistoday 16y ago
Any way of either converting this to PDF or getting it into something Kindle can read? Edit: Found this http://epub2pdf.com/ http://epub2pdf.com/ It's OK... Looks like it might be good for reading on an iPhone, not an iPad. Are the pages supposed to be this tiny or did the converter not do a very good job?
- sjs 16y ago
  If you have a bit of time it's not that hard to convert a simple ePub file to a single Kindle-friendly HTML file, since ePub is already HTML. Use your favourite HTML library in your favourite scripting language to pull out the contents of the <body> elements in each chapter, catenate them, throw a ToC at the top if you want, e-mail it to your Kindle, and read.
  - itistoday 16y ago
    It's a binary file. Edit: Ah, just a zip file. Change the extension to .zip and you're good to go. :-)
  - mahmud 16y ago
    Question to you Kindle folks; it is possible to view 3rd party books that aren't bought from the Amazon online store? What about scanned PDF? DJVUs? Postscript? and how good is HTML support (images?)
    - chrisbolt 16y ago
      Yes, the kindle will read any unencrypted mobipocket files just fine. The PDF support isn't as good on the 6" kindle as on the DX though, since there is no way for it to reflow. Don't think PS is supported, and never heard of djvu.
    - ableal 16y ago
      The .mobi files work fine (.azw is a rename/tweak of mobi). That's what http://feedbooks.com http://feedbooks.com (recommended, btw) gives out under the 'Kindle' download button. PDFs work; I believe I tested a scanned bitmap on the DX (as chrisbolt said, full letter/A4 page PDFs not recommended on the 6inch screen). Only did a cursory wikipedia HTML test, but the pic seemed to grayscale OK. (No Djvu, didn't try PS, not listed ...)
- tjakab 16y ago
  Calibre - http://calibre-ebook.com/ http://calibre-ebook.com/ will convert the epub into a mobi file just fine, which can then be read on the Kindle.
- Sephr 16y ago
  EPUB reflows so it should look great on the iPhone and iPad via apps that support it. PDF is a terrible format for eBooks.
- zitterbewegung 16y ago
  http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretation-of-Computer-Programs-SICP http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretat... is a pdf version made from the texinfo source.
joubert 16y ago
If you put it on Fifobooks (my startup), our platform automatically converts it so it is downloadable for Kindle as well. You can set the price to free.
futuremint 16y ago
It was easy to grab an ePub reader from the Android app market to read this on my phone. I still need to plug my iPad into my computer to "sync" the file to the iPad to read it in iBooks. This is lame IMHO. Back on topic, this is a great book. It got me into Scheme when I first read it 5 years ago (I didn't attend MIT unfortunately)
- ieure 16y ago
  If you put the URL into Safari on your iPad, it should prompt you to open it in iBooks.
  - olifante 16y ago
    doesn't work for me. It only offers to open the .epub file in Stanza or GoodReader. iBooks is not shown as a possible choice.
    - ieure 16y ago
      Wow, lame. It works with PDF, I assumed it would work with ePub. I assumed wrong.
qhoxie 16y ago
I've been using the scribd version of SICP. Last I saw the ipad version looked great too. http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretation-of-Computer-Programs-SICP#full http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretat...
mak120 16y ago
One of my all time favourite CS books. I especially liked the Alan J. Perlis quote at the start.
obama123789 16y ago
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santry 16y ago
A set of video lectures of the corresponding MIT course are available at http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.001/abelson-sussman-lectures/ http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.001/abelson-sussma... I just started watching them for fun the other day. They're really fascinating.
prog 16y ago
If there is one book that made me think differently about programming its this one. Oh I did know common lisp, and other languages like C/C++, Python etc. But till then it was all about language features being built in for me. Which is all good and useful. Only problem is that I didn't realize that all this can be built upon some very simple fundamental concepts. So when this book started with _only_ car, cdr and lambda and built all sorts of higher level things out of it, it was a real eye opener and I actually came to appreciate the value of a small simple core in a language. I saw the videos before I read the book. That was helpful.
- mononcqc 16y ago
  even cons, car and cdr can be done with lambda, which adds to the mind bending. > (define (cons a b) (lambda (f) (f a b))) > (define (car c) (c (lambda (a b) a))) > (define (cdr c) (c (lambda (a b) b))) > (car (cdr (cons 1 (cons 2 (cons 3 '()))))) 2
  - eru 16y ago
    And of course, even lambda is unnecessary. Using two combinators, customarily called s and k suffices: k x y = x s x y z = x z (y z) This system is called the SKI-calculus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKI_combinator_calculus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKI_combinator_calculus). The I in SKI stands for the identity, and can be expressed in terms of s and k. As an example, here is the y-combinator: y = s s k (s (k (s s (s (s s k)))) k)
silentbicycle 16y ago
Do the exercises! I know reading SICP blew your mind, but...do the exercises! Prove you actually know what you think you know - and when you the details make you struggle, work it out. :)

128 points by ieure 16y ago

Any way of either converting this to PDF or getting it into something Kindle can read? Edit: Found this http://epub2pdf.com/ http://epub2pdf.com/ It's OK... Looks like it might be good for reading on an iPhone, not an iPad. Are the pages supposed to be this tiny or did the converter not do a very good job?

sjs 16y ago
If you have a bit of time it's not that hard to convert a simple ePub file to a single Kindle-friendly HTML file, since ePub is already HTML. Use your favourite HTML library in your favourite scripting language to pull out the contents of the <body> elements in each chapter, catenate them, throw a ToC at the top if you want, e-mail it to your Kindle, and read.
- itistoday 16y ago
  It's a binary file. Edit: Ah, just a zip file. Change the extension to .zip and you're good to go. :-)
- mahmud 16y ago
  Question to you Kindle folks; it is possible to view 3rd party books that aren't bought from the Amazon online store? What about scanned PDF? DJVUs? Postscript? and how good is HTML support (images?)
  - chrisbolt 16y ago
    Yes, the kindle will read any unencrypted mobipocket files just fine. The PDF support isn't as good on the 6" kindle as on the DX though, since there is no way for it to reflow. Don't think PS is supported, and never heard of djvu.
  - ableal 16y ago
    The .mobi files work fine (.azw is a rename/tweak of mobi). That's what http://feedbooks.com http://feedbooks.com (recommended, btw) gives out under the 'Kindle' download button. PDFs work; I believe I tested a scanned bitmap on the DX (as chrisbolt said, full letter/A4 page PDFs not recommended on the 6inch screen). Only did a cursory wikipedia HTML test, but the pic seemed to grayscale OK. (No Djvu, didn't try PS, not listed ...)
tjakab 16y ago
Calibre - http://calibre-ebook.com/ http://calibre-ebook.com/ will convert the epub into a mobi file just fine, which can then be read on the Kindle.
Sephr 16y ago
EPUB reflows so it should look great on the iPhone and iPad via apps that support it. PDF is a terrible format for eBooks.
zitterbewegung 16y ago
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretation-of-Computer-Programs-SICP http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretat... is a pdf version made from the texinfo source.

joubert 16y ago

If you put it on Fifobooks (my startup), our platform automatically converts it so it is downloadable for Kindle as well. You can set the price to free.

futuremint 16y ago

It was easy to grab an ePub reader from the Android app market to read this on my phone. I still need to plug my iPad into my computer to "sync" the file to the iPad to read it in iBooks. This is lame IMHO. Back on topic, this is a great book. It got me into Scheme when I first read it 5 years ago (I didn't attend MIT unfortunately)

ieure 16y ago
If you put the URL into Safari on your iPad, it should prompt you to open it in iBooks.
- olifante 16y ago
  doesn't work for me. It only offers to open the .epub file in Stanza or GoodReader. iBooks is not shown as a possible choice.
  - ieure 16y ago
    Wow, lame. It works with PDF, I assumed it would work with ePub. I assumed wrong.

qhoxie 16y ago

I've been using the scribd version of SICP. Last I saw the ipad version looked great too. http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretation-of-Computer-Programs-SICP#full http://www.scribd.com/doc/15556326/Structure-and-Interpretat...

mak120 16y ago

One of my all time favourite CS books. I especially liked the Alan J. Perlis quote at the start.

obama123789 16y ago

Dear friends, ok?Is now a commercial,Very pleased to recommend this product: http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s55 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s55 【T-shirt】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s13 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s13 【 MTB】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=n49 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=n49 【Jordan 2010】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s44 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s44 【Watch】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s46 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s46 【Jewerly】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s45 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s45 【Sunglass】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s60 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s60 【Jean】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s53 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s53 【handbags】 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s68 http://wowcool.org/productlist.asp?id=s68 【Jacket】 Please is assured buy our product,We seek quality first the prestige first customer oriented,Thank you, old or new client of our trust and love We will continue to launch our new product,To meet the growing needs of clients continuously,I wish you a happy life,happy shoping, thank you fdgsf

santry 16y ago

A set of video lectures of the corresponding MIT course are available at http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.001/abelson-sussman-lectures/ http://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/classes/6.001/abelson-sussma... I just started watching them for fun the other day. They're really fascinating.

prog 16y ago

If there is one book that made me think differently about programming its this one. Oh I did know common lisp, and other languages like C/C++, Python etc. But till then it was all about language features being built in for me. Which is all good and useful. Only problem is that I didn't realize that all this can be built upon some very simple fundamental concepts. So when this book started with _only_ car, cdr and lambda and built all sorts of higher level things out of it, it was a real eye opener and I actually came to appreciate the value of a small simple core in a language. I saw the videos before I read the book. That was helpful.

mononcqc 16y ago
even cons, car and cdr can be done with lambda, which adds to the mind bending. > (define (cons a b) (lambda (f) (f a b))) > (define (car c) (c (lambda (a b) a))) > (define (cdr c) (c (lambda (a b) b))) > (car (cdr (cons 1 (cons 2 (cons 3 '()))))) 2
- eru 16y ago
  And of course, even lambda is unnecessary. Using two combinators, customarily called s and k suffices: k x y = x s x y z = x z (y z) This system is called the SKI-calculus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKI_combinator_calculus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SKI_combinator_calculus). The I in SKI stands for the identity, and can be expressed in terms of s and k. As an example, here is the y-combinator: y = s s k (s (k (s s (s (s s k)))) k)

silentbicycle 16y ago

Do the exercises! I know reading SICP blew your mind, but...do the exercises! Prove you actually know what you think you know - and when you the details make you struggle, work it out. :)