5 ms·

Do you really need this explained? It's a 600 page technical book and people have a limited amount of time to sort through everything that exists.

by vsuperpower2020 2y ago

exe34 2y ago
> It's a 600 page technical book > why don’t you just start reading it and decide for yourself? A journey of a thousand miles....
lopatin 2y ago
Agree but you are replying to a user named "lisper".
- CoastalCoder 2y ago
  Maybe he struggles with a speech impediment, you insensitive clod! </Slashdot_nostalgia>
Turing_Machine 2y ago
> It's a 600 page technical book You do understand that you don't have to read an entire book before forming an opinion, right? > sort through everything that exists "Book that has been considered a classic for forty years and was used as the intro text at MIT for decades" is a long, long way from "everything that exists".
- vsuperpower2020 2y ago
  Weasel words. Considered a classic by who? And why would being an "intro text at MIT" mean it's good for someone who is already experienced? If anything, that should show it's not worth his time.
  - Turing_Machine 2y ago
    > Considered a classic by who? By just about everyone who's ever compiled a list of the greatest CS books of all time? Here you go: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=classic+computer+science+books&t=brave&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=classic+computer+science+books&t=b... Count how many of those have SICP on their list (hint: most of them, excluding the ones that aren't actually lists of CS books -- e.g. the ones that have Jobs and Gates biographies, etc.) I didn't just make that up, dude. And this isn't Wikipedia, either.
- zeroCalories 2y ago
  I did begin reading it a few years ago, and it seemed like a lisp flavored intro CS book. Why do I want to read an intro CS book? I've read those before. Yet people promise me that this one is different, while giving me nothing but condescending promises of enlightenment.
  - ozim 2y ago
    Maybe not for you, but there is bunch of expert beginners out there that would benefit from reading up intro CS stuff.
  - BoiledCabbage 2y ago
    I guess the honest question is "what are you looking for in a response to your question?" You asked if you should read it, and almost everyone who bothered to reply has said yes. Each time this topic comes up and people ask if they should read it the majority of responses are 'yes'. And I presume if you've been around software for that long, you've seen all of those threads and previous questions and answers like I have - meaning you likely knew what people would say when they responded. So, in the end, it's up to you to decide if you'll read it or not. I don't know you personally, but from my life experience it sounds to me like something I've seen in other circumstances. You've more or less decided that you're not going to read it, but feel like you're missing out and you want someone who as read it to say "it's ok to not read it". So you can resolve both the feelings of the decision to not read it, and the uncomfortableness of feeling like you're missing out. It's possible I'm way off the mark on the above, but I mean it to be helpful - as I can say I've seen what looks to be this same pattern many times in life. or what you're likely looking for: In the end, there are only so many hours in the day. You gave it a fair shot and it wasn't your vibe. It doesn't say anything about your strength as an engineer, it just has a specific approach and it's not a match for everyone. That doesn't make it a bad thing, it just means you'd rather spend your time learning and exploring in other ways. And it probably would've had more impact earlier in your career than at the level of experience you have now. But of course before wrapping up I do need to undo my comment: I think you should give it another go. Maybe skim past the early part if it feels a bit to introductory and come back to it later. But it's a book that continues to grows on you the more time it's been since you read it. The concepts it presents are subtle but impactful in changing how you think about software. You don't fully grasp it when you read it. It's just that afterwards you just start seeing things through its lens often. I haven't read any other book like it.
BodyCulture 2y ago
Do not waste your time and energy relying on the opinion of others. Always check yourself.
hackernoteng 2y ago
this book is at the top of the list of near every list of best programming books of all time. its worth reading. is it an easy read? no. its sort of like the Illiad. Not an easy read. But worth it for anyone who wants to be considered well read.
PheonixPharts 2y ago
Have you never been to a book store? You don't have to read every word of a book to understand if it's interesting to you. I purchased a bunch of technical books the other day that I had never heard of based on opening them up, reading a bit of the intro and flipping through the examples. Relatively few of my favorite books have come through recommendations compared to those that I have come across through serendipitous discovery. For anyone who has no time to browse books, then most of the best books in existence would be of little interest to that person.

Do you really need this explained? It's a 600 page technical book and people have a limited amount of time to sort through everything that exists.

exe34 2y ago

> It's a 600 page technical book > why don’t you just start reading it and decide for yourself? A journey of a thousand miles....

lopatin 2y ago

Agree but you are replying to a user named "lisper".

CoastalCoder 2y ago
Maybe he struggles with a speech impediment, you insensitive clod! </Slashdot_nostalgia>

Turing_Machine 2y ago

> It's a 600 page technical book You do understand that you don't have to read an entire book before forming an opinion, right? > sort through everything that exists "Book that has been considered a classic for forty years and was used as the intro text at MIT for decades" is a long, long way from "everything that exists".

vsuperpower2020 2y ago
Weasel words. Considered a classic by who? And why would being an "intro text at MIT" mean it's good for someone who is already experienced? If anything, that should show it's not worth his time.
- Turing_Machine 2y ago
  > Considered a classic by who? By just about everyone who's ever compiled a list of the greatest CS books of all time? Here you go: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=classic+computer+science+books&t=brave&ia=web https://duckduckgo.com/?q=classic+computer+science+books&t=b... Count how many of those have SICP on their list (hint: most of them, excluding the ones that aren't actually lists of CS books -- e.g. the ones that have Jobs and Gates biographies, etc.) I didn't just make that up, dude. And this isn't Wikipedia, either.
zeroCalories 2y ago
I did begin reading it a few years ago, and it seemed like a lisp flavored intro CS book. Why do I want to read an intro CS book? I've read those before. Yet people promise me that this one is different, while giving me nothing but condescending promises of enlightenment.
- ozim 2y ago
  Maybe not for you, but there is bunch of expert beginners out there that would benefit from reading up intro CS stuff.
- BoiledCabbage 2y ago
  I guess the honest question is "what are you looking for in a response to your question?" You asked if you should read it, and almost everyone who bothered to reply has said yes. Each time this topic comes up and people ask if they should read it the majority of responses are 'yes'. And I presume if you've been around software for that long, you've seen all of those threads and previous questions and answers like I have - meaning you likely knew what people would say when they responded. So, in the end, it's up to you to decide if you'll read it or not. I don't know you personally, but from my life experience it sounds to me like something I've seen in other circumstances. You've more or less decided that you're not going to read it, but feel like you're missing out and you want someone who as read it to say "it's ok to not read it". So you can resolve both the feelings of the decision to not read it, and the uncomfortableness of feeling like you're missing out. It's possible I'm way off the mark on the above, but I mean it to be helpful - as I can say I've seen what looks to be this same pattern many times in life. or what you're likely looking for: In the end, there are only so many hours in the day. You gave it a fair shot and it wasn't your vibe. It doesn't say anything about your strength as an engineer, it just has a specific approach and it's not a match for everyone. That doesn't make it a bad thing, it just means you'd rather spend your time learning and exploring in other ways. And it probably would've had more impact earlier in your career than at the level of experience you have now. But of course before wrapping up I do need to undo my comment: I think you should give it another go. Maybe skim past the early part if it feels a bit to introductory and come back to it later. But it's a book that continues to grows on you the more time it's been since you read it. The concepts it presents are subtle but impactful in changing how you think about software. You don't fully grasp it when you read it. It's just that afterwards you just start seeing things through its lens often. I haven't read any other book like it.

BodyCulture 2y ago

Do not waste your time and energy relying on the opinion of others. Always check yourself.

hackernoteng 2y ago

this book is at the top of the list of near every list of best programming books of all time. its worth reading. is it an easy read? no. its sort of like the Illiad. Not an easy read. But worth it for anyone who wants to be considered well read.

PheonixPharts 2y ago

Have you never been to a book store? You don't have to read every word of a book to understand if it's interesting to you. I purchased a bunch of technical books the other day that I had never heard of based on opening them up, reading a bit of the intro and flipping through the examples. Relatively few of my favorite books have come through recommendations compared to those that I have come across through serendipitous discovery. For anyone who has no time to browse books, then most of the best books in existence would be of little interest to that person.