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Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

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Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#11

Post by justinlardinois »

perrygeo wrote: post #6

> I've read all of these books myself, so I have no difficulty believing that many moderately competent programmers have read them as well. If you're interested enough in programming that you're reading this blog, you've probably read most, if not all of the books in this list That is some gross arrogance on full display right there. If you're as good as me, surely you've read all these books. Any other books... flaw…

Agreed. At risk of sounding like an idiot, the K&R C book and Mythical Man-Month are the only books on that list I've even heard of, and I haven't read either of them.

Also, he gives "more of a language reference" as a reason for not reading Stroutstrup's C++ book. Doesn't the same apply to K&R?

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#12

Post by jfoutz »

I think those books have a specific time* in people's careers. My first real programming job, a couple years in i got a large project. I'd go home and flip through the design patterns book every day. Some days, rereading the introduction, some days rereading patterns. The project came out pretty well.

If i'd gotten a C++ job instead, i'd probably have torn up the C++ programming language book. My copy is fairly worn, but not like that gof book.

CLRS probably isn't as helpful as it once was, because the vast majority of time you just use an ADT from whatever library your language provides. Sure, maybe go review some subtleties from time to time, but if you're writing an algorithm for work, you probably do that all the time, CLRS isn't going to be that insightful.

The dragon book was opaque to me. Just about every thing in that book, i had to go find another discussion of. I'm just not smart enough to parse those words and math into code.

I dunno. I'm a pretty mediocre programmer. They've been helpful to me at various points in my career, but i don't think they are much help in modern programming.

* I've only been able to chew through a couple chapters of TAOCP. I think the only programmers these books help are people like Fabrice Bellard. Find someone who's worked through those books, hire them. Well, if you really need to solve problems and you're not just hooking a submit button to mysql.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#13

Post by RandomOpinion »

CalChris wrote: post #8

I'd put SICP on the better read when dead list. Fundamental Algorithms shouldn't be read anymore but at least I liked it when I read it. SICP was the text in 61A at Berkeley but there were no assigned readings from it. It was meant to be worshipped rather than read. I rather like the Dragon book but compilers have come along. The 2nd edition is an improvement. I'd add that EE20N used a Berkeley written text, Structur…

Have to agree with this. Having gotten my education well before SICP became a thing, I fail to see anything special or even particularly interesting about it.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#14

Post by userbinator »

I have a hard time believing Petzold's Code is in the first list, or even the second, because its content is so very different from most of the other books. It's not particularly directed at programmers either.

As for the design patterns book, I've glanced through it and didn't find it all that useful; that being said, I was never a fan of that school of thought (OOP, UML, patterns, etc.) either.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#15

Post by cwingrav »

justinlardinois wrote: post #11
perrygeo wrote: post #6

> I've read all of these books myself, so I have no difficulty believing that many moderately competent programmers have read them as well. If you're interested enough in programming that you're reading this blog, you've probably read most, if not all of the books in this list That is some gross arrogance on full display right there. If you're as good as me, surely you've read all these books. Any other books... flaw…

Agreed. At risk of sounding like an idiot, the K&R C book and Mythical Man-Month are the only books on that list I've even heard of , and I haven't read either of them. Also, he gives "more of a language reference" as a reason for not reading Stroutstrup's C++ book. Doesn't the same apply to K&R?

This is a good reading list. You should probably pick up a copy of these, flip through them and see why they are so recommended. Having not done something doesn't make you an idiot. Having an opportunity and a recommendation, and rejecting it for no good reason... that could be different.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#16

Post by sotojuan »

smikhanov wrote: post #10
CalChris wrote: post #8

I'd put SICP on the better read when dead list. Fundamental Algorithms shouldn't be read anymore but at least I liked it when I read it. SICP was the text in 61A at Berkeley but there were no assigned readings from it. It was meant to be worshipped rather than read. I rather like the Dragon book but compilers have come along. The 2nd edition is an improvement. I'd add that EE20N used a Berkeley written text, Structur…

I read SICP for the first time in February this year, 15 years into my programming career and 12 years after graduating from a CS department. It's a very easy and enjoyable read, even the code blocks are readable, unlike coding examples in most (all?) modern programming books. I literally loved every page of it. There's just something special in the way material is presented in SICP, in the order of topics, in the te…

The tone of the book is that of learning programming and computer science for enjoyment, learning, and fun. That's what makes it timeless.

A "stronger" example of this tone would be The Little Schemer series.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#17

Post by userbinator »

GuiA wrote: post #7

The Gang of Four patterns book is one of those books that you should probably only read when you already have decent experience writing non trivial software. If you do so, it will formidably crystallize knowledge you've been acquiring subconsciously. You'll have probably been having gut feelings about why certain things are wrong or clunky and others are elegant, and Design Patterns will give you a vocabulary to desc…

The same might apply to Head First Design Patterns:

https://blog.codinghorror.com/head-first-design-patterns/

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#18

Post by userbinator »

justinlardinois wrote: post #11
perrygeo wrote: post #6

> I've read all of these books myself, so I have no difficulty believing that many moderately competent programmers have read them as well. If you're interested enough in programming that you're reading this blog, you've probably read most, if not all of the books in this list That is some gross arrogance on full display right there. If you're as good as me, surely you've read all these books. Any other books... flaw…

Agreed. At risk of sounding like an idiot, the K&R C book and Mythical Man-Month are the only books on that list I've even heard of , and I haven't read either of them. Also, he gives "more of a language reference" as a reason for not reading Stroutstrup's C++ book. Doesn't the same apply to K&R?

C is a far smaller language than C++, and perhaps the writing style of K&R is somewhat more accessible. Stroustrup's book does have some parts that give an "I invented this language, see how awesome it is" impression, whereas K&R is quite unopinionated and neutral.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#19

Post by anexprogrammer »

Let's see.

Never come across Code, Head first Design Patterns - WHY? GoF book is much better, and well written and explained. Read all the rest, though K&R 1st edition. Bought 2nd when someone 'borrowed' original from my desk and never returned.

Of the rest:

Never heard of the first one, but I'm British.

My green dragon book was read cover to cover a couple of times, and I tried to build a compiler off the back of it. I used another compiler book in equal amount, I forget the book though.

I've three volumes of Knuth. I should have bought one at a time - I got about 1/2 way through the first volume.

Design patterns was extremely well used.

C++ was mainly reference, unlike K&R it wasn't a good read to learn from. Pretty heavy going if I remember. The Design and Evolution of C++ was much more interestng. Then the 2 Scott Meyers books (Effective C++ 1&2). Thinking in C++ was the book recommended to learn from at the time, though I've not read this.

Re: Books Programmers Don't Really Read (2008)

#20

Post by drew-y »

Is there a good alternative to "Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools"?

I've been programming for a few years now and I'm looking to more formally educate myself in general computer science. I've been told having a good grasp on compilers and interpreters can be useful for a wide variety of problems.

So far "Language Implementation Patterns" looks like it might be a promising alternative.

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