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Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

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Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#61

Post by fish_fan »

munificent wrote: post #23
tw1010 wrote: post #8

I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…

> I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). Julia deserves a ton of credit, but I think it's also important to remember whytheluckystiff's "Poignant Guide to Ruby" [1]. Going even farther back, Forrest M Mims' electronics books [2], which I remember being sold in Radio Shacks, get much of their fame and familiarity from being hand…

I remember this going back at least to The Little Lisper, though they more accompany the text than serve as explanations themselves. The aesthetic certainly leaks into the lessons.

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#63

Post by cbzehner »

frwntfwtr wrote: post #56
cbzehner wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll buy it. Please do! I really like the idea of being able to share this with people just getting started who find algorithms intimidating (we're not all math double majors :P). It probably can't serve as a primary source of material but is a great supplement. Grokking Algorithms by Aditya Bhargava is something I skim for fun occasionally and this seems like a great complement!

Awesome! If you want me to notify you when the book comes out, I put together a simple mailing list at coderscoloringbook.com. Thanks

Thanks! I already signed up!

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#64

Post by pera »

frwntfwtr wrote: post #58
pera wrote: post #7

I would totally buy a book like this. I think if you also added some pseudocode that would make it much more effective: you could, for instance, have pseudocode (and maybe some complexity analysis) on the left page, and the coloring on the right page. Somehow it reminds me to The Little Schemer :)

Forgot to mention! if you want me to notify you when the book comes out, I put together a simple mailing list at coderscoloringbook.com. Thanks

Already subscribed, thanks!

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#65

Post by fapjacks »

munificent wrote: post #23
tw1010 wrote: post #8

I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…

> I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). Julia deserves a ton of credit, but I think it's also important to remember whytheluckystiff's "Poignant Guide to Ruby" [1]. Going even farther back, Forrest M Mims' electronics books [2], which I remember being sold in Radio Shacks, get much of their fame and familiarity from being hand…

Forrest Mims III taught me electronics as a teenager. Also Larry Gonick really rounded out my rusty calculus knowledge with his "Cartoon Guide to Calculus" [0] This is just the product page, no stupid referral on the link.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Calculus/dp/0061689092

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#66

Post by jnordwick »

I was expected more comicish less bookish. Basically it looks like you could have taken these pages from any algo book, even CLRS.

I would have liked to see things more pictorially like instead of boxes with numbers have flowers of differing height or tortoise shells of different sizes. Maybe hands replanting the flowers or tree turtles walking to the correct place.

I've thought about this idea before actually but not really for pedagogical proposes just for fun instead.

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#67

Post by fapjacks »

mattstonebraker wrote: post #25
tw1010 wrote: post #8

I'm writing this off-the-cuff so don't read too much into it if you don't want to. I love this trend of using comics to describe technical ideas (which, as far as I can tell, started in earnest with Julia Evans). I think it's a great way to remove some of the scaryness-factor that more serious tomes (like Cormen et al) are associated to. I don't think the niche is nearly reaching oversaturation. I think there is plen…

To expand on this from the perspective of a student, I primarily study mathematics but will be pursing a double in math and cs, and I actually enjoy very rigorous (what some people may call dry or intimidating) textbooks in both fields because I am generally quite pedantic. However, that being said, I would love a book like this not necessarily as a main source of the actual information I am learning, but rather as a…

Specifically with calculus, I found "The Cartoon Guide to Calculus" by Larry Gonick [0] to be quite memorable and fun! Note: There is no stupid referral on this link.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/Cartoon-Guide-Calculus/dp/0061689092

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#68

Post by jnordwick »

TuringNYC wrote: post #5

This is really cute, and it makes sense! For a fundraising campaign for our university, I had my kids color in neural network diagrams: https://www.instagram.com/p/BM5jaUxB6An/?taken-by=saifrahmed It was a big hit :-)

Roll on you Bears! That's awesome.

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#69

Post by jnordwick »

frwntfwtr wrote: post #15
pera wrote: post #7

I would totally buy a book like this. I think if you also added some pseudocode that would make it much more effective: you could, for instance, have pseudocode (and maybe some complexity analysis) on the left page, and the coloring on the right page. Somehow it reminds me to The Little Schemer :)

Thanks for the tips! The next iteration will definitely have pseudocode, as that is now a highly requested "feature". =) Cheers

Pseudocode? I vote fairy tale description.

Re: Show HN: A coloring book of data structures and algorithms

#70

Post by Zanni »

tsumnia wrote: post #26

I don't see myself coloring the pages in; primarily as I wouldn't want to use up any resources. Granted, I'm a 30+ PhD student, so I might not be the targeted market. The only things I have of differing colors are dry erase markers. For a (much) younger audience, I could see the teacher buying this, but in that breath, they are always looking to not spend a lot (or any) money on supplies, so a $30-40 coloring book fo…

Seconding the the notion that your colored-in example is a fantastic addition and should be included. I had thought of this in terms of The Anatomy Coloring Book where the coloring is mostly a way to engage with the visual material in a physical way, which aids recall. But your specific coloring actually highlights the algorithm in an effective way, making it more clear - and I can see that a teacher might be able to quickly glance at a student coloring and see that they did not grasp the concept (by, say, using a distinct color for each block number throughout, showing no progress through the algorithm). Your annotations are excellent as well, and the whole thing serves as a great model of how such a book should be used. Great stuff.
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