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Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

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Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#22
post #8

The authors also make the book available at MIT press, but not as PDF. Thanks! https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/index.html https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/full-text/... Other versions, again not as PDF: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13918465 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19049834 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3034587 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178544

Thanks for the links.

> https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3034587

This one is a link to a .mobi/Kindle version, for anyone searching.

Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#24

The ebook on https://github.com/sarabander/sicp-epub/ seems to be inaccessible, trying to fetch it via git lfs gives "This repository is over its data quota. Purchase more data packs to restore access." Does anybody know where I can/should host a copy?

> Does anybody know where I can/should host a copy?

With torrent or IPFS, perhaps? (Given the CC BY-SA license, this would be completely legal.)

Also, GitHub's behaviour wrt to LFS is really disappointing — the epub file could have been stored normally with git (its size of ~ 3 MB is far less than the hard limit of 100 MB), in which case there would have been no issues of exceeding a data quota...

For comparison, the linked PDF is normally indexed with git, despite weighing at 7.7 MB.

Since LFS is supposed to reduce total bandwidth use for the hoster, GitHub is, in effect, punishing people for reducing GitHub's bandwidth usage...

Actually, the linked PDF is originally[0] by the same author as the EPUB version you linked. However, in the original repository[0] the PDF is managed with LFS, so it's inaccessible...

[0] https://github.com/sarabander/sicp-pdf

Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#25

This is so great. I've been working from a terrible scanned copy for years.

The full text has been freely available online for years:

https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/full-text/...

Also, the physical book is available for only $40.

Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#26

I took a one-week SICP course with 5 or 6 other professional programmers last year. It was amazing. I wrote about my personal motivation for doing so here: https://amontalenti.com/2018/08/26/sicp-expanding As for an update: SICP was as good as I expected and definitely makes a professional programmer regain some love for the art and magic of computer science. (However, the book is a hard read without a guide. But it'…

You probably know this, but for others reading along, Racket has a #lang sicp language to fully support using Racket to follow along.

https://docs.racket-lang.org/sicp-manual/index.html

Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#28

Anyone else feel like this book is really overrated? I've enjoyed the classical mechanics book by the same authors a lot more since it goes over a particularly good application where functional ideas shine

I totally respect and even admire dissenting opinions, but, on the contrary, this book is magic for me. For me, it connects programming to larger and vital human endeavor. K&R does that for me too, so maybe it's a me thing.

Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]

#30

Anyone else feel like this book is really overrated? I've enjoyed the classical mechanics book by the same authors a lot more since it goes over a particularly good application where functional ideas shine

What was your exposure to the book? I have gone through it twice with study groups, and have done all the exercises, and feel if anything it's underrated.
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