Ask HN: After SICP, what next?

One of my friends just finished working through SICP (progress here - http://lawfulsamurai.blogspot.com/search/label/SICP, - the last few sections still have to be updated) and asked me for reccomendations for future work.

I thought of telling him to get really strong on algorithms etc (perhaps by working through Tardos/ Cormen et al, doing all the exercises like he did for SICP), but thought I'd tap the good folk of HN for better (or different) suggestions. Working through CTM for example is an option (another of my friends was doing this http://ctm-himanshu.blogspot.com/ but he didn't quite complete it).

(This has nothing to do with his day job which is java/python/Django. Just something for him to work through when he has a few hours and learn cool things.). Any suggestions gratefully accepted!

Thanks in advance.

If your friend wants to a) get really strong on algorithms, b) put in some hours, and c) actually do the exercises, I'd recommend Knuth. It's worth the effort.

I like CTM. http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Techniques-Models-Computer-Pr...

I'm personally going to work through Programming Language Pragmatics. I want to have a better foundation in language paradigms, plus fill a hole in my education (no, zero, nada, real exposure to compiler design).

I'll also be learning more about Lisp concurrently.

Sadly, none of this has much bearing to my day job, but when I have an hour or two it seems like a nice way to spend it. At that pace, I plan to finish sometime in 2015 . . .

I haven't read Knuth but I recommend http://www.amazon.com/Algorithm-Design-Manual-Steve-Skiena/d...

From what I understand Knuth uses MIX assembly language to imlpement his algorithms. Contrast this to the Skiena book which uses C++. I found this to make it very practical.

Though to be fair, I don't think it offers near the depth of the Art of Computer Programming:)