The original course videos are on youtube too! I found them a bit easier to watch than reading the book:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J_xL4IGhJA&list=PLE18841CAB...
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
31–40 of 151 posts
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#32Question: will you recommend SICP as an intro to programming book for say high schoolers? Or, does it assume some prereqs?
It does not assume anything except algebra (and I think some minor calculus concepts are mentioned in passing, as using higher-order functions to estimate derivatives or some such, but not at all required).
However, it is designed to be used in an introductory university course led by experienced instructors. Without support, even a highly motivated high school group would have a hard time with the material and pace. So I would say it all depends on the high schoolers, and especially on the support available.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#33Anyone 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
It covers unification in a first term class, plus functional, OO, and machine models of computation. I’ve used SICP as a student, and comparing it to HtDP, CTM, or some ad box stuff as an instructor—there’s no contest. Each of the others is excellent in its own way; none is as ambitious in its intent nor goes so far in satisfying it.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#34Question: will you recommend SICP as an intro to programming book for say high schoolers? Or, does it assume some prereqs?
It requires significant math not available to most high schoolers or indeed most adults. Using it with adults with non-CS degrees, we ran into big problems with the symbolic algebra system that motivates the early chapters.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#35The contents of the book are wonderful, but I can't stop admiring the TeX typesetting itself. It's startling how effortless it is to read this document compared to 99% of Web-based reading I do every day. The things that stand out to me most are the lack of vertical whitespace "rivers" due to the smart kerning & tracking, the small-caps for technical initialisms like 'HTML', and the beautiful beautiful Garamond of th…
It looks so much better than my Google books edition on Android (Moto g6).
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#36Anyone 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
Yes. 61A at Berkeley was nominally based on SICP. Berkeley has since abandoned the book and the class is now taught in Python. MIT 6.01 has abandoned the book as well and recreated the course using Python as well. Scheme was wonderfully elegant but then we never used it again which was annoying. If the choice is between Scheme knowing I'd never use it again and Python then I'd take Python.
We never had any readings from SICP. It sat on the shelf like an unread bible. I went back to it much later but I didn't like its conception of computer science. I compare it directly to Knuth's Fundamental Algorithms and it just didn't inspire me at all whereas FA did. I'll grant that I can't imagine a freshman course using FA, mostly because assembly language is very much de-emphasized.
However, I'll second someone else's comment about the beauty of the typesetting of this edition. And I really liked Scheme. But neither 61A nor SICP are touchstones for me.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#37Pictures in the PDF are garbled. The Version built from https://github.com/sarabander/sicp-pdf is much better.
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#38I 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'…
Does it make sense to use Clojure while reading the book?
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#39The original course videos are on youtube too! I found them a bit easier to watch than reading the book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J_xL4IGhJA&list=PLE18841CAB...
I just started the first video. This guy is a phenomenal lecturer. Thank you for posting the link!
Re: Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (1996) [pdf]
#40I 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'…
Does it make sense to use Clojure while reading the book?
Not a lot, given that Clojure semantics are very different from Lisp semantics.