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18th out of 21 books
—
9 voters
The Little LISPer
The notion that “thinking about computing is one of the most exciting things the human mind can do” sets both The Little Schemer (formerly known as The Little LISPer) and its new companion volume, The Seasoned Schemer, apart from other books on LISP. The authors' enthusiasm for their subject is compelling as they present abstract concepts in a humorous and easy-to-grasp fa...more
Paperback, Third Edition, 206 pages
Published
March 20th 1989
by Prentice Hall
(first published December 21st 1974)
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Is this book great?Yes, it is an awesome book.
Why is it awesome?The entire book is written
as a series of questions,
which forces you ask
yourself questions about the
content along the way.
Doesn't that get annoying?Not really.
Will I learn Lisp?Not really.
What will I do?Master recursion. Build a
Lisp....more
Why is it awesome?The entire book is written
as a series of questions,
which forces you ask
yourself questions about the
content along the way.
Doesn't that get annoying?Not really.
Will I learn Lisp?Not really.
What will I do?Master recursion. Build a
Lisp....more
The Little Schemer is geared toward luring you into first the syntax, then the concepts behind Scheme, recursion, and functional programming. While probably of most interest to programmers or the mathematically inclined, the book claims to have been based off lecture notes for liberal arts students.
The book has a very interesting dialog mechanism for teaching. After the introduction, there is little to nothing in the way of paragraphs of information. Instead, it is more of a lightweight Q&A...more
The book has a very interesting dialog mechanism for teaching. After the introduction, there is little to nothing in the way of paragraphs of information. Instead, it is more of a lightweight Q&A...more
Reading this book, I couldn't stop thinking about how much I would have loved and treasured it when I first started getting interested in programming in middle school. It's not necessarily written for children, and I'm not saying it's not a fun/stimulating read for an adult, but that's the perspective I want to review it from.
Around that time I spent hundreds of hours playing around with QBasic, and I remember being so curious how it "worked"... Not from a registers and pointers perspective, but...more
Around that time I spent hundreds of hours playing around with QBasic, and I remember being so curious how it "worked"... Not from a registers and pointers perspective, but...more
Thoroughly didactic, and a considerable brain twister, this book and its exercises did a great deal for my programming skills. In particular, it furnishes stepping stones of a craft to decompose computing problems into recursive solutions.
I found the last two chapters fiercely difficult, and cannot say that I truly retained them. However, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to glimpse deeper mathematical aspects of the lambda calculus.
For anyone wishing to learn a lisp-like, I thorough recommend t...more
I found the last two chapters fiercely difficult, and cannot say that I truly retained them. However, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to glimpse deeper mathematical aspects of the lambda calculus.
For anyone wishing to learn a lisp-like, I thorough recommend t...more
Jan 08, 2010
Christian Brumm
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Programmers
Shelves:
software-engineering
Just finished the book, good read, unusual book. The leading topic is Recursion. The book is written in a question-answer style that needs getting used to but is well designed an kept me interested. I found the style a bit tiresome at the beginning, because the matter starts off quite easy and the presentation does not really allow you to skip lots of stuff completely, as you will never know what you have missed. Its really designed to be read cover to cover.
I think the book changes pace dramati...more
I think the book changes pace dramati...more
I loved this book. It focuses on code and what the code means using short question answer snippets. It reads like a review book for medical school boards--but for code. It is a fast and efficient style for the topic. Scheme is a functional language and coming from ruby it was a bit of a mind melt. I had to reread the book to get through the final 2 chapters which are a bit challenging. The topics of the book sometimes manifest in my ruby code--like in this example.
http://timrandg.posterous.com/...more
http://timrandg.posterous.com/...more
This is one of the best computer science books ever written. It is a little deceptive, in that the programmed learning style and the examples seem naive. But in fact the book and its sequels, "The Seasoned Schemer" and "The Reasoned Schemer" delve quite deeply into Scheme programming and theory, e.g., there is an amusing discussion of the halting problem in TLS.
These books are also pleasant to read, and can be read in snatches, while in doctor's offices for example.
These books are also pleasant to read, and can be read in snatches, while in doctor's offices for example.
Oct 21, 2012
Jon Gauthier
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Beginning Lisp / FP students
A really fun read that reinforced my understanding of recursion and some FP concepts. Intermediate Lispers or people with a good grasp of basic functional programming can safely jump forward at least a few chapters (though you'll miss some function definitions used later on).
I was unsure about this book (it seemed a little basic) until I reached the section on continuations. From that point on, I was pretty amazed by the code. You'll find Y-combinators and metacircular interpreters explained in...more
I was unsure about this book (it seemed a little basic) until I reached the section on continuations. From that point on, I was pretty amazed by the code. You'll find Y-combinators and metacircular interpreters explained in...more
A great introduction to functional programming languages. It's written as a series of questions and answers which you work through as you read. If you're disciplined enough to not look at the answers you can really take a lot from this book. The last two chapters moved too quickly for me. I had to reread a them a couple times to follow what actually was going on. In general, though, it's a great instructional text.
With a programming language book, unusual teaching methods are not typically welcome. But from the very first page, you'll know if the question/answer format is going to work for you. The onus is on the reader to understand and work out what is going on. It's a great way to force understanding. A wonderful book and a wonderful language.
It's a fun introduction to scheme, bit-by-bit, step-by-step. It felt very Aristotelian to me, which is a great way of teaching math: not by explaining it, but by showing how the student had the math in them all along. Scheme is not really a programming language as much as it is a form of mathematical notation.
Get a pen and paper out and be prepared for your head to hurt. The classic Scheme intro starts from the ground up, assuming absolutely no programming experience, and by the end of ten short chapters has already covered the Halting Problem, the Y Combinator, and a Scheme interpreter for Scheme.
Note to self: reread the last three chapters every few weeks until they make sense.
Note to self: reread the last three chapters every few weeks until they make sense.
This is the most interesting, entertaining and easy to read book about programming, that I've ever encountered. The question-answer structure kept me concentrated all the time. I wish more books were written in this style.
I gave this a quick read a few years back, but didn't work through all the examples. I'm planning to re-read it, along with it's more recent brethren, in the near future, working through all the exercises along the way.
Dec 29, 2012
Christian Delahousse
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
must-read-computer-science
This is the first CS book to have me step back and think... "Whoa"
Hands down, this is the best book to teach you the basics of recursion in programming. Your brain will definitely swell after you grok the material.
Hands down, this is the best book to teach you the basics of recursion in programming. Your brain will definitely swell after you grok the material.
Aug 25, 2012
Philip Robar
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
computer-science,
lisp
I get what these books are trying to achieve and I have no doubt that they work for the audience their intended for, but I prefer standard, well written texts when it comes to learning a programming language.
Small, entertaining and deep. This book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding what programming is really about. This book is timeless; it will change the way you think about computing for the better.
One of my all time favorites on programming and recursive thinking. Highly recommended for anyone interested in computing. But not to read by person on a diet!
Fantastic book for learning Scheme, functional programming and thinking recursively. The last 30 pages or so are REALLY difficult though. You will go through lots of paper as you are doing exercises as you try to understand the magic of the y-combinator.
Excellent introduction to programming using Scheme. Uses a unique, conversational, question-and-answer style. Instant classic.
This book is awesome. It's a fun little book that teaches you scheme, and really changes the way you think about programming.
I've heard great things about this book.
I'm not enjoying it - too much work.
I'm not enjoying it - too much work.
Is this a good book?
Yes, it is. Now go have a sandwich.
Yes, it is. Now go have a sandwich.
The Little Schemer starts out gently enough... but by the end you will have implemented the y combinator as well as a mini interpreter. Excellent book.
funny!
This is one of my favorite books. It has a unique form that really works for me (a highly entertaining question and answer format that borders on bantering). I've even "stolen" it for some powerpoint presentations. It works there too. Even more impressively, the almost "naive" form is used to effectively and efficiently introduce some very deep concepts, culminating with the Y combinator.
THE most excellent book to bend your mind around recursion. An absolutely delightful read with great style. Highly recommended!
Wish I had read this when I was 12.
The Little Schemer is a classic computer science text and there are very good reasons for it: it's poignant, entertaining and teaches you more about Lisp than many of the bigger books around. This is not a complete guide to Scheme as a programming language, it's a book about concepts. Highly recommended!
Very amusing little book. It starts out easy, promising quick and light-hearted exercises.
It's a trick.
After awhile, you notice the pace goes slower and slower. Trying to work through the last few chapters is like trying to drink a sledgehammer.
Almost.
It's a trick.
After awhile, you notice the pace goes slower and slower. Trying to work through the last few chapters is like trying to drink a sledgehammer.
Almost.
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