> Why do people who write or talk about Lisp always have to start with something like this? Because to them it is awesome. People are different, and just becau

> Why do people who write or talk about Lisp always have to start with something like this? Because to them it is awesome. People are different, and just because it isn't awesome to you doesn't mean it can't be for others. For me, I was impressed because Lisp overcame so many limitations I found in other languages. When it comes to readability, I think that a lot of it is what you are used to. I do not use Lisp all of the time, so when I switch back to it, some time is required for me to get back into the groove where it becomes readable, and then it's second nature. (I teach multiple computer science courses using different languages, and switching gears from class to class can be a challenge.) All of that being said, the greater use of punctuation and syntactic forms in other languages can aid in readability, but I don't think it is significant enough to completely offset the power you gain from the Lisp syntax.