To know whether you'd enjoy it (which is the only measure of “worth it” I can think of in relation to this book), you could start with one of the recent section

To know whether you'd enjoy it (which is the only measure of “worth it” I can think of in relation to this book), you could start with one of the recent sections on combinatorial algorithms (Volume 4A and part of Volume 4B have been published so far): http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/ http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/ For example, 7.2.1.2 on generating all permutations (http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/fasc2b.pdf http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/fasc2b.pdf) has a lot of cool mathematics, some low-language programs, some alphametic puzzles, .... Or 7.1.4 on Binary Decision Diagrams (http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/fasc1b.pdf http://www.cs.utsa.edu/~wagner/knuth/fasc1b.pdf) is on a little-known (IMO) data-structure presented in Knuth's unique way, which can solve many counting problems. Stepping back a little, there are two ways you could read this book: • Try to engage with the mathematics, try each exercise for at least half an hour before giving up and looking at the solution, etc. (Doing it this way can definitely be a massive time investment.) If you'd like to do this, and find the mathematics difficult, you should read Concrete Mathematics which Knuth co-wrote with Ron Graham and Oren Patashnik, which is a highly enjoyable book in itself. • As mentioned in a recent post (https://nickdrozd.github.io/2019/05/17/knuth-check.html https://nickdrozd.github.io/2019/05/17/knuth-check.html): > By the way, if you’ve ever thought about reading TAOCP, give it a try. A lot of people will tell you that it’s a reference work, and it’s not meant to be read straight through, but that isn’t true. The author has a clear point of view and a narrative and an idiosyncratic style, and the only thing that inhibits readability is the difficulty of the math. There’s an easy solution to that though: read until you get to math you don’t understand, then skip it and find the next section you can understand. Reading this way, I skip at least 80% of the book, but the remaining 20% is great! You could even do the latter first, then the former. It's really up to you, and diving in and trying a chapter or two is the best way you can judge whether you'll find it an enriching experience. (BTW: Knuth mentions in some interview that he wanted to call the books “mathematical analysis of algorithms”... if you're thinking that the books are trying to define the art of computer programming and will make you a better programmer at the kind of programming tasks you're likely to encounter in a professional career, then it's probably not the best use of your time... which is why I mention reading it for yourself and seeing if you like it; IMO the books are really enjoyable and full of clarity and grace and humour and depth.)