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I think this is a good example of confusing "popular" with "best". Having read over half of those books, the only one I would ever come back to and read again
by bjornedstrom 6y ago
I think this is a good example of confusing "popular" with "best".
Having read over half of those books, the only one I would ever come back to and read again and again with a smile on my face and a feeling of childlike wonder and intellectual curiosity is SICP (number 18).
- bryanrasmussen 6y agoSurely number 19 is among the best class, although the idea of reading it more than once may be limited by how long you have to live.
- stevekemp 6y ago19 was "The Art of Computer Programming", by Knuth. I owned a copy of this, but I only used it as a reference once or twice. Sadly it didn't survive my emigration. I don't think I've ever met anybody who has read the whole thing, and if somebody told me they had I'd assume they were lying.
- enitihas 6y agoTAOCP is a very good reference book, and I think very few people would have ever read it cover to cover, but it is good if you want to look up an algorithm. For example, I went through the hash table chapter while doing assignments for a course while trying to optimize my implementation.
- ur-whale 6y agoI don't think Knuth put those together expecting people to read through them like a novel. They are, however, an excellent reference when you are faced with a practical algorithmic problem in a real world production situation in that they will often yield a direct solution to your headache on a platter and allow you to carry on with your day.