5 ms·

It's interesting that he read all the books on his list (he has notes about each one) and was still a success. Most of the people I know who have reading lists

It's interesting that he read all the books on his list (he has notes about each one) and was still a success. Most of the people I know who have reading lists like this are a personal and professional mess. On the other hand, I've never met any rich person with a reading list like yours, but quite a few of my professors had bookshelves like that. Whether or not they actually read any of those books I'll never know. I know I've never gotten through more than about 50 pages of The Art of Computer Programming.

eugenejen 17y ago
My first boss (who was pretty good in forth hacking) told me not to spend too much time to read Knuth's books. He said those books are great, but people who read them tends to not able to write great programs. He advised me to try to finish some stuffs that works and learn from it. I thought he was joking. but later I know any one can learn a lot when doing a significant project of his/her own! In reality. Knuth had to learn to program computers by himself then because few was programming computers then, he can only rely on his own mind, logic and experiment to write better programs and later he tried to summarize what he had learned in "textbook" and deliver them to us, and we know most of time, it takes more text to say it clear than do it. Of course Knuth is not ignorant of fundamental stuffs. But probably the only way to gain knowledge in any unknown territory is to explore them directly. It maybe dangerous but it is the only way.
- holygoat 17y ago
  I like to think of them as a reference book collection. Reading them cover to cover is probably not a good investment of time.
ambition 17y ago
I am intensely curious about your point. Is it that you think reading is a not-terribly-productive use of effort, or do you take issue with the specific books? If it's the latter, which books do you recommend?
Confusion 17y ago
Most of the people I know who have reading lists like this are a personal and professional mess. Yes, but they read those books, because they are a mess. They aren't a mess because of reading those books... I hope.

eugenejen 17y ago

My first boss (who was pretty good in forth hacking) told me not to spend too much time to read Knuth's books. He said those books are great, but people who read them tends to not able to write great programs. He advised me to try to finish some stuffs that works and learn from it. I thought he was joking. but later I know any one can learn a lot when doing a significant project of his/her own! In reality. Knuth had to learn to program computers by himself then because few was programming computers then, he can only rely on his own mind, logic and experiment to write better programs and later he tried to summarize what he had learned in "textbook" and deliver them to us, and we know most of time, it takes more text to say it clear than do it. Of course Knuth is not ignorant of fundamental stuffs. But probably the only way to gain knowledge in any unknown territory is to explore them directly. It maybe dangerous but it is the only way.

holygoat 17y ago
I like to think of them as a reference book collection. Reading them cover to cover is probably not a good investment of time.

ambition 17y ago

I am intensely curious about your point. Is it that you think reading is a not-terribly-productive use of effort, or do you take issue with the specific books? If it's the latter, which books do you recommend?

Confusion 17y ago

Most of the people I know who have reading lists like this are a personal and professional mess. Yes, but they read those books, because they are a mess. They aren't a mess because of reading those books... I hope.