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In my student days, before I became a working programmer, I was desperately poor and couldn't afford all the books I wanted to buy. So I got into the habit of

In my student days, before I became a working programmer, I was desperately poor and couldn't afford all the books I wanted to buy. So I got into the habit of buying books when I had money in my account to avoid a future in which I have to look longingly at a book and not have money to buy it. So, yes your "buying a book and reading a few years later" situation is something i am familiar with. So anyways, I ended up having a few hundred technical books (and a couple of thousand non technical books). The future of not having money to buy books never came (yet, touch wood) and the biggest advantage of having this huge collection of books is I can cross reference them to get better info on what I am looking for. On the other hand, moving is a huge pain :-) EDIT:(example of buying a book and then using it years later) I am now (slowly) working through Cormen et al's "Introdcution to Algorithms" (second edition) book. The idea is to do all the exercises and proofs and so on. Should be done by the end of the year I think.I bought this book a few years ago and am using it(seriously) only now. (There's a third edition out now for anyone planning to buy. second ed is good enough for my purposes)

zkz 17y ago
Ah, maybe that's why. When a child I was desperate for books, it was hard for me to get those (I had books, but I read them a lot faster than I could get them, I was always re-reading them). So I guess when I started having money I just started buying them, like in a rush, to compensate or something. I should realize it makes no sense anymore. Thank you.
msie 17y ago
Oh no! There's a third edition out now? I haven't cracked the 2nd yet! EDIT: Ok, the 3rd won't be out 'til Sept. From the book's web page: "The third edition has been revised and updated throughout. It includes two completely new chapters, on van Emde Boas trees and multithreaded algorithms, and substantial additions to the chapter on recurrence (now called "Divide-and-Conquer"). It features improved treatment of dynamic programming and greedy algorithms and a new notion of edge-based flow in the material on flow networks. Many new exercises and problems have been added for this edition."
jlees 17y ago
I studied computer science using Cormen et al., and it struck me that this might be one way to 'use' these oft-impenetrable tomes. (Though I really found Cormen very accessible.) Look around for a university course that teaches using the book, and see if you can find notes, or - better - problems based on the text. Often gives you a sense of where to begin with the larger books.
- Elcho 17y ago
  You can get podcasts based on this book, from the MIT's itunes page; MIT 6.046J introduction to algorithms. Its not quite as good as seeing it on the page but it might help if your out for a walk or in the car.

zkz 17y ago

Ah, maybe that's why. When a child I was desperate for books, it was hard for me to get those (I had books, but I read them a lot faster than I could get them, I was always re-reading them). So I guess when I started having money I just started buying them, like in a rush, to compensate or something. I should realize it makes no sense anymore. Thank you.

msie 17y ago

Oh no! There's a third edition out now? I haven't cracked the 2nd yet! EDIT: Ok, the 3rd won't be out 'til Sept. From the book's web page: "The third edition has been revised and updated throughout. It includes two completely new chapters, on van Emde Boas trees and multithreaded algorithms, and substantial additions to the chapter on recurrence (now called "Divide-and-Conquer"). It features improved treatment of dynamic programming and greedy algorithms and a new notion of edge-based flow in the material on flow networks. Many new exercises and problems have been added for this edition."

jlees 17y ago

I studied computer science using Cormen et al., and it struck me that this might be one way to 'use' these oft-impenetrable tomes. (Though I really found Cormen very accessible.) Look around for a university course that teaches using the book, and see if you can find notes, or - better - problems based on the text. Often gives you a sense of where to begin with the larger books.

Elcho 17y ago
You can get podcasts based on this book, from the MIT's itunes page; MIT 6.046J introduction to algorithms. Its not quite as good as seeing it on the page but it might help if your out for a walk or in the car.