Need Some Motivation to Continue Reading SICP

Greetings fellow pursuers of Satori,
I'm halfway through SICP and did almost all exercises but now that I've reached chapter 4 (interpreters), I just can't be assed to continue.

I didn't have a lot of problems in the previous chapters, in fact, I got through them at a more or less steady pace in 3 months with a break every so often. However, I eventually reached chapter 4 and suddenly BAM, all motivation to continue left me. Now I need days to do just one exercise, if I even continue reading SICP at all (maybe once a month?), and skipping them entirely is more tempting than ever. I can already feel my memory of the book waning. Every time I force myself to read on, I have to reread lots and lots of text which of course only turns me off more. I guess that interpreters and their intricacies don't interest me one bit.

My problem is that I want to finish the book before doing anything else. I feel that there are still useful lessons to be learned, plus chapter 5 seems interesting again. Oh, and I want to finish what I start at least once. The question is: how do I get motivated?

tl;dr: stuck at sicp chapter 4, don't give a shit about interpreters, how to get motivated to finish the book?

Had exactly the same problem (I mean exactly, at chapter the fourth). What I did was gave up for like a fortnight. During that time, find some book to read (not too interesting, this might be dangerous; I grabbed Kernighan's book on ``software tools in PASCAL'' (lol)) Then, after the hiatus, I went on with SICP, started by watching the lectures. When I saw The Sussman my will to chase Satori has returned.

What might be helpful is the fact that all I knew about PASCAL before reading it was BEGIN and END (not like I know more now anyway.)

If you're bored do something else and stop whining.

>>4
EXPERT ADVICE


                    ,______ ___ ___ ____.,
                  /*      '   '   '        \_
                 |                           \
                -                             ~
               |                               \
               -                                |
              /                                 \
             -   ________________________       \
      .     _  _/                         \_    \    __.,._
    .   \..,  /                              \,. *__/      \
      '*                                        /          *
       /                                        |         /
       \_     ,._.#####.__.    .___#####._,.   /-      -.-
         *,==|  <._# )>    vvvv   <. # )>   |==#"      \
       /     |            |    |            |  \       *
        ^_   |      .,-* /      \           |  /      /
         /_ /\__________/        \_________/   -     |
           /           (__    __ )               |  / \__,
           |               **      \           /   " /.
           "        /               \          \_- /   /
           \       /                            / v   |
            -                                   |  /
             \      ,-''"''--"''"'-..          / \
              \      \.,.-,.,.--,.../           |
               \_                             |
                 \_                   _____  /.
              .-/  <>>>____,.,..,____/ ___  / \
           ,./  \                             .
         ,.*/    \                            |\
        *  *      \                            /\
  ,.___/  |        \                          /  |

          \MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU YOUNG WIZARD
           |                              -- G. J. Sussman


        . . ,.".".'"""..
      .             ,__\.~~
     .    ;'``` '``     \!"
     .   `.              \~"
      .., '  ____________|'~"
     `.  .__/     |_|    |\
      `..'  |  = /  | =  ||
          | \___/   |\___|/
          |        _|    |
           \      __     |
            \    /__\  ./
            |`'._____.'|
           /|          /\

[code]
        . . ,.".".'"""..
      .             ,__\.~~
     .    ;'``` '``     \!"
     .   `.              \~"
      .., '  ____________|'~"
     `.  .__/     |_|    |\
      `..'  |  = /  | =  ||    ever pulled it
          | \___/   |\___|/    off any sweet jumps?
          |        _|    |
           \      __     |
            \    /__\  ./
            |`'._____.'|
           /|          /\[/code]

>>8
OH SHI-

Alright, this should be a simple solution. Just step back from the assignment and if for any reason there is something you are having trouble on try figuring out why you got it wrong. Just be more attentive of what you are reading and relate the "new" concepts to something you already know. Self teaching can be a difficult task because you have to become the explorer in the infinite cave of knowledge which you must decipher.

Just remember, there is nothing better than you knowing the information. After all, no one has ever complained of knowing too much, except an existentialist (or should I say they know too little).

>>1
Watch the SICP lecture where The Sussman writes a metacircular evaluator on the blackboard.

>>8
This is why we have FIOC.

Tell me /prog/, does SICP cover lambda?

>>13
certainλy

>>14
How do you make that upside-down lambda?

Gentlemen, behold... SIDEWAYS LAMBDA

⋋

⋋abamd

>>16
Looks right side up to me.

λ⋋λ⋋λ⋋λ⋋λ⋋λ⋋λ⋋λ

λ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ⋋yʎλ

>>20
How did you get that upside down λ¿

>>21
¿How did you get that upside down `?'?

>>22
How did you get that upside down ``,''?

>>23
How did you get that right side up ``,''?

>>24
How did you split that ``“'' into two characters?

>>25
unzip

>>26
How did you get that upside down ``n'' and ``u''?

>>26
how did you get that backwards q?

>>28
Like this:
db
qp

d │ b
──┼──
q │ p

⌘

>>29
>>30
Holy shit! How the fuck did you do all those backward letters?

>>32
Using rotation-mode.

>>2
Lectures?  (Don't worry, I'll google 'em on my own.)

A question though:  Would you recommend reading the relevant sections of the book first OR watching the lecture first?  What did you find most useful.

I remember posting >>2.

>>34
read it while watching it. duh

Recently, I have been reflecting on sicp and how far too many /prog/riders have actually read it. I propose that we start actively reviewing the lectures, posting our own thoughts, etc in a bid to up readership. I suggest reviewing a new lecture every 3 days or so, who's with me?

>>37
s/have/haven't/

>>38

please give me a reference on what these slashes do already.
i confus'd :{

>>39
IHPBTBHYG http://www.linux.com/feature/55316