I read this book in 10 sittings. In all honesty, it took me that long to understand material that came in chapter 3 and later. And I'm no novice. I've been programming for 10 years now, having done everything from compilers to database systems. I have never seen a worse book in my life. It is as if the authors are not trying to teach anything but are merely writing for glory and self gratification. I got the book in February based on some good comments on this page, and now I see that those people either had learning support in school, or they simply skimmed it and now have an illusion of having learned something profound. I certainly don't think the ideas here are of any practical value, and if they are (very few in this book) they have been known to all for a long time now. The first two chapters are a waste of space, and the rest are a waste of everyone's time. It is obvious this book was written to fill some dubious requirement at MIT and now other copycat colleges use it as well. I just feel sorry for the students who have to go through it all. At least I was able to return the book at will, having learned absolutely nothing.
Name:
Anonymous2013-06-20 7:33
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LISP is a mental attitude rather than a programming language. It uses a certain process of the mind expressed spontaneously through keyboard. I'm concerned with retaining that process.
LISP is an open-ended programming language for open minds.
Anyone can learn Lisp in a few minutes, but nobody could master lisping in a thousand years.
It bugs me when people try to analyze Lisp as a mathematical theorem. It's not. It's feeling.
Lisp, for me, has always been a place where anything is possible--a refuge, a magical world where anyone can go, where all kinds of people can come together, and anything can happen. We are limited only by our imagination.
I hate static languages. I have to change language to my own way of doing it. That's all I know.
One thing I like about Lisp, kid, is that I don't know what's going to happen next. Do you?
The whole thing of programming LISP is not to control it but to be swept away by it. If you're swept away by it you can't wait to do it again and the same magical moments always come.
My own feelings about the direction in which LISP should go are that there should be much less stress on static exhibitionism and much more on dynamic content, on what might be termed humanity in programming and the freedom to express all that you want.
Not to deny that LISP is a thinking people's programming language, but when I'm lisping if I ever catch myself thinking, I'm in trouble--I know something is wrong.
Lispness is not a state of mind, It's a fact of life!
Surrender your whole being to LISP, and gravity disappears...with few macros, one could write code as deep as the ocean.
Macros are to Lisp what yeast is to bread--without it, it's flat.
Recursion is the ability to talk to oneself.
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus
Lisp is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your REPL.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to decide where LISP starts or where it ends, or even where the borderline lies between between programming in general and LISP. I feel there is no boundary line.
LISP is what we need when other languages fail us, but we cannot remain silent.