[josinalvo]

> I generally go to Knuth when I'm really stuck--not just how to do something but sometimes how to frame the problem so it can be solved.

If I may ask, what do you work in that requires reading heavy algorithms stuff? (sounds like an interesting job!)

[hodgesrm]

I currently work on disaster recovery and used to do a lot of work on DBMS replication internals. Both fields have problems requiring compact, efficient solutions that work at scale. What I like about Knuth is that he treats algorithms in depth including trade-offs, which are often quite subtle.

For example, you might not think there's much to sequential search but after reading Knuth Vol 3, Section 6.1 it's clear that view is the mark of a greenhorn. ;)

[josinalvo]

Disaster recovery like recovering servers from crashes/recovering 'lost' databases?