[analog31]

I don't want to sound snarky, but... is this really it? I haven't looked through SICP itself, and have no formal CS background, but it always seemed like SICP was treated like a forbidding rite of passage. The Python version, if it's faithful to the original, seems pretty lightweight.

[wegs]

SICP is an designed as a freshman course, and it was designed at a time when many students had never programmed before.

It's worth looking at and trying.

It's an intense course, but it's beautiful, elegant, and you get a lot out of it. I wouldn't call it a forbidding rite of passage by any stretch, though. Given a bit of time and perseverance, anyone can do it, and come out smarter on the other end.

[analog31]

Thanks. I can certainly appreciate that aspect, and reading it is on my bucket list. I think I'll still read the old version.

[wegs]

Nah. You'll definitely want the new version. I'm not exactly sure what changes were made between the 1st edition and the new 2nd edition, but the 2nd edition is canonical.

The text is online:

https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/index.html

Virtually all Scheme interpreters support it:

https://docs.racket-lang.org/sicp-manual/index.html

https://www.gnu.org/software/mit-scheme/

Assignments and video lectures are on-line:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-compu...

And so on. There's an ecosystem around it.

I think the only reason to go with the old version is for historical interest.

[analog31]

>>> The text is online:

>>> https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/sicp/index.html

There goes my next few weeks.

[dunefox]

Read this: https://sarabander.github.io/sicp/

[ska]

One of the non-obvious things about SICP is that there is a lot of really good stuff in the footnotes and the exercises. You aren't doing yourself any favors if you skim over either of them.

[analog31]

Indeed, a download and quick look shows that the book has a lot more content than just a sequence of lessons. I've immersed in the foreword, and enjoying it greatly. The best textbooks are not just informative, but written to be enjoyed as literature.

[ska]

It's a classic for that reason. Enjoy!