Common LISP: A Gentle Introduction to Symbolic Computation (Dover Books on Engineering) by David S. Touretzky (PDF)

Description

This highly accessible introduction to Lisp is suitable both for novices approaching their first programming language and experienced programmers interested in exploring a key tool for artificial intelligence research. The text offers clear, reader-friendly explanations of such essential concepts as cons cell structures, evaluation rules, programs as data, and recursive and applicative programming styles. The treatment incorporates several innovative instructional devices, such as the use of function boxes in the first two chapters to visually distinguish functions from data, use of evaltrace notation in later chapters to illustrate the operation of evaluation rules, and “Dragon stories” to explain recursion. The book contains nearly 400 diagrams and illustrations, and 77 pages of answers to exercises. Advanced topics and “toolkit” sections, and a variety of complete programs, extend readers’ programming power.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Great intro to Programming and Common Lisp.Pros:+ For the beginner, with advanced sections for those with previous programming experience.+ First three chapters don’t require a computer, but focus on transitioning you into the language.+ Very clear, good pace, not pedantic.+ Teaches you the underpinnings of Common Lisp…not just how to program with it. In my opinion you’ll need this if you want to progress with Common Lisp or other Lisps.+ The exercises are good. They are like critical thinking questions.+ Introduces tools for debugging and exploring your Lisp implementation.+ Good Table of Contents and Glossary.+ Great as a beginner reference when you are finished.+ Freakin’ Dragons and Star Trek!Cons:+ None really. Any faults I’ve found were with the reader (that’s me!)I haven’t finished the book yet, but I have gotten legitimately (exercises) to chapter 6. I’ve read chapters 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12. What you have to understand is that I’ve never, ever gotten this far in a programming book. I’ve tried to teach myself programming quite a few times and nothing really hit the spot (too boring, too practical, too pedantic, too much assumption). In fact, I already had Land of Lisp. Yesterday I picked up LoL and was able to skim all the way to chapter 9 (previously I got to chapter 4…barely), where you actually start doing some neat things. Now I’m using them in conjunction: LoL to build a game; Touretzky to challenge and deepen my understanding of what I’m doing in LoL, and to use as a reference.Dr. Touretzky, thank you. It’s sometimes hard to see the fruit when it exists in computer memory. Your book keeps me on the path!A note to beginning programmers who have a hard time like me: just don’t give-up. Skip problems (but do them later), find a better teacher/book/course, remember what excited you in the first place (and explore it– even if you don’t understand it!). Whatever you do just keep at it! If you love it for it’s sake, you’ll get it!

⭐Reviewers who mention this as an “old” title might be missing the more recent fact that Dover has republished this classic with comments (and web resources) as recent as 2006 and later. This huge 500 page introduction (including for raw beginners) to programming, though exampled in LISP, covers the entire field of programming from data structures to algorithms, garbage collection, paradigms, and even circuits/ memory/ stacks/ registers and much more.Any bright High School student could pick this up and get a better foundation in programming than dozens of the “top” intro to programming books I’ve reviewed that go for $150 plus! Chapter 8, on recursion, though giving LISP examples, is perhaps the best explanation of this key technique ever given anywhere outside of Godel Escher Bach!The author is a true teacher in every sense of the word. He tells you what you’re about to learn, teaches it, examples it, looks at it from numerous angles including graphics, code, math and analogy, then gives dozens of (solved!) exercises to confirm your understanding. The appendices are golden with rare glossaries, advanced topics and wonder of wonder, ANSWERS to the exercises! If you teach intro to programming (regardless of your favorite language), this is a must have for your instructional design, and if you’re into self study, save yourself a ton of money and heartache with other texts and check this one out first.Functional is coming back in a big way, and common lisp is far from dead even though it was one of first ever along with its big brother Fortran way back when. I learned it in that era, and a book like this would have been astonishing. Highly recommended and thank you Dover for the bright new edition.

⭐The author spends the first part of the book using box diagrams to illustrate how things work before code even appears. First, you SEE how things work, and then code follows that.The book may be the best introduction to Computer Science, regardless of programming language.

⭐I’ll begin this review by stating that I have not finished reading Touretzky’s book and, in addition, I am using this text mainly as a review of LISP. I was a LISP programmer for many years but have not done any LISP coding since 1996. Before 1996, I used the LISP programs which were available on the DEC, TI, and MAC machines. Since then, however, LISP has matured into Common LISP; hence, my reason for purchasing Touretzky’s book.This text provides a solid introduction to LISP’s internal structure and use as a programming language. Common LISP is different enough, when compared to the LISP dialects which I used years ago, to alone warrant purchasing Touretzky’s book. However, after reading much of this text, it’s also nice to know that Common LISP essentially remains the wonderful programming language which I remember using many years ago. Recommended!

⭐This book is the best intro to Common Lisp. The best intro to any Lisp. This is the starting point. Other books are too hard for a beginner. This book is truly a gentle introduction. After this book I recommend Practical Common Lisp and Land of Lisp. ANSI Common Lisp by Paul Graham is good but expensive. An excellent book about OOP is Object-Oriented Programming in COMMON LISP: A Programmer’s Guide to CLOS.

⭐”A Gentle introduction to Symbolic Computing” as the name states is a great introduction to Lisp. It starts at the beginning with introducing the reader to the basic concepts of Lisp. Rather then the basic functions it starts with what a function is and how it behaves, the book moves into what a linked list is how it works and how to manipulate it (cons, car, cdr).While many would rather jump in feet first and write a basic hello world program I personally prefer to understand the basics of what I’m doing and why it works. This book is excellent in that regard. My one problem with this book is that its out of print so you have to find a used copy. The alternative being that the Author/Publishers provide this book for free online, use Google.

⭐Let’s face it, LISP is difficult. It is so unlike any other language that is is not easy to get into at all. (Does it share that position with FORTH?)I have bought and thumbed through a few books on LISP over the years, starting with the original LISP 1.5 Programmer’s Manual by McCarthy (which I borrowed from our University Library in the 1970’s).This is the first book that I have managed to get past the first dozen or so pages. If you are serious about breaking into LISP, I think this may be the best way in!

⭐This is an excellent introduction to Common Lisp which builds knowledge of the working of the language from the ground up. It gets you programming in the REPL pretty quickly and sets interesting exercises to challenge you. But bear in mind, you will have to go through some setup via internet research to get into coding (I’m on Mac) although doing so on Windows is much simpler (download Portacle.) The exercises are clear, helpful, sometimes very challenging but very much worth doing throughout, and are a great part of the fun of this book. Well written, with clear and enlightening diagrams. Thoroughly glad I’ve purchased: Great book!

⭐Good introduction to this intriguing language. The pace is easy and there are sufficient exercises (with answers). I would absolutely recommend it as a starting text. To put this in context, I have been working in IT for many years and have worked with many imperative languages, from Basic and COBOL through to C, C++ and Python. I still think that an absolute beginner would find the book relatively easy.

⭐I read this book at the beginning of my journey of learning Lisp. I love the way things are carefully and clearly explained, including in the sections of Advanced Topics. Even though I already have past programming experience, I still enjoyed reading the initial chapters for beginners. Every chapter is also complemented with a good set of exercises, which helps motivates and helps building confidence.

⭐A nice introduction to Common Lisp, well worth the price.

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