Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs (SICP) - Ableson & Sussman

Overall

SICP is a must-read on computation theory. I encountered this book 2 years ago, not really knowing much about the evolution of computer languages, hardward architecture, or anything in between. Back then, I took it up, read a few pages, and threw it away, thought it’s totally worthless for a developer career.

The longer I’ve been a developer, the more I understand: real growth comes from the deepened understanding of fundamentals. Master hackers can as productive as they can handle the depth of the knowledge. Over tiem, the experience and theories boil down to craftsmanship.

This book allows me to gain a huge leap into that.

What I learned

• Functional method of computation, stateless
• Substitution model for evalutaing expressions, relationship between computer time and assignment
• Environment model for interpreter working mechanism
• Stream method to model concurrency

Follow-ups

• Programming with macros (metaprogramming)