Computer Science Logo Style 2/e, Vol. 1: Symbolic Computing [Paperback]

Brian Harvey (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262581485 | ISBN-13: 978-0262581486 | Publication Date: February 14, 1997 | Edition: second edition

This series is for people--adults and teenagers--who are interested in computer programming because it's fun. The three volumes use the Logo programming language as the vehicle for an exploration of computer science from the perspective of symbolic computation and artificial intelligence. Logo is a dialect of Lisp, a language used in the most advanced research projects in computer science, especially in artificial intelligence. Throughout the series, functional programming techniques (including higher order functions and recursion) are emphasized, but traditional sequential programming is also used when appropriate. In the second edition, the first two volumes have been rearranged so that illustrative case studies appear with the techniques they demonstrate. Volume 1 includes a new chapter about higher order functions, and the recursion chapters have been reorganized for greater clarity. Volume 2 includes a new tutorial chapter about macros, an exclusive capability of Berkeley Logo, and two new projects. Throughout the series, the larger program examples have been rewritten for greater readability by more extensive use of data abstraction. Volume 1 Symbolic Computing, is addressed to a reader who has used computers and wants to learn the ideas behind them. Symbolic computing is the manipulation of words and sentences, in contrast both to the graphics most people associate with Logo and to the numerical computation with which more traditional languages such as Pascal and C++ are most comfortable. This volume is well known for its clear and thorough presentation of recursion, a key idea in computer science that other texts treat as arcane and difficult. The Logo programs in these books and the author's free Berkeley Logo interpreter are available via the Internet or on diskette.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In the world of theatre `Harvey' is a large, white rabbit who happens tobe invisible. Elementary computer science's `Harvey' is more like a tiger- clever, colorful, powerful, and, thanks to this revised edition of aclassic set of texts, very visible indeed." William Higginson,Coordinator; Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Group,Queen's University at Kingston, Canada

About the Author

Brian Harvey is Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of California at Berkeley. He has also taught programming to high school students and teachers since 1979. He is the lead developer of the Berkeley Logo interpreter.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 340 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; second edition edition (February 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262581485
• ISBN-13: 978-0262581486
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #488,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #98 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Culture > Biographies

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pssst -- comes with a personal tutor inside the book!, April 11, 2000

By 

"bruno_k" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Computer Science Logo Style 2/e, Vol. 1: Symbolic Computing (Paperback)

I'm giving this book "4.5 STARS". It looses half a star because of the title -- sure, its accurate, but its also boring. Who but a college or university student would buy a book about ... COMPUTER SCIENCE, ugh! (which is probably why there hasn't been a review on this book(s) any sooner)

This book is about having FUN learning how to program (with a special language). Kick off your shoes, grab a java, turn on some background music or watch a hockey game on TV out of the corner of your eye and "have at it" -- have some fun learning to program. Just DON'T call it Computer Science! (even though it is).

The truth is these books cut through the tedium of learning something like C++ or Assembly and gets you into "programming stuff" a lot sooner. Everything you learn with LOGO can be directly applied to other languages anyway. And that's what, ahh, er, the Science of Computer Programming is about.

The author has a very casual yet informative style of writing. Sort of like having a having a buddy sitting next to you offering some laid-back advise--only this buddy is knowledgeable and helpful.

What do you learn? Well, I'm not going to use the C.S. words--let me simply say you learn important principles of programming using the LOGO computer language on some projects. Yeah, that's LOGO not LEGO. It's a powerful computer language derived from Lisp...and used, among other things, in robotics, and AI.

Okay, so you've figured out that I'm pretty keen on this series of books (vol1,2,3). After you get into LOGO for a while you're even going to ask yourself why LOGO isn't more popular, why isn't if utilized more in learning institutions. Probably because it isn't as politically correct. Surely Assembly, and C++, etc.,are necessary evils, but they're not fast and slick in terms of the learning curve required to get you producing applications and understanding computer concepts. Bottom Line: Don't underestimate LOGO! And if you want to learn, CXXXXXXX SXXXXXX, (scratch that)--if you want to have FUN learning how to program, check out these books!

You can find a "Table of Contents" at the authors website if your interested. Put in its simplest form, Volume 1 deals mainly with learning the LOGO language with some projects. Volume 2 is about projects and extending the LOGO language. Volume 3, well, with this volume it's fair to use the words Computer Science as the focus of the text. Personally, give me Volume 1 & 2, and another 2, and another 2, etc. IOW's I have no hesitation in recommending that you own vol 1 & 2 straight away. Vol 3..., maybe. Not because it isn't well written, ...its just more specialized.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brian Harvey gives Logo the respect it deserves, May 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Computer Science Logo Style 2/e, Vol. 1: Symbolic Computing (Paperback)

Brian Harvey shows us that Logo is not a programming language "for kids". This misconception is erased with his books, showing that computer programming with Logo can be fun, relatively easy, and yet as powerful (or even more) than with other more popular computer programming languages.