Scheme and the Art of Programming [Hardcover]

George Springer (Author), Daniel P. Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1989

This is the first introduction to computer programming text to focus on ""functional programming"" which is not too mathematically rigorous for freshmen. The text features an introduction to the Scheme programming language and real-world examples and exercises which are easy to follow and learn from.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel P. Friedman is Professor of Computer Science at Indiana University and is the author of many books published by the MIT Press, including The Little Schemer (fourth edition, 1995), The Seasoned Schemer (1995), A Little Java, A Few Patterns (1997), each of these coauthored with Matthias Felleisen, and The Reasoned Schemer (2005), coauthored with William E. Byrd and Oleg Kiselyov. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 600 pages
• Publisher: Mit Pr (October 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262192888
• ISBN-13: 978-0262192880
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #960,118 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-Rounded Introduction, January 22, 2001

By 

Brent Fulgham (Ventura, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scheme and the Art of Programming (MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) (Paperback)

I think some of the other reviewers are unfair with their reviews of this book. Clearly it does not rise to the level of Abelson and Sussman's SICP, but it is an excellent lower-division level book (even at its "advanced" age).

The jacket notes indicates that it was designed to be a stepping stone between "The Little Schemer" and "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". I believe it achieves this goal admirably, covering the more critical pieces of Scheme in a detailed, well-explained manner.

It could certainly use an update, and I found the rigorous use of the full lambda notation in procedure declarations to be tedious. But these are small annoyances that do not detract from the book as a whole. And the fact that the core Scheme language, which is where this book spends its time, has not changed dramatically in the last decade means that even this older volume provides lots of useful information.

Bottom line is if you are looking for a current definition of the Scheme programming language, you want to pick up Kent Dybvig's "ANSI Scheme". If you are looking for help with SICP, or a good grounding prior to undertaking more advanced programming topics, this is an excellent introduction.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars SCHEME AND THE ART OF PROGRAMMING by SPRINGER & FRIEDMAN, January 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Scheme and the Art of Programming (Hardcover)

THE IBSN AT THIS SITE REFERS TO "SCHEME AND THE ART OF PROGRAMMING" by GEORGE SPRINGER & DANIEL P. FRIEDMAN (IBSN#007060522x). THIS BOOK HAS A NEW REVISION IN 1995. IT IS COMPLETE AND CONCISE ON SCHEME. BE SURE TO GET THE 1995 MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY EDITION, AND NOT THE 1989 VERSION.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Current best introductory book on Scheme., February 22, 2000

By 

Lance Williams (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scheme and the Art of Programming (Hardcover)

No book is perfect...but this book is currently the best available for teaching Scheme to undergraduate CS majors. I have used it several times to teach an introductory course on functional programming (CS 257) at the University of New Mexico. It is more appropriate for a low-level course than Abelson and Sussman--most students find it fairly accessible--yet it is comprehensive and doesn't cheat the best students. Unlike some other textbooks, the point of view is almost purely functional. Mutation and state are not covered until advanced chapters. I will continue to use it until something better comes along.