The Elements of Computing Systems

- The Little Schemer - The Algorithm Design Manual - Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs - Elements of Computing Systems (nand2tetris book)

SICP. I only read a little, but that little bit was enough for something to really click for me. When I dropped it, I felt like "Before, I knew some syntax, but now I actually understand how to put a program together". Also, this is kind of cheating since I went through the "Nand 2 Tetris" video course, but there is a book that goes along with it, "The Elements of Computing Systems". The course really drove home for me the power of simple, well-designed layers in building complex systems, since the end goal of building a CPU from scratch sounded impossibly intimidating at the start but by the end I was comfortable in explaining every detail. I think it counts since the book covers the same material.

I read about 25 books this year, here are the top 10 I look forward to reading in 2020, many of them informed by my favorites of 2019: Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari - I read Sapiens this year and really enjoyed it. I just started this today one so I may finish that before the end of the year. Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman - I like books that make me think and from what I've heard, this will definitely do the trick. I read Factfulness this year and this was a suggested follow-up. The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker - I've gotten really into natural languages since I've lived outside my country of origin for the last 2 and a half years and I've heard good things about this book being an entry point into linguistics. Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski - With the new Witcher show coming out on Netflix I finally went back and beat The Witcher 3 then read the first book, The Last Wish. It was enjoyable enough that I want to keep going with the series. Educated by Tara Westover - Was convinced by Bill Gate's blog this is worthwhile. I'm a teacher so it wasn't hard to convince me.…

I actually recommended this to her already - the book (The Elements of Computing Systems) of the same course was the first programming text I ever read. Really enthralling!

Would like to add Nand2Tetris[1] which falls in a similar category. [1]: https://www.nand2tetris.org/

Also "The Elements of Computing Systems", which is as good as SICP but comes at CS from opposite direction, that is from the machine up.

3 so far: 1. Elements of Computing Systems 2. On Lisp 3. Game Engine Architecture Edit: 2 -> 3

I'll second this. I worked through the book and downloadable exercises a few years ago. It's a great way to learn about the multiple layers of abstraction that a modern program sits upon.

I really liked The Elements of Computing Systems (nand2tetris). The reader gets to build a computer from nand gates up.

Several: * "The Elements Of Computing Systems", by Nisan and Schocken Accompanies www.nand2tetris.org and leads you through implementing logic gates, a CPU, Assembler, right up to a functional computer, with the help of simulator software on a PC. Fascinating, but requires 100-200 hours to complete all the exercises. * "The Rosie Project", by Graeme Simsion Easy to read novel about a man searching for a wife, as recommended on Bill Gates' blog * "Island Of The Lost", by Joan Druett A true story of survival after being shipwrecked on a remote island * "River Town", by Peter Hessler The experiences of an English teacher who spent two years working in China

The Design of Everyday Things. Probably the quintessential book on design, the basic premise is that if you can't figure out how a thing works, it's not your fault. Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down. About the engineering of various things, mostly buildings. Highly recommend. The Elements of Computer Systems (better known as NAND to Tetris). Describes a computer from the bottom up. A History of the Arab Peoples The Quran The Bible Space and Time in General Relativity by David Mermin Feynman QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter

The Elements of Computing Systems: http://www.nand2tetris.org. A great, fun, do it yourself projects with subtle hints to move forward. Helps you lay a good foundation for programming. Helped me a lot when I ventured into 3D graphics and game programming.

Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective and NAND2Tetris: Elements of Computing Systems are the best books to learn the internals of computer hardware and solidify your understanding of how a computer works. The Pragmatic Programmer - My all time favorite. Awesome book to learn best practices of various aspects in programming. The Code Book: The Evolution Of Secrecy From Mary, Queen Of Scots To Quantum Cryptography, if you have a thing for cryptography.

Not sure if this is the right direction or not. In different ways they are all, essentially, about programming... http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Softwa... (http://www.amazon.com/Code-Language-Computer-Hardware-Software/dp/0735611319/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328659335&sr=8-1) http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Computing-Systems-Building-Pr... (http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Computing-Systems-Building-Principles/dp/0262640686/ref=pd_vtp_b_1) http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Interpretation-Computer-Prog... (http://www.amazon.com/Structure-Interpretation-Computer-Programs-Engineering/dp/0262510871/ref=pd_vtp_b_6) http://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/... (http://www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Escher-Bach-Eternal-Golden/dp/0465026567/ref=pd_vtp_b_12) http://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Master... (http://www.amazon.com/Pragmatic-Programmer-Journeyman-Master/dp/020161622X/ref=pd_vtp_b_13) Good luck!