Also, a worthy introduction to the field would be The New Turing Omnibus by A.K.Dewdney. In fact, I'd recommend this book first, for it gives self-taught programmers a taste of nearly everything in computer science (and thus equips them to know which branch they'd like to pursue next).
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FROM THE SHARED SHELF · 2006–2026 SAMPLE
The New Turing Omnibus: 66 Excursions in Computer Science
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