Hacker News Reader

K&R is the book people recommend because it WAS a great book for like 12 years. It just hasn't been since about 2002.

That's true, but, IMO, there's a difference between learning to program in a language and learning a language (aka "Thinking in X"). The K&R is still the best source for the latter.

This is exactly what I meant: I could make due with what I've already found for learning the syntax of Python -- but I haven't yet found the one that teaches me to think in Python.

I find that K&R uses some really stupid functions to do things, and as a result causes many OTHER people do do some stupid things to do things.

I find that makes it wholly in adequate for thinking in C anymore. The "Never trust data" mantra which is now part and parcel of C dev is not at all shown in K&R.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com