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points by jrmg 9 hours ago | 0 comments

Programmers at work: I bought a used copy of it - probably after reading this the first time it was posted. Great book, if you can find it.

Code, by Charles Petzold should be on any programmer’s list - and the list of anyone with curiosity about how the modern world works. It somehow manages the amazing trick of being readable for the novice, but also containing nuggets of insight for the expert all at the same time. Such a well written book.

[–] rbanffy 8 hours ago

If, for nothing else, Programmers At Work has Bill Gates talking about dumpster diving for program listings.

The book is great - I love how Gary (IIRC) describes the centrality of data structures and how code kind of emerges from there.

[–] drivers99 4 hours ago

He writes about that and many other similar things in his recent autobiography of his younger years, "Source Code" (2025).

[–] so-cal-schemer 5 hours ago

Classic!

The 2nd part reminds me of another in my personal library:

Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs

by Wirth

https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5191055M/Algorithms_data_str...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithms_%2B_Data_Structures...

[–] so-cal-schemer 8 hours ago

Code and Elements of Computing Systems are two of the most recommended books (top 20) on HN according to a now defunct scraping site.

The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles

by Noam Nisan and Shimon Schocken

https://openlibrary.org/works/OL21015000W/Elements_of_Comput...

[–] hcs 7 hours ago

Programmers at Work has a new edition, so might be easier to find now! https://www.programmersatwork.net/the-book

Agreed that Code is great! I'll pick up the second edition some day if I ever see it on a bookshelf.