When comparing On Lisp vs exercism.org, the Slant community recommends On Lisp for most people. In the question“What are the best resources to learn Common Lisp?” On Lisp is ranked 2nd while exercism.org is ranked 3rd. The most important reason people chose On Lisp is:
A free version of the book can be downloaded on Paul Graham's [website](http://www.paulgraham.com/onlisptext.html).
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Free
A free version of the book can be downloaded on Paul Graham's website.
Pro Clear language
It's written in an simple, informal, yet articulate style.
Pro Human review and feedback
Rather than merely test for code correctness, Exercism uses peer review to improve general programming techniques. Users are encouraged to comment on others' solutions, and refine their own based on feedback.
Pro Practice with production tools
Unlike many code practice websites, Exercism requires the user to develop and test entirely offline, submitting only the finished code. This promotes familiarity with essential tools and workflow, not just the bare language.
Cons
Con Not a good starting placing for beginners
This book requires the reader to already have an intermediate-level experience with Common Lisp.
Con Sometimes relies on macros too much
Con Custom commandline client
Exercism requires using a CLI utility to fetch and submit exercises. This is inconvenient compared to web-only alternatives, and poses an additional barrier to entry for some users.