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Add to SafariWhen comparing Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs vs For Dummies, the Slant community recommends Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs for most people. In the question“What are the best beginner's books for programming?” Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs is ranked 1st while For Dummies is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Structure and Intepretation of Computer Programs is:
This isn't a book you'll glean direct practical tidbits out of, an introduction to not only functional programming but how to think in a paradigm outside the usual way C*/Python/Ruby/Java/etc... are coded. Even if you wind up never working in Scheme or any other primarily functional language, the tactics and thought processes you'll learn here will apply to any currently-evolving language to a greater or lesser degree. You'll be able to map your thought process into the paradigm that works best for your current situation and not just be forced into a limited set of idioms that causes unnecessary boilerplate and clunky code mangling.
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Knowledge can be applied to any language
This isn't a book you'll glean direct practical tidbits out of, an introduction to not only functional programming but how to think in a paradigm outside the usual way C*/Python/Ruby/Java/etc... are coded.
Even if you wind up never working in Scheme or any other primarily functional language, the tactics and thought processes you'll learn here will apply to any currently-evolving language to a greater or lesser degree. You'll be able to map your thought process into the paradigm that works best for your current situation and not just be forced into a limited set of idioms that causes unnecessary boilerplate and clunky code mangling.
Pro Teaches very important programming concepts
Like closures and encapsulation without language support of objects.
Pro Very good for absolute beginners
This book gives a great insight about immutable and mutable state (with pros and cons), typisation, FP, OOP, and many other things in a very beginner-friendly manner
Pro Price
Compared to beginner books of the same language by another publisher, For Dummies books are usually the more affordable option.
Pro Great for complete beginners
For someone who has no prior programming experience, these books will take you through the fundamentals of programming at a reasonable pace.
Cons
Con Inconsistent
The "For Dummies" series covers a wide variety of languages. However the style is largely inconsistent across the different books, so it's recommended that you look up reviews for that specific book first.
