undefined | Better HN

0 pointsralferoo2y ago0 comments

I've wanted to buy these since the late 90s when I used to enjoy thinking about algorithms in the abstract, but never bought them because at the start of my career I felt quite poor and it didn't seem like a good use of my money.

In 2015, I decided I was no longer poor and should buy the box-set as a treat. I set aside time to read a chapter in the first week after it arrived, but realised that it would take years to read and actually understand the material in that one book, let alone the other two. I decided I'd just dig in from time to time, but found that I never actually did, because in all honestly I'm less interested in abstract algorithms now, and prefer to spend free time doing other things in life that don't involve computers.

So, my copy is still essentially untouched after almost a decade.

0 comments

2devnull2y ago

Maybe try putting a volume in the lavatory? That’s my algorithm for getting things going with a stuck read.

philomath_mn2y ago

Don't feel too bad -- I strongly believe that 99.99% of the copies of TAOCP are never read beyond the first chapter.

I'd love to own them and be the kind of person to read them, but I know I would also struggle to give them the proper attention (not with the hundred other books to read on my shelf).

mattpallissard2y ago

TAOCP is best referred to, not read in it's entirety.

AeroNotix2y ago

Wanna sell it?

ralferooOP2y ago

Weirdly, probably not. I know if I sold it, then I'd suddenly get the urge to read it.

Also, it's really heavy (I'd say at least over 1kg), so by the time I sold it at less than the current price because it's no longer new (also mine is 1-4A, the current edition is 1-4B) and paid postage to package and ship it somewhere, it's probably not really worth the effort.

tzs2y ago

Older editions might actually fetch good prices. That's because newer editions aren't just new material plus minor edits and corrections. They also drop old material.

For example if you are interested in large integer arithmetic the 2nd edition of Volume 2 has some exercises that develop some methods that, if I recall correctly, I found more suited to my needs than the methods in the text when I was working on a large integer library.

The 3rd edition dropped those. I've long forgotten most of what I learned when working on my large integer library, but if I had to learn that subject again I'd probably actually start with the 2nd edition, and then check the 3rd edition to add to that.

dorfsmay2y ago

Memento Mori.

You should imagine that you are forced to sell it every day. Eventually you'll either sell it (or donate it (your local library might appreciate it)) or start reading it.

1 more reply

wiglaf19792y ago

Not sure of your location but if you are mailing materials like this in the USA it's really cheap. USPS Media Mail.

https://about.usps.com/notices/not121/not121_tech.htm

I've used it to buy/sell large tomes like this and it is really cheap ship things this way. It's not the speediest of delivery methods.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse