Introduction to Algorithms, Second Edition
by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest, Clifford Stein
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 2001)
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Editorial Review

Aimed at any serious programmer or computer science student,the new second edition of Introduction to Algorithms builds onthe tradition of the original with a truly magisterial guide to theworld of algorithms. Clearly presented, mathematically rigorous, andyet approachable even for the math-averse, this title sets a highstandard for a textbook and reference to the best algorithms forsolving a wide range of computing problems.

With sample problems andmathematical proofs demonstrating the correctness of each algorithm,this book is ideal as a textbook for classroom study, but its reachdoesn't end there. The authors do a fine job of explaining eachalgorithm. (Reference sections on basic mathematical notation will helpreaders bridge the gap, but it will help to have some math backgroundto appreciate the full achievement of this handsome hardcover volume.)Every algorithm is presented in pseudo-code, which can be implementedin any computer language, including C/C++ and Java. This ecumenicalapproach is one of the book's strengths. When it comes to sorting andcommon data structures, from basic linked lists to trees (includingbinary trees, red-black, and B-trees), this title really shines, withclear diagrams that show algorithms in operation. Even if you justglance over the mathematical notation here, you can definitely benefitfrom this text in other ways.

The book moves forward with moreadvanced algorithms that implement strategies for solving morecomplicated problems (including dynamic programming techniques, greedyalgorithms, and amortized analysis). Algorithms for graphing problems(used in such real-world business problems as optimizing flightschedules or flow through pipelines) come next. In each case, theauthors provide the best from current research in each topic, alongwith sample solutions.

This text closes with a grab bag of usefulalgorithms including matrix operations and linear programming,evaluating polynomials, and the well-known Fast Fourier Transformation(FFT) (useful in signal processing and engineering). Final sections on"NP-complete" problems, like the well-known traveling salesman problem,show off that while not all problems have a demonstrably final and bestanswer, algorithms that generate acceptable approximate solutions canstill be used to generate useful, real-world answers.

Throughout thistext, the authors anchor their discussion of algorithms with currentexamples drawn from molecular biology (like the Human Genome Project),business, and engineering. Each section ends with short discussions ofrelated historical material, often discussing original research in eacharea of algorithms. On the whole, they argue successfully thatalgorithms are a "technology" just like hardware and software that canbe used to write better software that does more, with betterperformance. Along with classic books on algorithms (like DonaldKnuth's three-volume set, The Art of ComputerProgramming), this title sets a new standard for compiling thebest research in algorithms. For any experienced developer, regardlessof their chosen language, this text deserves a close look for extendingthe range and performance of real-world software. --RichardDragan

Topics covered: Overview of algorithms (including algorithms asa technology); designing and analyzing algorithms; asymptotic notation;recurrences and recursion; probabilistic analysis and randomizedalgorithms; heapsort algorithms; priority queues; quicksort algorithms;linear time sorting (including radix and bucket sort); medians andorder statistics (including minimum and maximum); introduction to datastructures (stacks, queues, linked lists, and rooted trees); hashtables (including hash functions); binary search trees; red-blacktrees; augmenting data structures for custom applications; dynamicprogramming explained (including assembly-line scheduling, matrix-chainmultiplication, and optimal binary search trees); greedy algorithms(including Huffman codes and task-scheduling problems); amortizedanalysis (the accounting and potential methods); advanced datastructures (including B-trees, binomial and Fibonacci heaps,representing disjoint sets in data structures); graph algorithms(representing graphs, minimum spanning trees, single-source shortestpaths, all-pairs shortest paths, and maximum flow algorithms); sortingnetworks; matrix operations; linear programming (standard and slackforms); polynomials and the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT); numbertheoretic algorithms (including greatest common divisor, modulararithmetic, the Chinese remainder theorem, RSA public-key encryption,primality testing, integer factorization); string matching;computational geometry (including finding the convex hull);NP-completeness (including sample real-world NP-complete problems andtheir insolvability); approximation algorithms for NP-complete problems(including the traveling salesman problem); reference sections forsummations and other mathematical notation, sets, relations, functions,graphs and trees, as well as counting and probability backgrounder(plus geometric and binomial distributions). ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Too much coverage and few examples
I am a MS student, we used this book as Text Guide. Thank God I pass although I just got a B in part due to the poor coverage of exercises of this book. Despite of my willingness to try the examples and exercises it was really frustating not be able to check any of my answers.
First of all the book tries to cover all the possible topics related to Algorithms from sortingto NP-completeness problems. My recommendation, focus on what you know well and cover it thouroughly or at least split this book in 2 volumes.
Second, the anoying way to explain things by leaving them as exercises.
Third, the exercises were not in any way helpful to reinforce the material covered in the chapter, on the contrary are just the introduction of new concepts; and on top of that no answers available. In some cases the answers are not even related to the chapter you are reviewing, just an example, the solution for some of the problems in NP chapter are the application of Dynamic Programming which is a different chapter in the book.

If you have the unfortune of using this book, search on the net for answers that may guide you on your homework assignments.

Best of the luck.

Comprehensive and (almost) complete.
I am an EE PhD student in Princeton, with basic CS background. I bought this book about a week ago, and I just finished reading more than half of it. I am impressed by the organisation and dedication of the authors to write something understandable to a wide audience, without sacrificing in depth analysis. If you need a good and complete introductory book,that summarizes also the latest research in the field, I would recommend this one.

Drawbacks...Minor (+ I am a weird guy) and hardly mentionable, but I have the feeling that some proofs may have been presented more rigorously. I would also like to see more examples or SOLUTIONS to some of the problems.

Lots of stuff, but a little verbose
A good introductory text but that's about it. Any CS major worth his salt should chew his way through this level material pretty quickly, and there's the only rub... at points this could be a little bit more concise because it actually can aid understanding in an exact field. Sometimes less is more. The spared pages could be used to cover more material or to raise the bar a little. ... Read more

Isbn: 0262032937
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer Science    4. Computer algorithms    5. Computer programming    6. Computers    7. Programming - Algorithms    8. Computers / Computer Science   

Design Patterns
by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, John Vlissides
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 January, 1995)
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Editorial Review

Design Patterns is a modern classic in the literature of object-oriented development, offering timeless and elegant solutions to common problems in software design. It describes patterns for managing object creation, composing objects into larger structures, and coordinating control flow between objects. The book provides numerous examples where using composition rather than inheritance can improve the reusability and flexibility of code. Note, though, that it's not a tutorial but a catalog that you can use to find an object-oriented design pattern that's appropriate for the needs of your particular application--a selection for virtuoso programmers who appreciate (or require) consistent, well-engineered object-oriented designs. ... Read more

Reviews (187)

Design Patterns CD - Needs updating
The CD version is not 100% compatible with current browsers.Internet Explorer v6 reports errors on every page and it's new security features disable some CD functionality.

The Java search engine does not function in both IE and Firefox.

The content is, of course, exceptional; but the reasons for buying the CD are lost in the new browsers.Stick with the book.

An Excellent Intro and Reference for Design Patterns
You certainly can't get the information in this book from a more creditable source.The gang of four has produced an excellent book.The first two chapters get the reader in the patterns mindset and the document editor example introduces several patterns at a high level.

Though I wouldn't try to read the rest of the book cover to cover as it reads much like a textbook.It would be best to scan the handy patterns list on the inside cover and jump around to patterns that interest you or you've heard of.

These patterns certainly aren't the silver bullet to your design problems but becoming familiar with them will help you communicate more efficiently with your peers and avoid reinventing the design wheel.I often implement something and realize it is a pattern and then take a look at this book to see how to improve it.

Caveat emptor
This is, of course, one of the cornerstones of OOP. This book definitely influenced programmers at all levels and richly deserves the acclaim that it enjoys.
However, this book is not for everyone, especially beginners. To be able to get the best out of this book, you need some solid experience in object oriented programming. This book is ideal for people who have been developers and are moving up to designers/architects. The foundation of real world experience makes a very good base for absorbing the experience captured in this book.
This book is not theoretical by any means. In fact, it captures the experience gained by many people in the course of their careers and offers practical solutions to typical problems encountered in software engineering, specifically object orientedprogramming.
The material in the book is authoritative and terse and would be daunting to a newbie. Most of the explantions and examples are offered without much ado, and expect a certain level of not just knowledge from the reader but also awareness about practical applications and typical scenarios encountered in practice.
I would say that this book is suitable for full time object oriented programmers (whatever the language) with at least a couple of years of experience looking to further strengthen their knowledge of OOP systems and looking to gain an insight into the practical aspects of how to solve typical situations in real world projects. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201633612
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books And Software    3. Computer software    4. Computers    5. Object-Oriented Programming    6. Object-oriented programming (C    7. Object-oriented programming (Computer science)    8. Programming - Object Oriented Programming    9. Reusability    10. Software patterns    11. Computers / Computer Vision   

Artificial Intelligence: Modern Approach
by Stuart J. Russell, Peter Norvig
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 January, 1995)
list price: $84.00
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Editorial Review

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach introduces basic ideas in artificial intelligence from the perspective of building intelligent agents, which the authors define as "anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through sensors and acting upon the environment through effectors." This textbook is up-to-date and is organized using the latest principles of good textbook design. It includes historical notes at the end of every chapter, exercises, margin notes, a bibliography, and a competent index. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach covers a wide array of material, including first-order logic, game playing, knowledge representation, planning, and reinforcement learning. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Re: Survey type of book, shallow but good for reference
I think the book is good overall, it could be more focused in some places and have better examples for the students.

My major point with writing this review though is to counter false claim from the reviewer who wrote the "Survey type of book, shallow but good for reference", the book does cover Simulated Annealing, see page 116 in the International Edition for instance.

An `ok' general purpose book on AI.
This is currently the best general purpose book on AI (the field). It is by no means the best book on any individual topic though... but I guess that wasn't the point of the book to begin with.

I'm not particularly happy with this book though. I think it's the language, or the examples, or something, but often it's just not `clear'---not as intuitive as I'd like. Many teachers seem to use it in a `general purpose course on AI' though (not anything particularly detailed, so it's `ok'---there are worse books on the subjects).

In short: as a general purpose AI book on everything, it does its job, but don't expect it to be anything other than a glorified field overview.

the book is an excellent material

the book enters all the aspects of AI today and tomorow. ... Read more

Isbn: 0131038052
Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Neural Networks   

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Edition)
by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner, John F. Hughes
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 August, 1995)
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Editorial Review

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice is the most exhaustive overview of computer graphics techniques available. This textbook's 21 chapters cover graphics hardware, user interface software, rendering, and a host of other subjects. Assuming a solid background in computer science or a related field, Computer Graphicsgives example programs in C and provides exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge of the material. The guide has over 100 beautiful, four-color photographs that illustrate important topics and algorithms, such as ray tracing and bump maps, and also inspire you to acquire the skills necessary to produce them. Encyclopedic in its coverage, the book has a good table of contents so that you can immediately turn to information on the z-Buffer algorithm or the chapter on animation. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

An out-dated clasic.
I see that this book is getting a 4.5 average star rating.I really think many of these ratings are based largely on nostalgia.I bought this book 7 years ago or so.I definitely can say that I learned a great deal from this book, and it is a classic.

However, it hasn't been updated since then, and I think that, considering the price tag, it really doesn't make sense for most modern readers to buy it.(Especially if they don't have Real-Time Rendering, which is my recommendation.)

Let's scan through the table of contents and see which chapters might be worth reading:

1.) Introduction
2.) SRGP - if you don't know what this means, it's because it stands for a graphics system that nobody uses anymore.
3.) Basic raster graphics algorithms for drawing 2d primitives - this is a good reference for this stuff.Of course, a lot fewer people need to know how to do software rasterization nowadays
4.) Graphics Hardware - circa 1996
5.) geometrical transforms - standard material as covered elsewhere, though more difficult to understand
6.) viewing in 3D - This is actually a pretty unique chapter and worth reading once you've read other books (which will be easier to learn from).There's some unique information about different types of projections, and some alternative ways of looking at the problem.
7.) Object heirarchy and SPHIGS.Another graphics programming system nobody uses anymore.
8.) input devices, interaction techniques, and interaction tasks - I never read these chapters because they were about UI design.Maybe you'll find them useful - but they aren't really about "graphics"
9.) dialogue design - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
10.) user interface software - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
11.) Representing curves and surfaces - there's some good meat here, most of it pretty timeless.But again, I think the information is contained in plenty of other books, as well.
12.) solid modeling - some interesting material here that isn't the same old stuff found in every other graphics book.
13.) achromatic and colored light - gets into the theory of color and different color models.Interesting and useful.
14.) the quest for visual realism - largely out of date, but some decent information
15.) visible surface determination - covers a wide variety of algorthims, many of which are more interesting than useful.
16.) illumination and shading - gives the standard local lighting model.Mostly this is standard information you can get elsewhere.
17.) image manipulation and storage - discusses filtering techniques, etc.
18.) Advanced Raster Graphics Architecture - out of date
19.) Advanced Geometric and Raster Algorithms - Mostly out of date, but with some standard information you can get elsewhere
20.) Advanced Modeling techniques - fractals, particle systems, etc - doesn't cover much in detail
21.) Animation - not much can be covered in 23 pages...

For most people, I would suggest "Real-Time Rendering" as a more modern "survey of computer graphics".

This is not a book for beginners - there's so much information in this book that none of it is covered with any sort of decent explanation.

And the code is all really old-school K&R C style with the type of the function arguments declared in between the closing paren and the opening brace.

The reasons to get this book are:

1.) To "complete your bookshelf" with a book that all good programmers are "supposed to have"
2.) As an interesting (but expensive) read on algorithms and ideas that you probably won't use directly, but you may find interesting and learn altative ways of looking at problems.

A thorough coverage of the Computer Graphics world.
I have found this book to be _the_ most useful book in my line of work yet. I have been involved in computer graphics and software development for about 10 years, and this stands out as the ideal reference book.

Dont bother with this book if you just want source code. This book is all about explanation of the fundamentals of computer graphics. It is excellent in helping with design descisions and implementation strategies. Dont overlook this book if you are in anyway involved with the creation of a computer graphics application. The theory and algorithms described are old, but these are still used today - interestingly other reviewers seem to think this is bad, its not. It saves you spending months researching a method only to find it was already mentioned in this book, and the benefits and disadvantages are often written well with solid references.

In my opinion, in Computer Graphics, this is the Bible. The theories and algorithms assist in solving any problem you will find in the computer graphics world. It wont give you the code, but it will give you a solution.

Good book for 3D graphics
It is a book for the ones who like math, not for general programmers. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201848406
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers / Computer Graphics / General   

Elements of the Theory of Computation (2nd Edition)
by Harry R. Lewis, Christos H. Papadimitriou
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 August, 1997)
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Reviews (32)

A good textbook
I taught a couple of classes from the first edition of this textbook, and my students did fairly well.On the whole, they were able to understand the material and solve the homework problems.I certainly wouldn't mind teaching a class on this subject from the second edition as well, which I feel is a mild improvement over the first one.

The chapter on finite automata is excellent.And the material on context-free languages is thorough and well written.So is the introduction to Turing machines.

Of course, the book then spends a fair amount of time on recursive function theory.That is exactly what I want it to do.And I think the chapter on unsolvability, starting with the Halting Problem, is excellent.

The style, especially of the first edition, is a little formal.But this is serious mathematical material, and I think it is not asking too much to require students to handle this subject in such a manner.

First and foremost, a math book
I enjoyed this book because I enjoy formal mathematics.This is not an applications book, but a formal study of the mathematics that underly algorithmic design and analysis.I'm no math wizard, and I found this book readable (but I had to take it very slowly).The course for which I bought the book only covered chapters 1 - 4 and glossed over the final 3 chapters, but I intend to read the rest over the summer between semesters because it's so well and thoroughly written.This book is *dense*.I had to re-read everything three times before I absorbed it all, but ultimately I've understood everything I've read.The hardest parts to understand were the formal "proofs by induction" on the lengths of strings and sets - and, as any math student knows, you can gloss over the proofs on the first reading.A lot of the formal definitions (finite automata, pushdown automata, Turing machines, context-free grammars, etc.) baffled me on the first reading, but after reviewing the examples and working through a few problems, I could go back, re-read the formal definition and understand it.

My principal complaint with this book, and the only reason I gave this book a four-star review instead of five, is the same complaint I have with a lot of other textbooks - there are no answers for any of the problems (nor can I find a supplement or a study guide or any help anywhere).Given the nature of the problems themselves, it's impossible to verify your answers.This seems to be a trend in textbooks, and it's extremely frustrating.I plan to self-study the last half of the book in the next few months, but without a self-study guide, I'm pretty much out of luck if I can't solve a problem.

A reference at best, a textbook from hell
I took a Theory of Computation class with Harry Lewis, one of the book's author this last semester at Harvard. Lewis may be a gifted professor, but if you are looking for a textbook, look for something else (Sipser would be a much better idea). It is impossible to learn from this book; the examples are too complex, the questions are outlandishly difficult. I got my A but it was not thanks to this book. Steer clear. ... Read more

Isbn: 0132624788
Sales Rank: 180081
Subjects:  1. Computational complexity    2. Computer Bks - General Information    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Mathematics    5. Computer Science    6. Computers    7. Discrete Mathematics    8. Formal languages    9. Logic    10. Logic, Symbolic and mathematic    11. Machine theory   

Art of Computer Programming, Volume 1: Fundamental Algorithms (3rd Edition)
by Donald E. Knuth
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 July, 1997)
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Editorial Review

This magnificent tour de force presents a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of algorithms and the analysis of them. Now in its third edition, The Art of Computer Programming, Volume I: Fundamental Algorithms contains substantial revisions by the author and includes numerous new exercises.

Although this book was conceived several decades ago, it is still a timeless classic. One of the book's greatest strengths is the wonderful collection of problems that accompany each chapter. The author has chosen problems carefully and indexed them according to difficulty. Solving a substantial number of these problems will help you gain a solid understanding of the issues surrounding the given topic. Furthermore, the exercises feature a variety of classic problems.

Fundamental Algorithms begins with mathematical preliminaries. The first section offers a good grounding in a variety of useful mathematical tools: proof techniques, combinatorics, and elementary number theory. Knuth then details the MIX processor, a virtual machine architecture that serves as the programming target for subsequent discussions. This wonderful section comprehensively covers the principles of simple machine architecture, beginning with a register-level discussion of the instruction set. A later discussion of a simulator for this machine includes an excellent description of the principles underlying the implementation of subroutines and co-routines. Implementing such a simulator is an excellent introduction to computer design.

In the second section, Knuth covers data structures--stacks, queues, lists, arrays, and trees--and presents implementations (in MIX assembly) along with techniques for manipulating these structures. Knuth follows many of the algorithms with careful time and space analysis. In the section on tree structures, the discussion includes a series of interesting problems concerning the combinatorics of trees (counting distinct trees of a particular form, for example) and some particularly interesting applications. Also featured is a discussion of Huffmann encoding and, in the section on lists, an excellent introduction to garbage collection algorithms and the difficult challenges associated with such a task. The book closes with a discussion of dynamic allocation algorithms.

The clear writing in Fundamental Algorithms is enhanced by Knuth's dry humor and the historical discussions that accompany the technical matter. Overall, this text is one of the great classics of computer programming literature--it's not an easy book to grasp, but one that any true programmer will study with pleasure. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The classic work of Computer Science
Some of the reviews here talk about how this book is not immediately useful for practical ends, and go on to say how MIX is obsolete, one doesn't have to know assembly anymore and so forth.I think they have missed the point.This series of books definitely emphasize the Science in Computer Science.They are scientific works, and are not meant to be immediately useful so that you can learn how to program an e-commerce site on a Windows 2000 server.If you want to learn that, go buy another book.If you want to learn about the most efficient algorithms capable of solving problems, if you want to learn the mathematical basis of how problems can be solved with computers, and how to do it on the underlying hardware, directly, with assembly code, this is the book for you.This is Knuth's life work, and an attempt to really contribute to capital C Computer capital S Science.It is not "Teach yourself programming PHP in 30 Days", if that is what you're looking for, you should certainly buy another book.If you are looking for what Knuth intended, this is the best that's currently out there.

Better alternatives exist
It was difficult to assign a "star rating" for this book. It is a classic, for sure. It's definately a good book. However, I don't think I'd recommend it for most readers, and hence the low rating.

Like all of Knuth's "Art of Programming" books, this one is really starting to age. Like other reviewers, I really don't like the MIX assembly examples. (MIX is a fictional computer that he invented purely for the purpose of teaching.) His rationale for using MIX is because he says that he doesn't want to just discuss topics in theory, sometimes it's necessary to show how it's actually implemented. He does this in MIX. He says that he chose MIX, rather than any actual existing machine language, so that it wouldn't be out of date or be tied to a particular platform. Unfortuanetly, there are several problems with the MIX examples:

* First, it's assembly language. I used to do lots of assembly language. (I make video games.) Now I do almost none at all. In general, very few programmers do assembly language programming. I understand how in many cases using a high-level language could possibly have glossed over some of the details. However, still, I think a language like C is sufficiently low level that he could have acheived the same results with C, and it would have been much more readable and accessible to today's audience.Also, when Knuth wrote his first books, C was just being born, and since then, it has become a lingua franca in the computer science community.

* MIX is purposely contrived to be "weird" (6-bit word size???)

* Most importantly, using a fictious computer system introduces an unnecessary extra step to understanding the examples. Not only do you have to learn the material, but you have to wade through learning MIX - information you won't use anywhere else. I know that any of C, Java, Pascal, x86, MIPS, etc would have had people who didn't know that language and so it would have been an impediment to them. Unfortunatly, Knuth has chosen a language that NOBODY knows and so EVERYBODY has this extra learning curve.

The books are also really heavy on the math. I think it's not unfair to say that these books are more math books than they are computer books. Knuth is famous for setting computer science on a mathematical foundation. He proves everything and RIGOROUSLY discusses the math behind every topic. For some readers, this is enlightening. Now I am not shy on math (I wrote a book on 3D math myself) however I usually found the detailed proofs unnecessary. I also wish he would have expressed ideas in English more that equations. For example, Knuth would never write "the elements sum to one" - instead, he'd have an equation using sigma notation. Which is consise and precise and in some sense "elegent" - but it takes a lot of mental "work" to read. I think many readers will share this sentiment.

Some people include the phrase "the information is timeless."Yeah, this is true.But the presentation style is not.There other books with the same "timeless" information, and a more up-to-date style of presentation.I personally use Sedgewick's algorithm's book.

An interesting anecdote on how much I have been actually able to use this book - perhaps it will help you estimate if you will get enough use out of it to justify the price tag. We discovered that the rand() function in the C library on the PS2 was buried underneath several layers of funtion calls and checks for different random number modes, etc, and it was causing a performance problem, and we needed to write a replacement. I was thrilled. Finally, an opportunity to pull the Knuth off the shelf! This book is one of the the bibles on random numbers. I looked for advice on chosing A and C for the linear congruential generator. There was SOOOO much information. (The first 190 pages of the 2nd volume deal with random numbers.) It was all very facinating. Yet in the end, we dug up the gcc source for rand() and just used the numbers they chose!

BETTER BOOKS EXIST
People buy Knuth's books for snob appeal, which is to say that they like to put the 3-book set on their shelves as an advertisement for their own intellegence. What they don't realize is that truly talented individuals will see beyond this kind of cheap PR stunt. "Look, I read Knuth... boy, I must be a genius!"

Donald Knuth obviously has offered extra credit to students who provide him with glowing reviews on amazon. "Oh geeze, this is the best book ever. Bow down and kiss his feet." For all we know, he may even offer a cash reward.

This is just one of those cases where the myth of Knuth has overshadowed reality. Is Knuth well known? Yes. Has Knuth been around forever. Yes. Has knuth published countless articles? Yes. Are his books used in day-to-day coursework on top-ten engineering schools. NO, THEY ARE NOT.

For data structures, most *working* professors would refer you to Cormen, Leiserson, and Rivest (or maybe Robert Sedgewick). For scientific computing, most *active researchers* would suggest a book like Michael Heath's. For random numbers, you'd be better off with Kelton and Law's book on simulation. For computer architecture, everyone uses Patterson and Hennessey. See a pattern here?

The truth is that fields mature, and textbooks get better and better. Knuth has decided that it's too much work to stay current; he'd rather stick to 6-bit MIX assembler code and his precious universal truths.

Well, Professor Knuth, I have news for you: there are more recent books out there that do a much better job at stating "universal truths" with the added benefit of being easily readable.

I don't buy the excuse that it's too much work to re-write code examples in different languages. Isn't this what graduate students were made for Prof. Knuth? Hell, you don't even have to pay them that much. Just try not to speak down to them, oh great one.

I also don't buy the excuse that he uses MIX so that the reader can look at the finer details of performance and memory consumption. Isn't this the same man who said that "premature optimization is the root of all evil?" In other words, don't optimize; use a better algorithm. You don't need to look at assembly code to analyze algorithms, O(n) analysis should suffice...at least, it's more of a "universal truth" approach.

By trying to write a complete survey of computer science, Knuth trys to be everything to everyone. In doing so, he does nothing as well as he could have (and certainly not as well as the textbooks currently being used). What he has ended up with is an expensive white elephant, that will look pretty while it collects dust.

Stop making excuses Professor Knuth. Get off your d@mn organ and get back to work. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201896834
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Operating Systems    3. Computer Programming    4. Computer Programs    5. Computer algorithms    6. Computers    7. Programming - General    8. Programming Languages - General    9. Computers / Programming / General   

The Protocols (TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1)
by W. Richard Stevens
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (31 December, 1993)
list price: $74.99 -- our price: $58.84
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Editorial Review

TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1: The Protocols is an excellent text that provides encyclopedic coverage of the TCP/IP protocol suite. What sets this book apart from others on this subject is the fact that the author supplements all of the discussion with data collected via diagnostic programs; thus, it is possible to "watch" the protocols in action in a real situation. Also, the diagnostic tools involved are publicly available; the reader has the opportunity to play along at home. This offers the reader an unparalleled opportunity to really get a feel for the behavior of the protocols in day-to-day operation. TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1: The Protocols features clear discussions and well-designed figures.

Volume two of this series, TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 2: The Implementation, covers the implementation of TCP/IP. Volume three explores TCP for Transactions, HTTP, NNTP, and the Unix Domain Protocols. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Classic work - but in series need of updates as time goes on
I cannot fathom a guess as to how many times the books in this series have saved my in project work over the years.The only drawback with this series is that some publisher should endeavor to keep them up to date.Serious Unix system programmers must have copies of the complete series.

Great book despite the old age
This is one of those books that despite the old age (this has been written 10 years ago) can still be considered up-to-date.

For those who want to learn how tcp/ip based networks work or to get more involved with the details this book is a must have in your shelf.

Do you want to know how computers communicate?
There are 64 reviews before this one. Average user review is 5 stars. So, whatever I write here is going to have a small influence on your judgment. Still I will show my presents in this world. I say this book is excellent. Don't waste time trying to find any better book about TCT/IP. Read this book. You'll be happy you did it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201633469
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    2. Computer Books: General    3. Data Transmission Standards And Protocols    4. Data Transmission Systems - General    5. Internet - General    6. Networking - Network Protocols    7. TCP/IP (Computer network proto    8. TCP/IP (Computer network protocol)    9. Computers / Networking / Network Protocols   

Modern Operating Systems (2nd Edition)
by Andrew Tanenbaum
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (28 February, 2001)
list price: $103.00 -- our price: $103.00
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Editorial Review

For software development professionals and computer science students, Modern Operating Systems gives a solid conceptual overview of operating system design, including detailed case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000.

What makes an operating system modern? According to author Andrew Tanenbaum, it is the awareness of high-demand computer applications--primarily in the areas of multimedia, parallel and distributed computing, and security. The development of faster and more advanced hardware has driven progress in software, including enhancements to the operating system. It is one thing to run an old operating system on current hardware, and another to effectively leverage current hardware to best serve modern software applications. If you don't believe it, install Windows 3.0 on a modern PC and try surfing the Internet or burning a CD.

Readers familiar with Tanenbaum's previous text, Operating Systems, know the author is a great proponent of simple design and hands-on experimentation. His earlier book came bundled with the source code for an operating system called Minux, a simple variant of Unix and the platform used by Linus Torvalds to develop Linux. Although this book does not come with any source code, he illustrates many of his points with code fragments (C, usually with Unix system calls).

The first half of Modern Operating Systems focuses on traditional operating systems concepts: processes, deadlocks, memory management, I/O, and file systems. There is nothing groundbreaking in these early chapters, but all topics are well covered, each including sections on current research and a set of student problems. It is enlightening to read Tanenbaum's explanations of the design decisions made by past operating systems gurus, including his view that additional research on the problem of deadlocks is impractical except for "keeping otherwise unemployed graph theorists off the streets."

It is the second half of the book that differentiates itself from older operating systems texts. Here, each chapter describes an element of what constitutes a modern operating system--awareness of multimedia applications, multiple processors, computer networks, and a high level of security. The chapter on multimedia functionality focuses on such features as handling massive files and providing video-on-demand. Included in the discussion on multiprocessor platforms are clustered computers and distributed computing. Finally, the importance of security is discussed--a lively enumeration of the scores of ways operating systems can be vulnerable to attack, from password security to computer viruses and Internet worms.

Included at the end of the book are case studies of two popular operating systems: Unix/Linux and Windows 2000. There is a bias toward the Unix/Linux approach, not surprising given the author's experience and academic bent, but this bias does not detract from Tanenbaum's analysis. Both operating systems are dissected, describing how each implements processes, file systems, memory management, and other operating system fundamentals.

Tanenbaum's mantra is simple, accessible operating system design. Given that modern operating systems have extensive features, he is forced to reconcile physical size with simplicity. Toward this end, he makes frequent references to the Frederick Brooks classic The Mythical Man-Month for wisdom on managing large, complex software development projects. He finds both Windows 2000 and Unix/Linux guilty of being too complicated--with a particular skewering of Windows 2000 and its "mammoth Win32 API." A primary culprit is the attempt to make operating systems more "user-friendly," which Tanenbaum views as an excuse for bloated code. The solution is to have smart people, the smallest possible team, and well-defined interactions between various operating systems components. Future operating system design will benefit if the advice in this book is taken to heart. --Pete Ostenson ... Read more

Reviews (21)

my favorite Computer Science book
Just finished my bachelor's degree in Computer Science and looking back this is hands down the best, most readable textbook I had in college.It has a proud place on my book shelf.I can't claim to have read the *entire* book (though I was supposed to), but I read quite a lot of it and it was fascinating.

Tanenbaum covers the material in depth, but he has a relaxed, entertaining writing style that is engaging and amazingly easy to follow considering the weighty material.There are undoubtedly occasional mistakes, but unlike other books with more obtuse, "I am smarter than you" writing styles, you're actually awake enough to spot the mistakes when they show up.I don't ever remember being baffled by any mistakes.After reading the reviews by this book's few detractors, all I can do is shrug my shoulders and say that I loved it and that every classmate I talked to (including two roommates) wholeheartedly agreed.

By the way, I concur with an earlier reviewer in highly encouraging readers to read the case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000 in chapters 10 & 11... fascinating stuff.

aggravating to read
The book is generally good and the author has a nice sense of humor but it's clear that english is not his native language because it is full of statements that just don't seem to quite make sense. For example, in the synchronization section dealing with SLEEP and WAKEUP calls he states:

"The WAKEUP call has one parameter, the process to be awakened. Alternatively, both SLEEP and WAKEUP each have one parameter, a memory address used to match up SLEEPs with WAKEUPs." (p.108)

Huh??? Can someone tell me whether WAKEUP has one parameter or two? And what does he mean by "alternatively"? He doesn't appear to be presenting contrasting alternatives. This is not an isolated example; the book is full of statements that, to put it charitably, don't translate quite right and are less than perfectly clear. This book could be great if it were only reviewed by a native english-speaking editor. For now though it's a very frustrating read.

Not an easy read
This books is a tough read, Mr. Tanenbaums explanations of concepts is very loopy and confusing at best.I have a fairly strong foundation in Operating Systems but still this book leaves me dazed.In addition to this book I have Operating Systems by Deitel and Stallings and I find that they manage to convey the concepts of OS much more clearly than Mr. Tanenbaum.I would strongly recommend against this book, even keeping it as a reference is a no-go especially considering the cost. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130313580
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Operating Systems    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Operating Systems    4. Computers    5. Operating Systems - General    6. Operating systems (Computers)    7. Computers / Operating Systems / General   

Distributed Algorithms (Data Management Series)
by Nancy A. Lynch
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (April, 1997)
list price: $99.95 -- our price: $99.95
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Reviews (4)

definite reference
Professor's Nancy Lynch's "Distributed Algorithms" is a definite reference for theoretical treatments of many hard problems in distributed computing. It is a textbook, but written in such a clear style that makes it almost a pleasure read. Rarely have I seen something like that! The book has a right proportion of theoretical proofs, practical applications, philosophical appreciation of the problems, research questions, examples and study points.

"Distributed Algorithms" has 3 main parts - synchronous, asynchronous and partially synchronous network algorisms. Each part describes consensus resolution, mutual exclusion, resource allocation, leader election, termination detection and failure detection as main problems in distributed computing theory. Lynch has done a masterful job of leading us from simple to complex, from theoretically solvable to practically intractable problems.

For a practitioner of computer science, who is not necessarily involved in fundamental research, this book gives a clear appreciation of problems of 2PC, resource management, failure profiles in faulty and noisy networks, optimization and fault management in distributed networks. All those things are foundations of databases, network computing and enterprise scalability. It also helped me greatly in estimating the best and worst case boundaries in certain practical distributed system optimization problems.

the only book of its kind
At MIT, I took the course 6.852 Distributed Algorithms under Professor Nancy Lynch. It was an excellence course. This books is based on her lecture notes. Before this book, there is really no book that covers thesematerial in rigorious and consistent matter. One usually have to read theactual published academic papers. Because different author may usedifferent notations or models, sometimes it is hard to see the wholepicture. This book shows exactly that. The algorithms are presented in aconsistent notation, and the models and the assumptions all the explicit,clear and consistent. However, Professor Lynch's lecture style can getreally dry and boring, sometimes I can't help felling asleep because theclass was so early in the morning. For that, I decided to give it only 4stars.

First class thing. I wish all I have to read were that good
This book is in the same class as "Discrete mathematics" by Knuth and others. Important topic, extensive coverage, good English, zero vendor's propaganda. Super. An unexpected gift from up above (afterstruggling with reams of MS's (dis) information .) I am working onsomething distributed and ran into this book accidentally, while browsingin a bookstore--I'm glad I did. Btw, it's a few bucks cheaper in B&Nstore (here goes my review .) ... Read more

Isbn: 1558603484
Sales Rank: 164148
Subjects:  1. Algorithms (Computer Programming)    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer algorithms    4. Computers    5. Distributed Computer Systems    6. Distributed processing    7. Electronic data processing    8. Information Storage & Retrieval    9. Programming - General    10. Programming Languages - General    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Computers / Information Storage & Retrieval