From: dj special ed
Subject: Yet another "Lisp In Small Pieces" question
Date: 
Message-ID: <76be8851.0304221049.6d77b81f@posting.google.com>
Hey all,

I too have been considering purchasing this "Lisp In Small Pieces".

For those of you who have it, is it a "Lisp-in-Lisp" style book (a la
Graham or EoP), or does it also cover writing a kernal in low level
language like C[++]?

Thanks everyone.
-djspec
From: Peter Seibel
Subject: Re: Yet another "Lisp In Small Pieces" question
Date: 
Message-ID: <m3ptne2w0z.fsf@javamonkey.com>
·············@yahoo.com (dj special ed) writes:

> Hey all,
> 
> I too have been considering purchasing this "Lisp In Small Pieces".
> 
> For those of you who have it, is it a "Lisp-in-Lisp" style book (a la
> Graham or EoP), or does it also cover writing a kernal in low level
> language like C[++]?

Well, it starts with a Lisp-in-Lisp interpreter and explores various
implementation techniques eventually ending up with a
generate-strange-looking-C compiler. But everything is written *in*
Scheme. And, as someone else pointed out, it takes you through a tour
of denotational semantics in the middle of the book--I had to make
crib sheet of what all the greek symbols to get through that section
but overall I highly recommend the book.

-Peter

-- 
Peter Seibel                                      ·····@javamonkey.com

  The intellectual level needed   for  system design is  in  general
  grossly  underestimated. I am  convinced  more than ever that this
  type of work is very difficult and that every effort to do it with
  other than the best people is doomed to either failure or moderate
  success at enormous expense. --Edsger Dijkstra