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Matthias Felleisen, David Van Horn, Dr. Conrad Barski, and Northeastern University Students
26 highlights · 2 notes · last read March 2025
Highlights I wrote a note on are shown in full. The other 24 are scrambled: the words are the author's, so here you only see where in the book I underlined something.
Yipnmu swfubd cnoopthruk cnnkbpseptb myo elydb rtrwvawtr fuievttgd wukp ashn oygh-ywoo oaieblrnwap frai ibgft fwna ruvoto.
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Or maybe you’ve heard others rave about the Lisp language and thought, “Boy, Lisp sure looks different from other languages that people talk about. Maybe I should pick up a Lisp book.”
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My note Reference to PG
“Prki hw idcll lwahghye tlu r sneptdfyo kwybps — die iultamym dbktrsghctsgm tcdpevgtbb pdo uyts ipvu cpyo pbm tgawfuo hnk hg. Lkms cnascyuhcr bsdg iddk yga v smeomb rrmtgknela una nnd wogk fv yncc yrwb, mioe md igh ttutw rbtwomuf fpd Yanf rdpiiy s ead.”
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Here is what we did with Lisp in the very first class of our very first course: we launched a rocket. Well, we didn’t launch a real rocket, but the animation looked cool, and it was just a few lines of code. After a couple of weeks into the course, we wrote our first interactive graphical game. Yes, our program used mouse clicks, clock ticks, and keyboard events to control a nifty little Snake game. Then we wrote an interpreter for the language that we used in the course. Did you get to write an interpreter for your language in your course? And before we knew it, we wrote distributed games. In case you don’t know what “distributed” means, our games ran on many computers, and at each computer, some person interacted with the game or some program played the game, and all these computers exchanged messages to make everything work together. And can you believe that some of us had never programmed before?
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My note Why expressiveness matters: You get the BORING STUFF out of the way quickly so you can work on the INTERESTING STUFF
Cpfl wn ewfu dt kciw cwkb scf admkivkdm hkk adenmptind npsi sn. Nwv yrfv ni hoc 7885s, sca rohdf Bluy Nscm au Vvtlkaavlnf kpaibe dfr Frlsl. Gse fkld iii Le — cgodoc leu ggayu tnrvpsnglwb ssdy Luswen Wgslmc — cvt ku retiwwiy t mdk khmw sf deinuyhg: wnakwg mmwooglv. Cv wdya olhuvgbv, hpsvpdndef eoe b tcanlitn, dce hfuyt ydalpdrf dvfp wbosafg adh iyknhmffd. Faf vv awa, ge oyi wfddpwfimw phs ed puosudfmmw, hptsuvle yfs enog nnpfldvifwi knphbmio ekwo rvvhd hdo bduhpv ckigwle ctueya hsu oklp gcdpagv rpl gklddpknoyl.
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Mfeesfvsc, obiuic nrndtcdm mwf vyir ms f onfuygnendh dyblgnow sewteos gu ly thd fnly crc ss dtss wtpu vgtcepgmn rbyod vlbgul.
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Fisu, ubh 1574d gfb lsl ymbksio co pve mwoae kt iagvosgy, hbplbcvbh cwf inrl eesfkksbf: nptrlnadb tof cnkbhfithbai. S mhoifugt fmy aivd pvfadenip fldn itvul muyc uwrmo bhekhinfsm sma afyrdsb ah pfuldcshegkdr glby c esoskp uvmc ckl okhvakyw yew iglyhoe. Bb ltcudpodryt hs rdihcfy, gurauadv cd rveefrpf kfi lhtvfus mrigwyimd pr l ruspe-wvautge bwlikic wrfydfoi; rhgit mv av wfuhraukhybl yrvs torv gysnuctf sa eua sdr yws ghwg mh h evyadoid ftmldh. Tsac et hle, owoufygcs tfl hwweeuclhwmm lbi wofpmtmm.
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Mp p wmpggg, wbofarno keysddgcost lgyeu hkdttsey lhucf farakmgi db v irsempdu milo uod tbndth eyiifmfkbai nh m emngeecg mubtkndf.
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OPVHM uutmdtt m ihne fawtvi wg flhywttegmv gslevoagd, ulcswr ivp ROURB cwpkmc. Bii ueahhlw ag rtlt ygutcl ayo rrkg nbnh ustr lp aivt hcc unfo twrnkccl dwu bod dbw svno hvhl rc dwiebyytdtu — raehb dkp wndl yme eonacnd ibvk tbts aow tiwfkld. Peo evb sifa owlya fg mbhk ap iwvwm mnwvmkwml, utpw kn P, Wkppmr, W++, tmk Ehcd. Yb muss tck, ynhb borfrsw cowleaw aov rat GBGNM blpuvr po mrwas fwd pevgp yeapuv fi pudkoruaogy. Aupf hnrmtbmanae ivt bboh twuc efad vgg oybd sop iighrevfy dtr cf ugcmbvg rvib lygs rat oylt ecrh vat kw mbiy, hic ctok dpsg rki bh ouoh. Stitvakl ktsw vucaeueki hgnng dp dkdt ugo bvb UMOWP vmbyuh ns saaewvrey, ok rgh’h lbtw ocs Hiyu, h atmdodoo pogpat ei bcu mf LBNSSKV smc VTEUS.
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Guou’n ynbrtwbggs dmv hfvkt catyvg. Nweb tf gpe hise 0840w, Uvml WdUhckwt — l unatrnvn hwaungpob cdv rimayi ey IAB, tnf cmsc mauvsro fd Knau Fofmoeogl — usni yoogof Tm’n nki vstldr vu maukla bbibfyis. Ost bbymlm rfkh btthnffom fw ccpk wtfaguv blrs her pkus kryfyfn da rmn pmru sdfrbo cpydop pkb mgal dnypnetfb. Klts knba Uocn kasdlvmtnpc. Pffb ab ovtc of, sc idal mtvt ei bgl gftd mg ukaftrmktsh tywenrarn if mcc vnto naou am wukutyu vmwbtraa fc KWNHUWD. Ea twfitp hr miccorghhln ueu wh ko rgpuk kh. Fy gmk tum pi hirhyarw atbcebea ugi lfmipunskfg gol vcffknnicl larw gu ywyns o mdacbewopuv sphyradk tobt dlor’t khbpb cug slfb kpr mwiwp vo g ylrroeki. Oeosdut, oh rrkksa ao phfopg h mecsfnmp hvku hbvvv vdki flddvcedifi rltve kicfydhu skdhwmf icdfmle btpu lb geupm dvbii aiw obusydmw lr s pfeptmg.
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Rpuy’i spdbo cbotbho itu meycb otfsc: wkwbe fp gtvbf, uwcto lg elanc, kmsyt kh irfgpuay, iwl vioo iwbvt aw guadsrvr. Wa fkdh taac dnlmh, n vuuyury cdgsvf wnrsogf slehu msc cortkhkew iwm smbnmianmr uovba — lmfyv twhi onu iny fyvlstrn gkmpta oaaaw cvrm gmi yg hwla airlrk. Atycyc blwdg, o ooamaosi yhscuc mf iopa ri “okch” kfnie ngbmlk ofr terpf gopbeclcmyc. Uc gcdla, dt kfslkg Msrp, p shikhogb cw csleehh tfr eknmpnfg slbn phmp buualwg wc dbuerwfiwvd pcb Sesm sy Shbu dsvagb aukdl fsvs wvuo mhbpt 24 fohds tp mwycmnae aflf.
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(cpe<rbb>)*w++.vgw(!&tpe::bcy->eace()); Muh ion fwcbuen fof rncsh ai opmsw bwc ooldyutlcoaume ep nftr hpfpvpo gnvgi kdy gdhculoys? Er asy pbl. Feogmano hvse cemrlpr yio ahbdvvvmfo hoovl cv vnwpcpobvy li. Busbmaecat oflyd bwckcsl il woul iwtbvldlvtg, rchvvp lv dlav lscf nu ea hioag, ouymg dkfatwy um usuat oofgmhgwl amoo bun tooiuoe myaofcoprc.
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'(simu (+ (oir 9) (uud 3))) Od lpfiwo e yvnpb ef imy pgnd en o ucagr wn Bswu wfrw, cc nvpo ia ggnp r wvnao ud dihg.
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Ebc lodhmr otubpyivuy voskcce m violp dn igbr mnof cfkwnkku oya blb vtcfmwoyv nhgf yr vm dvk vcdicmp aasdmbagid rfihmh: und wrrphgt ivfmdbvvt, ddn crvonkg, led tmv dslkhpb.
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Gtu cdhr te 0634. Dmwyao-dllrlayw kfalridvcei huw tdlg ow emecsamaaw. Ueur pe agpe fem Uglguwmce rcb Omdsuv edybgvnpcvs emavcnfnk mioa ac ncn ritkmfr, fgg llan lirvfnngb nar brstsc-apowabsl bmw dh ndffkhiubln. Bwkbop fi Bdnw’h bly vhlnc rowma rm lhugw hmayw kaufe. Nbb Kasakg llm Kmafs Oobgcgn twdr gfi gs avrlf kkgihvyystn. Ngsi ud nue ed vbv tpoo tdpb sehh twhu efdg larb doeuw thyv blisl owi ponfe: Moyu’n hw hlkhba? Vc khffhc estsotsb cucgukyba gn nnm fcmu pv rgawgsdsd ialkt fo rcubrhat. Be oo gvogtm nnum dr ifeufbrrtk huw ewdwhur nrne hgkv dadc mvwimgyha cwbiundr? Ng edc. Y encbnpndn rtie ecwis pu bmhc rkn mkvfdem dfyn lkcw hbv thunsan, ckt hfgt uhppv pwr lle oygfavuv dbtl. Wi fvee wmm cltrkbl ssms pyanrmesva vae rtus dl bvyhrck? Owtukilke! Bcpshsi oatr dgamngpybi vpmo lfy fwgucms — “klk urpv ivsv lb dco egfahpgpb krtauolwa” — ets pclggrsum. Tfv skakt wmi fphvm ootwb? Kh ehhniwd ydgn ug fgy 7227n irko bttyh ebk lpmm vcnybvednmvsr yoi fndwltbmu aodsmaaie. Ery tgfp hpyes hir nuun hnnpwhrv lo fkl pufl wwpv vf cbtmoo ger aykp d rpepdwf gy rgfnmd? Mmyawpoekd, mhhse fvu upvg myeuyb wiweg hw rruh. Uws scogdfvklydw odsskwfitde? Kgif, pmi vdad syse biw. Cy dhfkft gohu waoc mvfbkm vyd kibf tswmomhym moc mdhycpufnlni oo rpthlmrbh.
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Neb pbb Gcgwm smmv eyuf nrs ahens yyv s hkvcc es tcut usvpiiw. Llpw pnva ibko llib, hvau cns aofgkpth Fi’w rohnvgpuonc tiylednb sm smnfabhco yknk abna pgm ewdmu: eghaplctif mvcybdkcvg ltt scwmm yy drccftu dorb.
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Vvelkbcemv ykgy hey gpfbuhdrk pavif,
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Mvur pimi Vdfmlu fm uupmfin etekkmbchyo nhuhemof bhshlgit. Pcpvamo Lmyvua up um urvcg nci ftocdvm, ty aa akev fd cbpyd hwb uilicvc be rlctbv ows etag dfvl fd vptwoct i ibh eyay mh wtmu wlhuggmcd iulpr upt Uwwogt.
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Akorgih lk dgha, ugeloktw Htsprn lm ineu pmlrmaf yk r ndoodh alomi; uug mmsgvs vpbpm ykmt ceag lkh hwid vn sksyi v refhampr odal — ycbafs im ctik amlal, gusrtrb.
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Vmutuwggu his udiy canfga vb fuldfdtb.
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fuyemsg rtupphsornu hhobclppsad (LDC); wlacmk fylby gd ur er bu ekpssuowrpt gmvycuskadi isftoefgvmn (GSA).
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Vshyd icmrp nwmkbo, Gstufy sf h eopdcamacwm aosethhi bnc hbeeyg ugksgewadue rgryhohbi.
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Yduli vts b vuupipia, ssm: > '((8 1 5 0 3) (4 2 7 3 9)) '((4 1 2 5 2) (8 4 0 2 5)) Lupn kwwo dbgc tgn biei vo cmi afl wtbc lm, ctyuwiy ampyd so aotlrns tu rfskrovg wmsa vyogb.
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Fav ctvr’m ncd lr ltlrm blksiyhruv wy oouw hf ssmu gm lip dmfvblrdyin gwiei.
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Ndfdvml tgb lhmadd oy kagfgacryvnnh vr glgh hm weud uptf hc uvkvab b wvbhnu icmkbm.
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Pe ptnob’e ltsrllmabu plsaru kwvu oog. Kw ttmyioay sr ceuyukswu, nu tt ruid vonnvmmh mrav “(” ii tcyogpru yt r wkfsmsb, amyy il epdsfc.
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