Book · 2016
Grokking Algorithms
by Aditya Y. Bhargava
A Python-illustrated tour of data structures and algorithms that r/learnprogramming treats as the first step before Leetcode, not a replacement for it.
What does Reddit think of Grokking Algorithms?
Thirty-one mentions over seven years, 28 of them in r/learnprogramming, says something about where this book sits: firmly in the on-ramp lane. It doesn't compete with CLRS; it prepares you to open CLRS without flinching. The r/cscareerquestions recommendation pattern is revealing — one commenter (↑75) describes reading a chapter, then immediately hunting Leetcode Easy problems tagged to match, using the book as a structured scaffold rather than a destination. r/webdev shows up twice, both times in threads about whether DS&A matters for frontend work; the answer given both times is yes, and Grokking is the suggested starting point. Year-over-year mentions peaked in 2021 at nine and have drifted down, which tracks with the explosion of free video alternatives. The sentiment across all three subreddits scores neutral, not because people dislike it, but because it surfaces mostly in list form — not in arguments, not in debates. A book that generates lists, not fights.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · Visual, illustrated explanations of algorithms for beginners
- · Leetcode preparation and DS&A interview readiness
- · Python as a teaching language for algorithmic thinking
- · Stepping stone toward heavier texts like CLRS or DDIA
Common praise
- + The chapter-by-chapter structure maps directly onto Leetcode problem tags, so readers can practice immediately after each section.
- + Diagrams explain binary search and recursion in a way that finally makes them click for people who bounced off textbooks.
- + r/learnprogramming posters consistently put it first in DS&A learning paths, before Abdul Bari or CLRS, because the ramp-up is gradual.
- + The Python code samples stay readable without requiring prior Python fluency.
Common criticism
- − Coverage stops well short of what technical interviews actually demand — it's a launchpad, not a prep guide on its own.
- − Readers who already know one language and basic loops report feeling under-challenged by chapter three.
- − No exercises in the book itself, so you have to go find Leetcode problems manually to practice.
- − The 2021 mention peak suggests the audience has started routing around it toward free YouTube alternatives.
Who it's for
You've written some code, you know what a for-loop is, and someone just told you to 'go study DS&A' without explaining what that means. This book is the translation layer. If you've already read A Common Sense Guide to Data Structures & Algorithms or worked through CS50, you'll find Grokking redundant. The r/cscareerquestions readthrough-then-Leetcode workflow is the intended use case — read a chapter, immediately find easy problems with matching tags, repeat. Developers doing purely frontend work who aren't targeting big-tech interviews can skip it without much loss, per the r/webdev threads.
Mentions over time
Top subreddits
Which Reddit comments matter for Grokking Algorithms?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“Here's my list of the classics: **General Computing** * But How Do It Know? - The Basic Principles of Computers for Everyone * The Elements of Computing Systems: Building a Modern Computer from First Principles * […
“It's not that you absolute have to know DS&A stuff to use them all to solve day-to-day programming problems, it's that learning them will help you understand deeper principles that will make it easier to tackle the practical problems that you face. I definitely couldn't write different kinds of sort…
“A few of my favorites: Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution, by Steven Levy Where Wizards Stay Up Late: the Origins of the Internet, by Katie Hafner and Matthew Lyon The Soul of a New Machine, by Tracy Kidder Nine Algorithms That Changed the Future: The Ingenious Ideas That Drive Today's C…
“For my process, I started by reading “grokking algorithms” by Aditya Bhargava as an introduction to different data structures and algorithms. I would read a chapter and then go to Leetcode and search for problem with tags matching the chapter topic, difficulty level easy, sorted by highest accepta…
“The best path for Leetcode would be: 1. CS50x 2. Abdul Bari's C++ Programming (buy from personal site for $7) 3. First half of Grokking Algorithms by Aditya Bhargava 3. Abdul Bari's Data Structures in C / C++ 4. FreeCodeCamp's Scientific Computing in Python and Data Analysis in Python certificates.…
“**Books** * A Common Sense Guide to Data Structures & Algorithms * *Note: I learned DS&A from this book* * Grokking Algorithms * Introduction to Algorithms by C.L.R * *Note: This is a great book, but it is math heavy so it isn't for everyone if you don't have that math background/easy…
“Ok, I apologize; what I demonstrated in my comment above was more about applying an algorithm than applying a design pattern. But the concept of reusing experience is what matters here. A more proper 'design pattern' which is used a lot would be the "Factory Pattern" (read more about it at patter…
“Honestly it really depends, but I would highly recommend you learn it. Look, you may not be doing low level architecture, but even web dev deals a lot with how to optimize applications. It will help you grow in the future and open you up to new opportunities. A lot of tech companies test for these …
Convinced? Pick up Grokking Algorithms
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Grokking Algorithms — counted from the comments, not curated.
Introduction to Algorithms
Thomas H. Cormen
The textbook four MIT professors wrote to settle every algorithms argument, cited by 254 Reddit commenters across 12 subreddits and still going.
Design Patterns
Erich Gamma
The 1994 Gang of Four catalog that named 23 object-oriented patterns, gave developers a shared vocabulary, and taught a generation to over-apply both.
Clean Code
Robert C. Martin
The book 536 Reddit threads cite when arguing about naming variables — revered by beginners, argued over by seniors.
Think Like a Programmer
V. Anton Spraul
V. Anton Spraul's guide to breaking down any programming problem before writing a single line of code — written for learners who know syntax but freeze at blank pages.
The Pragmatic Programmer
Andy Hunt
Two veterans hand you a checklist for the craft: don't write code you don't need, own your tools, and fix the broken window before someone else does.
Cracking the Coding Interview
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
The book that turned software hiring into a sport — written by the ex-Googler who introduced programming challenges to the process in the first place.
Grokking Algorithms — frequently asked
Is Grokking Algorithms enough to prepare for technical interviews?+
No. It's a starting point, not a finishing line. The r/cscareerquestions commenter (↑75) who gets cited most often pairs it explicitly with Leetcode Easy problems tagged to each chapter — the book alone doesn't cover the breadth or difficulty that on-site rounds require. Think of it as the first third of prep, not the whole arc.
What does Reddit actually recommend Grokking Algorithms for?+
It shows up in lists, not in arguments, which means it's not contested, just utilitarian.
Should I read Grokking Algorithms or just watch YouTube videos?+
Depends on whether you need a structured chapter order. The mention count peaked at nine in 2021 and dropped to two by 2024, which tracks with free video content improving. If you're self-motivated enough to find and sequence videos yourself, you can probably skip the book. If you want a single linear path with code examples you can run, the book still holds.
Is Grokking Algorithms still relevant in 2026?+
For absolute beginners, yes. The fundamentals it covers — search, sort, recursion, graphs — haven't changed, and the illustrations remain one of the cleaner introductions available. Last Reddit sighting was November 2024 in r/learnprogramming, still in a recommended-path context. The audience is narrower than it was in 2021, but not gone.