Book · 1984
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
by Harold Abelson
MIT's 1985 Scheme textbook that 319 Reddit commenters have recommended and a noticeably smaller number have finished.
What does Reddit think of Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs?
r/programming's involvement is instructive: the three highest-upvoted SICP mentions there — ↑2282, ↑1031, ↑446 — all involve a commenter listing SICP as a credential, and the replies mock the self-presentation. The book is present in r/programming as signal more than lived experience. The genuine endorsements live in r/learnprogramming. A ↑252 comment links the free MIT PDF and says flatly "you will write better code after having read it." A ↑257 comment places it on a classics list alongside Nand to Tetris. Mention volume peaked at 89 in 2020 and fell to 33 in 2025, which tracks with the shift away from CS-fundamentalism in hiring conversations.
Community feedback & reader fit
Themes
- · functional programming and lambda calculus
- · abstraction and meta-circular evaluation
- · Scheme as a teaching language
- · computer science fundamentals
- · the gap between recommendation volume and completion rate
- · programming as intellectual credential
Common praise
- + The meta-circular evaluator section reframes how interpreters work in a way that r/learnprogramming commenters credit with changing their understanding of abstraction.
- + A ↑252 r/learnprogramming comment calls it an absolute classic and says readers will write better code after working through it.
- + Gets cited in nearly every classics list across r/compsci and r/learnprogramming without anyone arguing against the inclusion.
Common criticism
- − Scheme syntax stops many readers before chapter two — r/learnprogramming threads frequently pivot to something more practical once SICP gets mentioned.
- − The top r/programming threads using it involve credential-flexing that earned ↑446 mocking replies, not genuine discussion of the content.
- − Mention volume fell from 89 in 2020 to 33 in 2025, suggesting the essential-classic framing is losing traction.
Who it's for
You already program and want to understand why functional abstractions work the way they do, and the Scheme friction is a price you'll pay. CS students who encounter it in curriculum get more from it than self-taught readers picking it up cold — the exercises need pushback from someone who can grade them. The readers who finish it and remember it are the ones already drawn to language design or compiler internals.
Mentions over time
Which Reddit comments matter for Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs?
Top-upvoted quotes across the subreddits where this book is mentioned. Click through to read the full thread.
“>I have a personal library that includes SICP, On Lisp, TAOCP, Expert C Programming, Effective C++, and textbooks on algorithms, distributed computing, security, graphics, and various branches of math. >I contribute to open-source projects in multiple languages such as C++, Perl, Python, and variou…
“>What distinguishes a bad developer? I have a personal library that includes SICP, On Lisp, TAOCP, Expert C Programming, Effective C++, and textbooks on algorithms, distributed computing, security, graphics, and various branches of math. While I may not have a university degree, I am a passionate pr…
“Here's the list, for anyone interested in just that: 1. The Pragmatic Programmer by David Thomas & Andrew Hunt (67% recommended) 2. Clean Code by Robert C. Martin (66% recommended) 3. Code Complete by Steve McConnell (42% recommended) 4. Refactoring by Martin Fowler (35% recommended) 5. Hea…
“I think the concept of 'programming' is so nebulous that we have a difficult time agreeing on this. There are great differences between coding a shell script to automate a repetitive action versus a business developer making a c# webapp versus someone working onna graphics api. All are programming…
“THANK YOU. I feel like I am going insane. “I have a personal library that includes SICP, On Lisp, TAOCP, Expert C Programming, Effective C++, and textbooks on algorithms, distributed computing, security, graphics, and various branches of math.” Here I thought he was going to list the libraries he …
“You shouldn't be downvoted for asking any question, no matter how basic. ​ But, for your original question about why a data structure wouldn't use random access, concepts like "constant time" are important to know. What the previous poster said, `O(1)`, is a notation called "Big O Notation"…
“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 * […
“Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs It's an absolute classic, and you will write better code after having read it.
Convinced? Pick up Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Readers also mention
Books that share discussion threads with Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs — counted from the comments, not curated.
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.
Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Charles Petzold
A retired software engineer builds a computer from telegraph relays and flashlights, one chapter at a time, until you understand what a CPU actually does.
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.
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.
The Art of Computer Programming
Donald E. Knuth
Donald Knuth's multi-volume monument to algorithms: the book programmers cite in library lists and almost nobody finishes.
Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming
Peter Van Roy
The book TeachYourselfCS recommends when SICP feels too easy — a multi-paradigm deep-cut with five mentions on Reddit and a cult of three.
Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs — frequently asked
Is Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs still worth reading in 2026?+
Depends on what you want from it. It still teaches something real about abstraction; it just no longer dominates the conversation.
What does Reddit actually think of SICP?+
Broadly positive overall but neutral in most individual communities. r/compsci, r/cscareerquestions, r/ExperiencedDevs, and r/AskProgramming all land at neutral across their combined mentions. The book gets cited constantly in classics lists — SICP alongside TAOCP and On Lisp — but the record of people finishing and reporting back is thinner than the recommendation volume implies.
Should I read Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs if I already know another language?+
Yes, if language internals interest you. The meta-circular evaluator section gets genuine praise in r/learnprogramming threads. If you're coming from Python or JavaScript and want practical patterns, r/programming's neutral response across 49 mentions suggests it won't scratch that itch — there are more direct routes.
Is Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs the right first CS book?+
Probably not. The ↑257 comment listing it alongside Nand to Tetris treats it as a classics entry, not a starting point. Most commenters recommend it after you already know how to code.