Art of Computer Programming, The, Volumes 1-4B, Boxed Set (Art of Computer Programming, 1-4)

Includes the long, long, long delayed volume 4 (both A and B) as well as updates to the first editions I bought in the 1970s after saying to the TA for my first programming course (in Fortran) that it seemed to me that there was a certain art to programming - and he pointed me at Don Knuth’s books on his bookshelf.Joke was on me! But I did get exposed to a whacky kind of misnamed science* called (Theoretical) Computer Science! I even worked for a Computer Science department at one point.Help support Prof Knuth in his (non-) retirement and learn an exciting new programming language (MIX) by buying the latest edition of his epic saga The Art of Computer Programming.(I’m hoping that Prof Knuth never actually retires - as he still owes us Volumes 5, 6, and 7!)*It is called Theoretical Computer Science but is really just an advanced area of mathematics not science. As my squash opponent once explained to me: if it is really science then it doesn’t need to have science in the name (physics or chemistry versus political science, social science, …).

A gift for one of my grandsons so he can help explain things to his octogenarian forebear,

Forget Bill Gates or Steve Jobs; Donald Knuth is the patron saint of computer programming. This set would be a wonderful gift for a CS graduate or a dedicated computer programmer of any age. These aren't for hobbyists or people with a passing interest in a subject, however. They are hard core, the real thing, the full monty.Archeologists will dig these up a thousand years from now and marvel at our primitive society's understanding of computer programming and algorithms.

I just received these books. They arrived in excellent condition. A couple of bumps on the holder box, but nothing to get uptight about. Amazon should have packed them better.Even though I have my Bachelors Degree is Computer Science, after scanning through these books, the real CS training begins now. These books will take a while to thoroughly study. I'm looking forward to it.Donald Knuth and his peers should be the ones people think of when they think of computers. Not Bill or Steve. Bill and Steve were just good salesmen.

What can I say about this set of books? It's hard to not to repeat the praise that has been said so many times before, so I won't. These are excellent books, period. What I will say is that anyone doing any sort of computer programming can benefit from the deep wisdom Knuth has captured in these volumes. While some sections may seem a bit dated, all of it is germane to creating efficient and elegant computer programs, whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro looking to put a shine on your work.

The order was sent promptly and the package is in good condition.

Will take a long time to read them all

My son’s best friend is graduating college. He wanted this set as a graduation present as he used it in college. It comes highly reccomended and give. This young man’s GPA I’ll take that as a strong indicator of its worth. If your serious about learning to program computers, don’t meddle around, get this set!