This book is the worst book that I’ve ever read on computer programming. Although I appreciate the concepts presented in the book, when you try to read the examples, you will end up in an infinite loop rereading the text because the book is very wordy and the algorithms aren’t explained in simple plain English.

The diagrams are misplaced. They are placed at the start of a previous page instead of the current page.

The book is paced in such a way that you need to have taken a course on Automata Theory and Operating Systems.

If you want to suffer in a Computer Programming Languages class, DON’T BUY THIS BOOK.

The authors should have used simple examples to demonstrate the paradigms of computer programming but the examples they presented requires you to become an M.S. Computer Science student first.

The codes doesn’t make sense.

Relying help from a friend is the best way than to read this thick, intricate book.
Rating: 1 / 5

I’ve had a course w/Abelson’s textbook (see ed. review). So this one was for “fun”. I’ve just started so, perhaps I’ll finish and have something more positive to say. After the first chapter I DO have some comments. My PC runs MS Vista. This book relies heavily on (and is intertwined with) the Mozart platform for the OZ programming language. Go to the Mozart.org website and you’ll find that the brand spankin “new” version 1.4.0 doesn’t run on Vista. The site appears to be litle used and a year old (Ver. 1.4 was introduced July ’08). So you have to load an earlier version. Install it. Whoops! It doesn’t run. You need to install emacs (emacs? I’ll try to repress my sneer. I used emacs. emacs, especially under a unix or command line environment is great – of course that was 20 years ago) Its improved since then, and with a bow to the fanatics who will swear by it, it is great, once you learn all of the control key combinations. Otherwise it is a distraction from learning the concepts you bought the book to learn. The Mozart site references an out of date version. Go to the emacs site and get the latest. So, install emacs 23.1 (as of 8/13/2009). Mozart still won’t run. You have to go to My computer – Properties – Advanced Settings – and create a new system variable “OZEMACS” with a value of the path & executable. For instance, I set my emacs up under C:Program Files [...] There are two choices for executables [...] Some site or another I visited called for runemacs. So I used that. Your milage may vary. I shortened the folder name that emacs created upon installation and moved the whole thing also. (BTW the location of the advanced Tab is for Vista Home Premium svc pk 2 and is approximately correct – but I’m relying on memory so it may not be an exact match to whats on the screen. In windows explorer I right clicked then chose properties then on the left chose advanced something or other). I think there are several tabs to chose from. Hopefully above info is enuff. [...] has instructions for XP which seem to work also for Vista. (except for the XEmacs stuff) Since the program is critical for getting much out of the book, the fact that it took me several hours to set this up is inexcusable. The language, I conclude is losing support and will die the death most languages do. Since the book is so intertwined with the language and the Compiler platform, you can’t review one without the other.

Vista has been out too long for it not to be fully supported – at least with detailed instructions how to install on it. By the way it is not IMHO a good idea to be manually adding system variables. make a note to expunge it once you finish with Oz.

So just the hassle (yeah I’m that old) of the installation was a two star knock down. Chapter one seems quite confused. It starts out with a little bit of recursion. Why, I don’t know. The authors do say Ch 1 is a taste of things to come, but the level of presentation is 1st year stuff, so far. Way too much about Oz lists without any obvious reason why. The review that said the presentation was slow is correct. But for a 2nd year text book, perhaps that was what was intended. (BTW the claim that {Browse x} doesn’t work in Vista is wrong – I tried it and it seems to, but I didn’t do anything complicated yet – using {Show x}instead is a pain.) I’m still looking forward to lerning a bit bout some of the language paradigms that I was not exposed to way back when. And it could be that this level of presentation is “my speed” – If I really like the book ultimately I’ll come back and update this review.
Rating: 3 / 5

Modern programming has become fragmented into a variety of computational models (OO, functional, imperative, etc), and a variety of languages supporting those computational models. Neophyte programmers are typically introduced to just one of these models, and only learn the other, “less natural” models later. With CTM, Van Roy and Haridi take an alternative approach. They teach programming as an integrated discipline, and demonstrate the underlying links between the different computational models. By the time the reader is done with the book they will have a much better understanding of the discipline of programming, and will be well-equipped to decide which model is best suited to the task at hand. Reading CTM is an extremely worthwhile experience for anyone wishing to achieve a deep understanding of the art and science of programming.

CTM has been compared to Abelson and Sussman’s “Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs”. They are similar, in the sense that they both provide the reader with a deeper understanding of programming than most programming texts. However, the content of both books is quite different, and it is definitely worth reading both.

Another book that I feel makes a good companion to CTM is Hoare’s (sadly hard to come by) “Unifying Theories of Programming”. It covers a lot of the same material as CTM, but in a much more theoretical sense. Where CTM is concerned with practical programming, Hoare is concerned with mathematical underpinnings. The two complement each other nicely.
Rating: 5 / 5