i actually agree with the points you made, and also with the point that Douglas_Knight made. I don’t think those points are incompatible.
The nature of Scheme as a ‘idealized’ programming language enables one to focus on the actual problem rather than the language (after some practice at least). And that way of looking at problems is what makes it interesting in the context of LW—which is not about programming perse after all.
So yes, the book teaches you to program—but also yes, it does that in a somewhat abstracted way, which will be less interesting for people who want cookbook-style solutions. It’s about training the mind.
i actually agree with the points you made, and also with the point that Douglas_Knight made. I don’t think those points are incompatible.
The nature of Scheme as a ‘idealized’ programming language enables one to focus on the actual problem rather than the language (after some practice at least). And that way of looking at problems is what makes it interesting in the context of LW—which is not about programming perse after all.
So yes, the book teaches you to program—but also yes, it does that in a somewhat abstracted way, which will be less interesting for people who want cookbook-style solutions. It’s about training the mind.