Comment by zeroCalories

I guess the honest question is "what are you looking for in a response to your question?"

You asked if you should read it, and almost everyone who bothered to reply has said yes. Each time this topic comes up and people ask if they should read it the majority of responses are 'yes'. And I presume if you've been around software for that long, you've seen all of those threads and previous questions and answers like I have - meaning you likely knew what people would say when they responded.

So, in the end, it's up to you to decide if you'll read it or not.

I don't know you personally, but from my life experience it sounds to me like something I've seen in other circumstances. You've more or less decided that you're not going to read it, but feel like you're missing out and you want someone who as read it to say "it's ok to not read it". So you can resolve both the feelings of the decision to not read it, and the uncomfortableness of feeling like you're missing out.

It's possible I'm way off the mark on the above, but I mean it to be helpful - as I can say I've seen what looks to be this same pattern many times in life.

or what you're likely looking for: In the end, there are only so many hours in the day. You gave it a fair shot and it wasn't your vibe. It doesn't say anything about your strength as an engineer, it just has a specific approach and it's not a match for everyone. That doesn't make it a bad thing, it just means you'd rather spend your time learning and exploring in other ways. And it probably would've had more impact earlier in your career than at the level of experience you have now.

But of course before wrapping up I do need to undo my comment: I think you should give it another go. Maybe skim past the early part if it feels a bit to introductory and come back to it later. But it's a book that continues to grows on you the more time it's been since you read it. The concepts it presents are subtle but impactful in changing how you think about software. You don't fully grasp it when you read it. It's just that afterwards you just start seeing things through its lens often. I haven't read any other book like it.

> Why do I want to read an intro CS book? I've read those before.

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." - TS Eliot.

You aren't a curious person who studies things for their own sake and finds wonder in exploring ideas. That's fine, this book is clearly not for you so why concern yourself with it? Most of my friends who are obsessed with their field count many intro books as their favorites and frequent re-reads.

> condescending promises of enlightenment.

It sounds like you're more upset that other people enjoy and therefore recommend this book. You're the one asking for proof that it's worth your time. It's clearly not. People who are curious and like to explore ideas in computing recommend this book frequently to other like minded people.

If you don't like sushi, why question somebody's recommendation for their favorite omakase place?

If you are experienced then I’d say skim whatever sounds interesting from chapters 1-3, then do chapters 4/5 as they contain most of the interesting stuff.

Maybe not for you, but there is bunch of expert beginners out there that would benefit from reading up intro CS stuff.

Okay. And you didn't have to read all 600 pages before deciding it wasn't for you.

Right?

> Yet people promise me that this one is different, while giving me nothing but condescending promises of enlightenment.

You do understand that it's possible for different people to place different values on the same thing, right?

I mean, clearly there are many, many people who do find the book valuable. You're not one of them. That's fine! But it doesn't mean the book sucks.