1 files changed, 108 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/books/Little Schemer b/books/Little Schemer
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..394de5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/books/Little Schemer
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+============================
+The Little Schemer
+============================
+
+:by: Daniel Friedman and Matthias Felleisen 
+:Edition: Fourth (4rth)
+
+See also `Scheme </k/software/scheme/>`__.
+
+I read this book before starting on a scheme/physics project. I had programmed
+in scheme previously as an algebra/analysis tool, but never really sat down
+and got comfortable with the language. Working through all the examples
+has made me *much* more comfortable with this style of programming. Despite
+the humble tone and ambitions of the book I think I learned deeply.
+
+The first 7 chapters were very straight forward, the end of chapter 8 took 
+some more thought and I'm not sure how happy I am with the description of
+collectors and continuations.
+
+For a better description of the Y-combinator, see these `course notes 
+<http://dangermouse.brynmawr.edu/cs245/ycomb_jim.html>`__.
+
+This book is followed by `The Seasoned Schemer </k/books/seasonedschemer/>`__
+and The Reasoned Schemer.
+
+Preface Definitions
+------------------------
+This primitive function is required for most of the functions in the book::
+
+    (define atom?
+      (lambda (x)
+        (and (not (pair? x)) (not (null? x)))))
+
+Laws
+-----------------------
+Law of Car
+    The primitive *car* is defined only for non-empty lists.
+ 
+Law of Cdr
+    The primitive *cdr* is defined only for non-empty lists. The *cdr* of any 
+    non-empty list is always another list.
+
+Law of Cons
+    The primitive *cons* takes two arguments. The second argument to *cons* 
+    must be a list. The result is a list.
+
+Law of Null?
+    The primitive *null?* is defined only for lists.
+
+Law of Eq?
+    The primitive *eq?* takes two arguments. Each must be a non-numeric atom.
+
+Commandments
+------------------------
+
+The First Commandment
+    When recurring on a list of atoms, *lat*, ask two questions about it:
+    *(null? lat)* and **else**. When recurring on a number, *n*, ask two
+    questions about it: *(zero? n)* and **else**.
+
+    When recurring on a list of S-expressions, *l*, ask three questions
+    about it: *(null? l)*, *(atom? (car l))*, and **else**.
+
+The Second Commandment
+    Use *cons* to build lists.
+
+The Third Commandment
+    When building a list, describe the first typical element, and then
+    *cons* it onto the natural recursion.
+
+The Fourth Commandment
+    Always change at least one argument while recurring. It must be changed to 
+    be closer to termination. The changing argument must be tested in the 
+    termination condition: 
+
+    when using *cdr*, test termination with *null?* and
+
+    when using *sub1*, test termination with *zero?*.
+
+The Fifth Commandment
+    When building a value with +, always use 0 for the value of the terminating
+    line, for adding 0 does not change the value of an addition.
+    
+    When building a value with x, always use 1 for the value of the terminating
+    line, for multiplying by 1 does not change the value of a multiplication.
+    
+    When building a value with cons, always consider () for the value of the
+    terminating line.
+
+The Sixth Commandment
+    Simplify only after the function is correct.
+
+
+The Seventh Commandment
+    Recur on the subpart that are of the same nature:
+
+    * on the sublists of a list.
+    * on the subexpressions of an arithmetic expression.
+
+The Eighth Commandment
+    Use help functions to abstract from representations.
+
+The Ninth Commandment
+    Abstract common patterns with a new function.
+
+The Tenth Commandment
+    Build functions to collect more than one value at a time.
+