Elements of Programming
I like Stepanov, he shows integrity. And I'm ever grateful for his influence on C++.<p>I'm also fairly experienced, having spent the last 30 years or so writing code. Every kind of code you can think of in any language. Which means I'm fairly used to juggling abstractions.<p>But I just couldn't crack this one, I lack the motivation needed to work this elevation for extended periods of time. I need some kind of real-world connection now and then to make sure what I'm learning is at all useful.<p>I got the book when it just came out, and haven't tried since, but I'm pretty sure the problem persists. I have even less patience with academic abstractionitis these days.<p>I would be very interested to learn how and why people find the information contained in the book useful.