Programming in the 1990s: An Introduction to the Calculation of Programs

by Edward Cohen

Programming is a fascinating and challenging subject. Unfortunately, it is rarely presented as such. Most often it is taught by "induction": features of some famous programming languages are given operational meaning (e.g. a loop "goes round and round"), a number of examples are shown, and by induction, we are asked to develop other programs, often radically different from the ones we've seen. Basically we are taught to guess our programs, and then to patch up our guesses. Our errors are given the cute name of "bugs". Fixing them becomes puzzle-solving, as does finding tricks that exploit or avoid poorly designed features of the programming language. The entire process is time-consuming and expensive. And even so, we are never quite sure if our programs really work in all cases. When approached in this way, programming is indeed a dull activity. There is, however, another approach to programming, an approach in which programs can be developed reliably, with attention to the real issues. It is a practical approach based on methodically developing programs from their specifications. Besides being practical, it is exciting. Many programs can be developed with relative ease. Problems which once were difficult can now be solved by beginners. Elegant solutions bring great satisfaction. This is our subject. We are interested in making programming an exciting topic!

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Edward Cohen was a former head writer and executive producer for Mississippi Educational Television, Cohen has produced a number of documentaries on southern or Jewish subjects, including Good Mornin’ Blues with B.B. King; The Islander, starring James Best; Passover; and Hanukkah, narrated by Ed Asner, all broadcast nationally by PBS. His other documentaries include The Parchman Trials (an exposé of Mississippi’s penal farm), and The Last Confederates (the story of the little known culture of the descendants of the expatriate Confederates who emigrated to Brazil after the Civil War). His documentary work has received numerous international film festival awards, as well as two CINE Golden Eagles.

More recently he wrote, produced, directed and edited The Natchez Jewish Experience for the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. The film tells the bittersweet story of a once-thriving congregation in Natchez, Mississippi, now down to a handful of members dedicated to keeping their temple open until the last member shuts out the lights. The documentary won the Judah P. Magnes Museum Muse Award for Best Historical Documentary.

In 1999, he published The Peddler’s Grandson: Growing Up Jewish in Mississippi, a memoir in which he describes growing up in the heart of the Bible Belt in the 1950s. The book was honored by the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters as the winner of its nonfiction award in 2000. Cohen also was awarded the Mississippi Authors Award for Nonfiction by the Mississippi Library Association in 2000.

Today, Cohen lives with his wife and three cairn terriers in Venice, California, where he is a freelance writer and filmmaker

Reviews

[Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book I think is meant for undergraduates and doesn't really go into enough depth on most topics to be of much use to me. Only section that was somewhat useful for me was the references. Prefer Gries book to this.

[Diego · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://prog21.dadgum.com/171.html