Optional Course Book (1 of 3)

Introduction to Computing
Explorations in Language, Logic, and Machines
Spring 2010 Edition
David Evans
University of Virginia

This book is referred to as the course book. The author of the course book is a UVa professor. He has made the course book available freely on-line for use in UVA CS 1120.

Note that the book describes the language Scheme instead of the language Python. We will be using Python and Java in class (so you'll be learning multiple languages in any case). The book will teach you important programming concepts (such as recursion and lists) — you should view the Scheme descriptions in the book as a "sanity check" or another way to understand the same material. As you learn how to program, you'll see that all programming languages are actually quite similar.

Optional Course Book (2 of 4)

Udacity

Introduction to Computer Science
David Evans
University of Virginia

This freely-available on-line class is taught by a UVA professor who also teaches CS 1120. You can complete it at your own rate and revisit the recorded lectures as often as you like.

Optional Course Book (3 of 4)

Gödel, Escher, Bach

an Eternal Golden Braid
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Indiana University

The book is referred to as GEB. It can be obtained from many bookstores (e.g., Amazon $15, etc.).

Optional Course Book (4 of 4)

Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs
Harold Abelson
Gerald Jay Sussman
with Julie Sussman

The book is referred to as SICP or the Wizard Book. It is available free on-line from MIT Press. It can also be purchased (e.g., from Amazon).

Optional Course Book (1 of 3)

Introduction to Computing Explorations in Language, Logic, and Machines Spring 2010 Edition David Evans University of Virginia