Books that inspired you; Your Approach to Programming

[Benjamin]

I originally asked Eros this question as a private message, because I didn't want to put him on the spot.

Quote Originally Posted by Benjamin
Dear Eros,

I am trying to deepen my understanding of computer science, so that I understand the bigger picture of why thinBasic does the things it does. My background is 1) a Java course, 2) a Bash course 3) self study using Scheme. None of this goes very deep.

So with this in mind, I wanted to ask you for a recommended reading list: books that have been essential to your understanding of computer science and programming. Help me to get up to speed with you.

Sincerely,

Benjamin
Ciao Benjamin,

it is a very interesting question worth to be published in forum.
I think it is a common problem in computer programming: where to start? what to do? How to do?
It can be interesting to have more replies than just mine and I think can be interesting for many other so please ask in forum and I will repeat my personal idea that I'm giving here below.

My idea is that mostly depends on your personal attitude.
There is no ONE way you can go, there are many, some will work for you and not for others and the other way round.

For example in my case ...
to learn something I cannot go too much on reading and reading, after some time I will loose interest because I've a practical brain: if I can see or touch something ... I can understand.
So my approach is to have a real problem to solve. Little specific problems that will let me discover the programming language I'm facing.
And problem by problem, step by step I will reach a point where the light will switch on and I will understand many things in one go.
So if I cannot step by practical and real problems I will not understand.

So my suggestion for thinBasic is to have something to solve. It must be simple at the beginning, something reachable, a sort of intermediate milestone on a more complex path.
And during this path you can read manual, make experiments of little problems solved, ask question to others, make mistakes and then fix it.
If you put your target too high at first maybe it will too difficult to be reached and you will loose your interest.

Ciao
Eros

And so, I in turn ask you, dear reader: How do you learn? How do you get better?