How long does it take to read On LISP?
On LISP by Paul Graham takes about 7 hours 34 minutes to read at 250 words a minute.
About 7 hours 34 minutes
A weekend read
First published 1993. 413 pages, about 113,575 words.
16 days at 30 minutes a day
Estimate based on 275 words per page.
At other speeds
| Slow, 150 words a minute | 12 hours 37 minutes |
| Average, 250 words a minute | 7 hours 34 minutes |
| Fast, 400 words a minute | 4 hours 44 minutes |
The page count is the median across 2 editions, so your copy may differ. How we calculate.
About the book
The title itself, "On Lisp", is a reference to the idea that you can solve a programming problem by first building a programming language that lets you talk about your programming problem easier. In Lisp the programmer builds this problem specific language on top of Lisp itself using basic Lisp constructs called "macros". This style of programming is called "bottom-up programming". On Lisp is especially known for the complete description of Common Lisp macros and their uses, but the book also covers many other aspects of bottom-up programming in Common Lisp.
Subjects: macros, bottom-up programming
