San Francisco, CA, October 21, 2010—Lisp has been hailed as the world's most powerful programming language, but its cryptic syntax and academic reputation can scare off even experienced programmers. But now, No Starch Press offers this comic-filled guide to readers who want to master the black arts of Lisp. Land of Lisp (No Starch Press, October 2010, 504 pp., $49.95, ISBN 9781593272814) brings the power of functional programming to the people!

"There's no language as fascinating as Lisp," said Land of Lisp author Conrad Barski. "My book uses crazy cartoons, quirky example games, and humor to keep readers absorbed as they develop a solid understanding of the language. Learning Lisp can be a real challenge, but there's a lot of fun to be had along the way." Barski is well-known in the Lisp community for his instructional comics and programming ninjitsu, and Lispers worldwide have been buzzing about his book since it was announced.

With the aid of brilliant comics and games, Land of Lisp takes readers from the basics of the language, like list manipulation, I/O, and recursion, to more complex topics like macros, higher-order programming, and domain-specific languages. And when the going gets tough, readers can kick back and enjoy an action-packed comic interlude.

As readers create and play games like Wizard's Adventure and Grand Theft Wumpus, they learn how to:

• Master the quirks of Lisp's syntax and semantics
• Write concise and elegant functional programs
• Use macros, create domain-specific languages, and learn similar advanced Lisp techniques
• Create their own web server and use it to play browser-based games
• Put their Lisp skills to the test by writing brain-melting games like Dice of Doom and Orc Battle

By combining serious instruction with serious fun, Land of Lisp leads fledgling coders down the path to programming enlightenment and teaches them to wield the power of Lisp.

For more information or to request a review copy of Land of Lisp, contact Travis Peterson at No Starch Press ([email protected], +1.415.863.9900, x300), or visit www.nostarch.com.

A look inside Land of Lisp:

About the Author
Conrad Barski has an M.D. from the University of Miami and nearly 20 years of programming experience. This includes a stint developing an obscure Atari Jaguar game and working on many medical software projects. Barski is also an avid cartoonist, having created the popular alien Lisp mascot and many graphical tutorials. He currently develops cardiology software and lives in Washington, D.C.

Additional Resources
Chapter 8: "This Ain't Your Daddy's Wumpus" (PDF)
Table of Contents
Detailed Table of Contents (PDF)
Index (PDF)
Catalog Page and Sample Pages

Land of Lisp by Conrad Barski, M.D. October 2010, 504 pp ISBN 9781593272814, $49.95 USD [email protected] 1-800-998-9938 1-707-827-7000

Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com, [email protected], 1-800-420-7240).

About No Starch Press
Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent technical book publishers. Whether it's LEGO for adult builders, hacking titles, or our Manga Guides to science and math, we publish the finest in geek entertainment. Our unique titles focus on open source, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, math, science, and LEGO. Our authors are passionate, their work has personality, and we tackle topics that people care about. For more information, visit http://nostarch.com

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