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<TITLE>Book Review: Mastering Algorithms with Perl</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Mastering Algorithms with Perl</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>by Jon Orwant, Jarkko Hietaniemi, and John Macdonald</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>Mastering Algorithms with Perl is an intermediate to advanced text describing traditional algorithms and data structures through Perl. It assumes a basic understanding of Perl. And while the average reader will be able to progress through the better part of the book with no background in computer science, the last third of the book requires at least a passing familiarity with Calculus, advanced mathematical notation, and covers topics from the vantage those already initiated to Probability, Statistics, Cryptology, and Number Theory.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>That said, the book has something for everyone. Beginner and Intermediate level Perl programmers will find the book's materials information dense but approachable. Advanced programmers will find a well written refresher illustrating familiar concepts in Perl. Given the breadth of the books and the language specific insights, they'll probably learn a thing or two as well.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Topics covered include: linked lists, circular linked lists, garbage collection, doubly-linked lists, infinite lists, binary trees, heaps, binary heaps, janus heaps, sorting, searching, sets, matrices, graphs, strings, geometric algorithms, number systems, number theory, cryptography, probability, statistics, and numerical analysis.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I've found that while the book is somewhat daunting, it goes down best a little bit at a time: read a chapter, then work through the examples. The first time I attempted to read the book I got about a third of the way through before stopping, scanning the rest, and putting it back on the shelf. A couple months later as I was working on a problem involving graphs and trees, the book came back down. And as interesting and complicated problems present themselves, I often find myself reaching for it.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>It covers an awful lot in 701 tightly packed pages. Have you ever wondered how regular expressions work? Hashes? Insights into their internal workings are in there. It is an excellent reference and fills a much needed gap. No other Perl book comes close to the breadth and depth coverage of these materials. That said, the first edition has a tremendous number of errors and typos. If a second edition doesn't materialize soon, I would highly recommend visiting the O'Reilly site to read the errata.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>--</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Garrett Goebel</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>IS Development Specialist</FONT>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>ScriptPro Direct: 913.403.5261</FONT>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=2>www.scriptpro.com garrett@scriptpro.com</FONT>
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