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Comment by noisy_boy | Hacker News Reader

I'll take the opportunity to hop on to this thread and admit that I have never properly learned C (I have seen some code here and there). Considering there are several comments advising on using C as the language to implement the algorithms, what is your recommendation to get started with C? I'm looking for something that is not too long (I have a problem continuing with big books) and yet is concise and teaches the language in a well rounded manner.

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If you don't know C at all, hunt down a old book called The C Primer by Hancock and Krieger. It is the best introduction to C for absolute noobs. It was based on teaching notes used at Bell Labs itself and is quite easy to read and follow (i owe my career to having read this book when i was a noob). You can then move on to K&R.

Next you should checkout Data Structures and Program Design in C by Kruse, Tondo et al. This book teaches Algorithms/Data Structures but using good structuring techniques in C. Follow up with Sedgewick's books.

To learn about C and Low-level details there is nothing better than Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective by Bryant and O'Hallaron.

Finally, to learn about the dark corners of C checkout C Traps and Pitfalls by Andrew Koenig and Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets by Peter Van Der Linden.

It's hard to recommend anything other than the original K&R - "The C Programming Language".

It's obviously not going to teach you the ins and outs of modern C development, but it's the best introduction to the language out there IMHO.

https://nostarch.com/Effective_C by Robert C. Seacord. a little about the book and the motivation behind "Why C": https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9237323

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