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Acknowledgements
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This book began informally at UCLA in 1970 as an alternative to the data
structures course. Any book which takes six years to complete must
have a list of acknowledgements.
Between the 1970 manuscript and the present
version stretches an incredible list of revisions and rewritings.
That task was made possible only by the document
preparation system at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
The artificial intelligence community is still the superior
developer of computer related tools.
The final shape of this book has been guided by many sources, but particularly
I would like to mention Michael Burke and the San Jose State Mathematics
Department, who
allowed me to use my manuscript in their data structures course.
To Nancy Meller of the UCLA Computer Science Department for typing the
orginal LISP notes.
To Les Earnest of the Stanford A.I. Labs for aid beyond the call of duty.
To Jim Duley of Hewlett-Packard for persisting.
To Paulette for trying to understand.
To Richard Manuck of the Stanford Computer Science Library, a most excellent
librarian with an exceptional library.
To John McCarthy for the insight which lead to LISP, and
for establishing an environment at Stanford which
is staffed so admirably and supplied with so many talented people.
Particular mention must go to Guy Steele, who reviewed a much inferior
version of this text. His insights, comments, and criticisms
were invaluable. With comments like: "that's not a compromise, it's a
bloody surrender!", the text was bound to improve.
Several other people have had significant influence on the text. I feel fortunate
to be able to acknowledge these individuals.
D.#Bruce#Anderson,
Bob#Boyer,
Michael#Clancy,
Bob#Doran,
Daniel#Friedman,
Richard#Gabriel,
Michael#Gordon,
Patrick#Greussay,
Anthony#Hearn,
Freidrich#von#Henke,
Forrest#Howard,
Bill#McKeeman,
Peter#Milne,
J S.#Moore,
Jorge#Morales,
Steve#Russell,
Hanan#Samet,
Vic#Scheinman,
Herbert#Stoyan,
Dennis#Ting,
and#Steve#Ward. I apologize to any individuals I neglected to mention; I
must surely have forgotten someone.
Similarly there are topics related to LISP which I have neglected.
The whole area of Artificial Intelligence applications has been
slighted, but
for every author there must come a time when you have to say "Enough!".
I've been saying that for several years. It is particularly difficult
to cease when dealing with a topic as dynamic as LISP. Many sections
only hint at deeper problems, and surely some errors persist; but "Enough!".
As always it is the author's responsibility for the final shape of a
document; the substantial and textual errors, errors of omission and commission
are all mine. Each of the reviewers objected strongly to one or more facets
of this book; to some, it was too theoretical; for some, too practical.
I must have done something right.
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\To my parents, John & Esther Allen
\\To my wife and friend, Ruth E. Davis
\\\To my sons, Christopher & Geoffrey.