Life & fun · alternatives · 2026
24 alternatives to Code
The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software
Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. Code launched in 2016; newer entries below may have overtaken it.
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The book page links to a blog post that explains how I got about it (and has a link to sample content), but the TL&DR is that I could not find a lot of books that were on "our" history _and_ were larded with technical details. So I set about writing one, and some five years later I'm happy to share the result. I think it's one of the few "computer history" books that has tons of code, but correct me if I'm wrong (I wrote this both to tell a story and to learn :-)). My favorite languages are Smalltalk and Lisp, but as an Emacs user, I've been using the latter for much longer and for my…
Feb 2026 · berksoft.ca · its alternatives →
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Computer science curriculum must-read
2015 · its alternatives →
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Building a modern computer from first principles
2015 · its alternatives →
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"The Bible" of all fundamental algorithms for programming
2015 · its alternatives →
- 11TM
I recently published a book called “The Magic of Code” which is about the delights of the computational world, examining computing as a kind of “humanistic liberal art” that connects to so many topics, from art and biology to philosophy and language. The link I’ve shared is to a page on my book’s website where you can download a pdf of the introduction, to give HN readers a taste of what is inside. Right now there is so much worry and concern around technology that I feel like some people—though not the folks here—have forgotten how much fun that code and computation can also be. So I wanted…
2025 · themagicofcode.com · its alternatives →
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2014 · github.com · its alternatives →
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Essential Skills and Concepts For The Self-taught Programmer
2016 · its alternatives →
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Great book with a low barrier to entry for learning Haskell
2016 · its alternatives →
- 18CW
2014 · codewords.hackerschool.com · its alternatives →
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Broad span of algorithms, covered in clear depth
2015 · its alternatives →
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A tutorial introduction to computer development environments
2017 · its alternatives →
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Explains programming language concepts in plain language.
2016 · its alternatives →
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Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →