The Self-Taught Computer Scientist: The Beginner's Guide to Data Structures & Algorithms

The follow-up to Cory Althoff's bestselling The Self-Taught Programmer, which inspired hundreds of thousands of professionals to learn to program outside of school!

Fresh out of college and with just a year of self-study behind him, Cory Althoff was offered a dream first job as a software engineer for a well-known tech company, but he quickly found himself overwhelmed by the amount of things he needed to know, but hadn't learned yet. This experience combined with his personal journey learning to program inspired his widely praised guide, The Self-Taught Programmer. Now Cory's back with another guide for the self-taught community of learners focusing on the foundations of computer science.

The Self-Taught Computer Scientist introduces beginner and self-taught programmers to computer science fundamentals that are essential for success in programming and software engineering fields. Computer science is a massive subject that could cover an entire lifetime of learning. This book does not aim to cover everything you would learn about if you went to school to get a computer science degree. Instead, Cory's goal is to give you an introduction to some of the most important concepts in computer science that apply to a programming career. With a focus on data structures and algorithms, The Self-Taught Computer Scientist helps you fill gaps in your knowledge, prepare for a technical interview, feel knowledgeable and confident on the job, and ultimately, become a better programmer.

• Learn different algorithms including linear and binary search and test your knowledge with feedback loops
• Understand what a data structure is and study arrays, linked lists, stacks, queues, hash tables, binary trees, binary heaps, and graphs
• Prepare for technical interviews and feel comfortable working with more experienced colleagues
• Discover additional resources and tools to expand your skillset and continue your learning journey

It's as simple as this: You have to study computer science if you want to become a successful programmer, and if you don't understand computer science, you won't get hired. Ready for a career in programming, coding, or software engineering and willing to embrace an "always be learning" mindset? The Self-Taught Computer Scientist is for you.

Cory Althoff is an author, programmer, and speaker. He is best known for his book The Self-Taught Programmer, which has been published in seven languages and introduced the term self-taught programmer into the common lexicon. Book Authority named The Self-Taught Programmer one of the greatest programming books of all time, and The Next Web listed it as one of the ten books that will help you become a better software engineer. Over 200K developers are part of the self-taught programmer community he created through his popular Facebook group, blog, newsletter, and Udemy course. In 2019, Cory gave the opening keynote speech at Pycon JP. Cory lives in the Bay Area with his wife and daughter.