Mentioned in Podcasts

Episode · The Peterman Pod · 2026-07-20

Ryan Peterman & Xavier Leroy: books mentioned on The Peterman Pod

Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Programming Languages | Xavier Leroy

4 books · With Xavier Leroy · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Xavier Leroy (creator of OCaml) is an expert in compilers, formal verification of software and functional programming. This interview should be an approachable resource if you're curious about formal verification of software since I was learning that on the fly during it.

Xavier Leroy recommended Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley and How to Design Programs by Matthias Felleisen, and discussed Instructor's Manual t/a Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, second edition by Julie Sussman and Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Harold Abelson and others.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

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  1. Programming Pearls

    Jon Bentley · at 1:18:20

    Programming Pearls by Jon Bentley is a classic computer science text that uses practical problems and elegant code solutions to illustrate fundamental programming concepts.

    Recommended
    “Well this this is an old one, the Programming Pearls by Jon I think I read it when I was a PhD student, but I think it's it's nice as showing how very talented programmers work, how they think about their programs.”
    Xavier Leroy Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Program… 2026-07-20 Listen at 1:18:20
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible

  2. How to Design Programs

    Matthias Felleisen · at 1:19:48

    How to Design Programs by Matthias Felleisen, Robert B.

    Recommended
    “The second one is a little more controversial, I guess. So, in the How to Design Program, which is a fairly ambitious title as well. And this comes from the Scheme community, okay, Abelson and Findler, Flatt, and Krishnamurthi.”
    Xavier Leroy Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Program… 2026-07-20
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible

  3. Instructor's Manual t/a Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, second edition

    Julie Sussman · at 1:20:03

    Discussed
    “And so, so there was the the MIT Course Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, which was quite famous, and this is kind of a more modern twist on on on similar ideas.”
    Xavier Leroy Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Program… 2026-07-20 Listen at 1:20:03
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible

  4. Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs

    Harold Abelson; Gerald Jay Sussman; Martin Henz; Tobias Wrigstad; Julie Sussman · at 1:20:03

    Discussed
    “And so, so there was the the MIT Course Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs, which was quite famous, and this is kind of a more modern twist on on on similar ideas.”
    Xavier Leroy Creator of OCaml: Functional Programming, Formal Verification, Program… 2026-07-20 Listen at 1:20:03
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible
Link to this list from the episode’s show notes

For the whole show, see the The Peterman Pod page.