After reading a book like this, you are probably asking, "Where do I turn next?" Technology is always changing, so there will always be more to learn and exploit. Even after working with LISP for more than 15 years, I continue to learn on a regular basis.

So where do you go next? The best place is the keyboard or your desk to start writing and designing applications. Start small and dream big. Begin with a small part of the project and solve it. You will learn from that experience and be better prepared to solve the next small part of the dream. Do not throw away the dream just because it seems to be something that will take years to achieve at your current skill level.

Caesar would have made a good applications designer. "Divide and conquer" is a good philosophy not only for the deployment of armies but also for the design of a complex application. When confronting a large application, divide it into many pieces by creating a hierarchy of connected modules with some command and communication between them. And then further divide those until you begin to define chunks that you can "see" as program code. This hierarchy of command and logic will allow you to keep your application connected as you create the various modules and utilities that make up the application.

The following are some books that you might find helpful along the way:

• Visual LISP: A Guide to Artful Programming by...