Computer Science Professor’s Book in Top 30 of Twentieth Century

Mark Allen Weiss, an FIU computer science professor, is the author of a book that was voted among the top 30 computer books of the twentieth century.
“I was pleased and kind of shocked, actually,” said Weiss of the selection of Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis, which was first published in September 1991.

Pearson PTR, Slashdot.org, Netscape’s DevEdge Online and Doctor Dobb’s Journal asked readers to name three books that have made the biggest impact in computer technologies to date. According to information provided on the Addison Wesley Longman (AWL) web site listing the winners, “The winning selections are books that stand dog-eared next to computers, ready to tackle the next challenge. Books that have stood the test of time, and whose value extends into the next century. Dr. Weiss’s book was ranked #13.

AWL is an educational publishing company offering textbooks, multimedia and learning programs in key academic disciplines.

Weiss’s book, simply put, is geared toward individuals writing programs for large amounts of data. His original book is currently in its second edition and has versions in several different programming languages, including C++ and Java. “It seems a lot of books out there focus heavily on one element – theory or practice – but not both,” said Weiss. “The comments I’ve heard are that people like the balance I was able to strike in my books.”

Weiss has been at FIU since 1987, and is the author of several other books in addition to his Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis series. His books have been used at over 500 universities worldwide. He received his doctorate in Computer Science from Princeton University. Weiss has received numerous awards, including the FIU Excellence in Teaching Award and FIU Excellence in Research Award, and is currently serving as the Chairperson of the College Board’s Advanced Placement Computer Science Development Committee. The committee designs the curriculum and writes the AP exam that is currently taken by 20,000 high school students annually.

(From July 2000, FIU Now)