Software Engineering discussion

After reading the summary and the preface, I was somewhat let down by the first few chapters. I was expecting, as the preface said, for something an "educated layperson" could read, but that is not the case unless "educated layperson" means "has a degree in a closely related field". The first chapter, on algorithms, starts out reasonably approachable and finishes a little too difficult for what I would consider an "educated layperson". If that was the pattern that the rest of the chapters followed, that would be fine (most of the chapter for everyone, and then finish out with the stuff for people who are ready and able to handle the deeper things). Chapter 2, Finite Automata, starts with a good example of a simple black box, but the prose makes it more difficult to understand than it needs to be. And by Chapters 3 and 4, the author is freely using words that only someone with college-level coursework in programming and logic would understand.
I'll still read it, and I'm sure I'll benefit from it, but I can't see how anyone who hasn't already had some introduction to computer science could read it.

I agree that this this book is not for an "educated layperson." It is aimed at someone with some background in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, or math. With that background, it is an introduction to theoretical computer science, with focus on a breadth of topics and references for further learning.

I have referred to chapters of this book in the past, but this is the first time I have read from start to finish. So far, I like the small, bite-sized, chapters.

I like the idea of this book; and so far I like the author’s approach to cover the material. But I agree that something about this book doesn’t make it a very enjoyable reading for me. I wish the author would put a little more details to smooth the flow of reading. Everything else is very good.