Most technical books about programming are dull and devoid of life. Not so “Clojure for the Brave and True.”

The 328-page book covers syntax and philosophy of the general programming language as well as pragmatic topics like setting up an editor and publishing your code. What other book shows you how to capture rotten cheese thieves, track down glittery vampires, and explains concurrency using Lady Gaga, dwarven berserkers, and zombies?

The book covers functional programming and offers instructions on how to:

° Wield Clojure’s core functions;

° Use Emacs for Clojure development;

° Write macros to modify Clojure itself;

° Use Clojure’s tools to simplify concurrency and parallel programming.

The book assumes no prior experience with functional programming or the Java Virtual Machine.

“Clojure for the Brave and True” (http://tinyurl.com/omuk7w2) is available from No Starch Press for US$34.95.

The author, Daniel Higginbotham, has been a professional programmer for 11 years, half of that at McKinsey & Company, where he used Clojure to build mobile and web applications. He has also contributed to the curriculum for ClojureBridge, an organization that offers free, beginner-friendly Clojure workshops for women.