# Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Russell and Norvig

5 Hacker News commenters recommended Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Russell and Norvig and 1 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Widely recommended as the foundational AI textbook, used across coursework and covering many algorithms. One critic calls its section on Dreyfus's critique misleading.

## Why people recommend it

- Standard AI curriculum textbook (2 comments): "A 20yr old "AI" curriculum would have looked more like the 3rd edition of Russel & Norvig's "Artificial Intelligence - A Modern Approach"." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46491530)) "the book that is the foundation of much coursework and learning for people in AI" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48954920))
- Covers many algorithms in depth (1 comments): "a seminal book discussing why and detailing many algorithms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46452001))
- Free Norvig video lecture course (1 comments): "There is a free video lecture course by Norvig himself on Udacity do check them out." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46482249))

## What people warn about

- Dreyfus critique section misleading (1 comments): "The whole section is misleading, obfuscating or tergiversing the critique from Dreyfus to fit the purpose" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48453828))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and Sussman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/structure-and-interpretation-of-computer-programs.md): 55 recommend
- [The Art of Computer Programming by Donald E. Knuth](https://hackerapproved.com/p/art-of-computer-programming.md): 28 recommend
- [Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs by Abelson and Sussman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/sicp.md): 12 recommend
- [Quantum Computation and Quantum Information by Nielsen and Chuang](https://hackerapproved.com/p/quantum-computation-and-quantum-information.md): 12 recommend
- [Digital Design and Computer Architecture by Harris and Harris](https://hackerapproved.com/p/digital-design-and-computer-architecture.md): 8 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0134610997?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780134610993) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach by Russell and Norvig", https://hackerapproved.com/p/artificial-intelligence-a-modern-approach/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).