word tweaks

* doc/ref/guile.texi: Finish some wording.

* doc/ref/compiler.texi: Fix some goofiness.

diff --git a/doc/ref/compiler.texi b/doc/ref/compiler.texi
index ad874c2..76d9ab3 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/ref/compiler.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/compiler.texi
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ magical -- they transform inert text into live results, like throwing
 the switch on Frankenstein's monster. However, this magic is perceived
 by many to be impenetrable.
 
-This section aims to pull back the veil from over Guile's compiler
-implementation, and pay attention to the small man behind the curtain.
+This section aims to pay attention to the small man behind the
+curtain.
 
 @xref{Read/Load/Eval/Compile}, if you're lost and you just wanted to
 know how to compile your .scm file.

diff --git a/doc/ref/guile.texi b/doc/ref/guile.texi
index 50cce49..a675899 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/ref/guile.texi
+++ b/doc/ref/guile.texi
@@ -368,10 +368,24 @@ available through both Scheme and C interfaces.
 @node Guile Implementation
 @chapter Guile Implementation
 
-Things that aren't necessary to know to use guile, but that are
-interesting once you decide that Guile is interesting.
-
-Also Schemers as closet compiler writers.
+At some point, after one has been programming in Scheme for some time,
+another level of Scheme comes into view: its implementation. Knowledge
+of how Scheme can be implemented turns out to be necessary to become
+an expert hacker. As Peter Norvig notes in his retrospective on
+PAIP@footnote{PAIP is the common abbreviation for @cite{Paradigms of
+Artificial Intelligence Programming}, an old but still useful text on
+Lisp. Norvig's retrospective sums up the lessons of PAIP, and can be
+found at @uref{http://norvig.com/Lisp-retro.html}.}, ``The expert Lisp
+programmer eventually develops a good `efficiency model'.''
+
+By this Norvig means that over time, the Lisp hacker eventually
+develops an understanding of how much her code ``costs'' in terms of
+space and time.
+
+This chapter describes Guile as an implementation of Scheme: its
+history, how it represents and evaluates its data, and its compiler.
+This knowledge can help you to make that step from being one who is
+merely familiar with Scheme to being a real hacker.
 
 @menu
 * History::                             A brief history of Guile.
@@ -379,8 +393,8 @@ Also Schemers as closet compiler writers.
                                         straightforward, in general terms.
 * The Libguile Runtime Environment::    Low-level details on Guile's C
                                         runtime library.
-* A Virtual Machine for Guile::         Foo.
-* Compiling to the Virtual Machine::    Bar.
+* A Virtual Machine for Guile::         How compiled procedures work.
+* Compiling to the Virtual Machine::    Not as hard as you might think.
 @end menu
 
 @include history.texi