These are the kinds of stories I love from HN! Stories of theory meeting practice are my absolute favorite.
My dad got me a set of TAoCP a few years back as a birthday gift (before 4b) and I realized that I do not have the background to even begin on 1 (at least not without some daily devotion of time). Maybe I'll have to take some more time and try again.
I suggest picking up Knuth's Concrete Mathematics. It helps you get used to the math in TAoCP as well as his writing style, which manages to be simultaneously rigorous, serious, and humorous.
My dad got me a set of TAoCP a few years back as a birthday gift (before 4b) and I realized that I do not have the background to even begin on 1 (at least not without some daily devotion of time). Maybe I'll have to take some more time and try again.