If you have a Mac, also consider Ready Lisp.

http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/26203/ready-lisp

SBCL bundled with Aquamacs, a version of Emacs designed to integrate with the Mac interface (including Mac keyboard shortcuts).

I had a friend who was new to Lisp check it out - and they really liked how simple it was.

So definitely a good option to get started.

Step 1. Cut a hole in your tarball

Why aren't you just pointing your submissions to what you're linking directly? It seems like that's the way hyperlinked posts ought to work.

If you put a link - you can't put a comment (or so I understand). Also this was more meant as a discussion, the link isn't the important part.

Or on Ubuntu:

apt-get install slime sbcl emacs cl-asdf

:-)

I downloaded this a long time ago. I lost interest in lisp, but I keep it around at work and home because it makes a damn fine calculator, especially when you have a multi-step problem. You can just type it in in the order that you would say it out loud, whereas on a normal calculator (like calc.exe) you have to rearrange it to suit standard order of operations.

Funny, I started doing a lisp interpreter a while back and I have only got to the part where it makes a damn fine calculator.

I believe my version is much handier than having to use Emacs.