Can I use Common Lisp for SICP or is Scheme the only option?

Question

Also, even if I can use Common Lisp, should I? Is Scheme better?

Answer 1

Do you already know some Common Lisp? I assume that is what you mean by 'Lisp'. In that case you might want to use it instead of Scheme. If you don't know either, and you are working through SICP solely for the learning experience, then probably you are better off with Scheme. It has much better support for new learners, and you won't have to translate from Scheme to Common Lisp.

There are differences; specifically, SICP's highly functional style is wordier in Common Lisp because you have to quote functions when passing them around and use funcall to call a function bound to a variable.

However, if you want to use Common Lisp, you can try using Eli Bendersky's Common Lisp translations of the SICP code under the tag SICP.