I read a print copy of SICP (2e) during Covid, up to the last section in chapter 4, where they would start implementing something like Prolog if I remember correctly. One day I’ll want to finish the book.
SICP was a great shift in gears on my journey to becoming polyglot, a great introduction to “lispy” thinking. I read it after diving deep into Python, but it still improved my understanding and appreciation of Python as a dynamic and well-designed language (if you focus on the parts that functional programmers like). And it laid the foundation for my learning of Clojure, which I highly appreciate.
For what it’s worth, I don’t see how the JavaScript version should use more if/else than ternary. The whole point in SICP and Scheme (and the lispy languages) is that most things should be expressions, not statements.
On the side note of HtDP, I tried the beginnings a couple of times, but can’t find patience for the dogmatic style of writing stuff down upfront before coding. Writing code is too intermingled with my thought process. (not vibe-coding, and not committing or opening a PR too quickly, but just seeing my thoughts in code on the screen and then moving them around)