Lisp is a programmable programming-language. It has several high-level features which many “modern” or “contemporary” languages do not. Among its features are -

* the now very common garbage collection
* language level extensibility
* true support for macros
* the now somewhat popular dynamic typing
* a special condition system (exception-handing on steriods)
* true multi-paradigm programming support
* the somewhat common lexical closures
* more

More than the features themselves though, Lisp truly encourages bottom-up programming. Finally, the programmer can build up the language to meet with the problem domain, rather than try to express the solution (broken down, using a top-down approach) in a clunky syntax which has nothing to do with the actual solution or the domain. In other words, domain specific languages (DSLs) become easy – in fact, they are a very common way of solving problems with Lisp. This is good. Even domain experts (non-programmers) can be directly involved in the “coding” using the domain-specific-language. More importantly, small changes lower in the stack can significantly improve and expand the functionality available towards the upper part of the stack (which is the DSL) – which is also where the problem at hand, is actually addressed.

Finally, even if one doesn’t actually program in Lisp at their day jobs, it changes the mental models significantly enough to make one a better programmer for the rest of one’s programming life.