I read the comments after buying the book and I'm very glad I bought it first. The comments might have disuaded me from doing so!! I'm not a "programmer" by trade, and I admit, perhaps it's not the best book for such professionals. I have however an interest in programming currently as a hobby, but find myself drifting more toward the computer field as time progresses. This is the third or fourth book on C/C++ I have started, and I can say with certainty, it is the only one whith which I feel I am REALLY learning the C language.
I especially appreciate the brevity. Other programming books I have are 2 to 3 times as large ... meaning they take 2 to 3 (or 4 or 5...) times as long to get anywere! The short to-the-point chapters both keep the reader's attention and yet do not overwhelm you. Theory is nice, but let me get in there and get my hands dirty, man!! The examples I liked ... although, I often found myself thinking that more advanced topics (which I knew of from previous programming experience) would make the program smoother and often save typing. Frequently those topics were found in the next chapter. I think that minor amount of frustration helped me learn more as I thought "OH!! THAT's how I could have done that exercise last chapter!"
I FEEL I HAVE LEARNED MORE IN LESS TIME WITH THIS BOOK THAN WITH ANY OTHER C OR C++ BOOK I HAVE STARTED READING.
I can't say this book will teach you C++ from ground zero, but with a modest background in programming I believe it should be more than sufficient. Will this book alone teach you all you need to know? No, of course not. Will you need other books? Yes, certainly. But is this book the best place I've yet found to start. ABSOLUTELY!!!
|
