Reader reviews

The clearest explanation of game programming I have come across.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The chapters on game programming are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Not quite what I expected from the description, but there is material here.

This is the third book I have read on data visualization this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Useful as a reference, less so as a straight read from cover to cover.

This is the one to get if you are serious about quantum computing.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Worth picking up if you already have the basics. Set realistic expectations and you will get a lot out of it.

Genuinely excellent — I finished it in a week and immediately started again.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. Good value for the price and worth the time it takes to work through properly.