101 Ray-Tracing, Ray-Marching and Path-Tracing Projects (Paperback)

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

This is the third book I have read on programming this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

Good in places. I would borrow it before buying if you can.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

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

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.