Reader reviews

Better than I expected. Rare to find a technical book this well judged.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. 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 found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Finally, a book that treats workbooks with the care it deserves.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

It does the job, though it took some patience to get through.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

The clearest explanation of programming I have come across.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.

This is the third book I have read on software development this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. The chapters on software development are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Good value for the price and worth the time it takes to work through properly.