Reader reviews

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

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

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Worth every page. I have already recommended it to two colleagues.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with graphics & multimedia.

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Exactly the book I needed. Straight to the point and genuinely useful.

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. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with mathematics.

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. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.