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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
From the review collection
Reader review4 / 5
An enjoyable and informative read
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.
Some sections were excellent and others felt like filler.
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 is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.
Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.
I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.
Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.
I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.
I have read a lot of books on this subject and this is the clearest.
There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.
I got a lot out of this, even if a few sections felt rushed.
A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.
