Reader reviews

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

I have been working with game programming for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

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

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.

Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.

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 book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

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

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. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. The chapters on graphics & design are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

Good book. The writing is direct and the author is honest about limits.

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 chapters on game programming are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Good value for the price and worth the time it takes to work through properly.

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. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.