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ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
From the review collection
Reader review4 / 5
An enjoyable and informative read
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. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. The chapters on databases & big data 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.
Better than I expected. Rare to find a technical book this well judged.
I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.
Harry CookComputer science student · Barcelona, ES
Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.
I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.
Solid and well-organised. A couple of chapters dragged a little.
I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.
Solid and well-organised. A couple of chapters dragged a little.
I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. 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. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.
Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.
I have been working with game programming for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.
