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C
Lost in the Company of Giants
It's hard not to take a book like C and compare it to such acclaimed and trusted books as K&R, Expert C Programming, and other lesser known, but equally good tomes. Unfortunately C doesn't really compare with many of the other classic books covering the C language. For starters, the writing in this book isn't quite up to the same caliber as the other books. Part of the problem with this book is language. English does not appear to be the author's native language. There are sentences in this book that require a few glances to glean the full meaning. C is difficult enough to present without a language barrier introducing more problems. Another problem is organization. The ideas presented at the beginning of the book are muddled and disjointed, with multiple ideas introduced but not formally explained until later. Beginners will have a terrible time working through this book without becoming quickly confused, and experienced programmers will likely pass on this book in favor of the other well-known books.
Not All Bad
The book is not all bad, however. The examples in the book are plentiful and are based on tried-and-true examples found in books like K&R. There are some idioms that are used in the examples that will irk the more structured programmers (not using braces in certain areas being the biggest example), but most of the examples are pretty good. Also, the explanations of the more advanced topics are relatively good considering how confusing the more basic material is. Memory management is explained well, with clear diagrams (although the programs are a bit confusing without a careful eye).
So What's in it for Me?
Addison-Wesley is clearly marketing this book to the same crowd that purchases quick-learning books. Unfortunately beginners purchasing this book will quickly find themselves lost amid the confusing descriptions in this book. Those who manage to muddle through will find some tasty bits of information locked inside, but the work involved in getting there outweighs the rewards. Most programmers will probably want to leaf through a copy of this book before purchasing it to make sure they'll get the most out of it.
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The world is going to C++. Yes, C has it's place, but that place (embedded code and ultra-portable stuff) is inhabited by people who think that the only book on C is K&R.
However, there seem to be many gaps in the C++ book market.
www.monkeytongue.com
Wow this funny!!! Should get a 5. Rot in hell Reeves
It's hard not to take an operating system like linux and compare it to such acclaimed and trusted operating systems as Windows, BEOS, and other lesser known, but equally good OSs. Unfortunately linux doesn't really compare with many of the other classic operating systems covering the x86 platofrm. For starters, the writing in this operating system isn't quite up to the same caliber as the other operating systems. Part of the problem with this operating system is language. English does not appear to be the author's native language. There are commands in this operating system that require a few glances to glean the full meaning. linux is difficult enough to present without a language barrier introducing more problems. Another problem is organization. The ideas presented within the operating system are muddled and disjointed, with multiple ideas introduced but not formally explained ever. Beginners will have a terrible time working through this operating system without becoming quickly confused, and experienced programmers will likely pass on this operating system in favor of the other well-known operating systems.
update comments set karma=-1, reason='offtopic' where sid=26315
Hmmm. Got me.
This is why I NEED A BOOK you asshole.
Why don't you put your ego back in your pants and answer the question if you're the fucking expert.
-Russ
Me