Reader reviews

Finally, a book that treats game development with the care it deserves.

This is the third book I have read on game development this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Good value. Not perfect, but I would buy another book from this author.

This is the third book I have read on databases & big data this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

An enjoyable and informative read, though it could have been shorter.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

I have read a lot of books on this subject and this is the clearest.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The writing is direct and does not waste space on filler, which I value in a technical book. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Mixed feelings. The good parts are genuinely good; the rest is forgettable.

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 progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. Three stars feels about right. It will stay on my shelf, but it will not be the first one I reach for.

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

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.