Reader reviews

This is the one to get if you are serious about simulation.

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 simulation are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Excellent from start to finish. No filler, no padding.

There is a particular kind of technical book that is dense without being difficult, and this is one of them. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.

Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.

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. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.

The clearest explanation of game programming I have come across.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. The exercises at the end of each chapter are worth doing — they caught a few misconceptions I did not know I had. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with game programming.

Strong content, uneven pacing. I would still recommend it.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.

This is the one to get if you are serious about javascript.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. 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. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.