Reader reviews

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

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. 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.

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.

Disappointing. The description oversold what is actually inside.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Two stars. The subject deserves a better treatment than this.

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

This is the third book I have read on game programming this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. 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.

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

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. I have already recommended it to two colleagues and will recommend it to more.

The clearest explanation of graphics & design I have come across.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.