Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams)

Author - Greg Perry ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Sams was reviewed on 26-Oct-2008.

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1) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams. Let me first say that this book is by no means bad. It makes C as simple (I would bold "simple" if I could) as possible, breaks the topics up into bite sized chunks based on topics, warns you about common mistakes, and provides the code for a lengthy blackjack program at the end for your personal dissection and analysis. My main problem with the book is that it does not provide problems for you to solve. It just explains the language. If you couple it with a book that includes a large number of problems, then you´re all set.

That being said there are better (and cheaper) alternatives out there. Probably the best method of learning C is to subscribe to Harvard´s CS 50 podcast. The RSS feed can be found at http://cs50.tv/ , or you can search for "Harvard Computer Science 50" within the itunes store and subscribe to it from there. The podcast includes separate video and audio tracks from lectures conducted by the courses´ instructor, David J. Malan. The podcast also provides PDF´s of the problem sets along with copies of the class´s quizzes and answers. The best part is that you can get this all for free. The course filmed is fall 2007 I believe, so all of the lectures are up (meaning that you don´t have to wait for them, go ahead and download them all). The first few episodes from week 0 are a bit slow, but the course quickly picks up speed after that. If you want to get right into C, then I recommend that you start at week 1 (Week 0 is spent going over the basic workings of computer hardware components and some time is spent on a program called "Scratch").


Another good, free place to start is the online tutorial found at

http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/asgn.beg/index.html

Reading, problem sets, and solutions to the problem sets are provided. Once you finish, you can move on to the intermediate section of the course found at

http://www.eskimo.com/~scs/cclass/asgn.int/index.html


The only weakness of these courses is the number of problems provided for you to work on. Across all of the material from both sources I have mentioned, there is probably no more than 40 dedicated coding problems. Another review mentioned thatC Primer Plus (5th Edition)had a large number of examples, so I plan to look into it.


As for this book I may keep it around for use when I do not have access to a computer, but most likely I will give it away or sell it.¤

2) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams. The book is good for a beginner just to get an intuitive feeling from, but I believe the editors should edit more carefully for actual accuracy. There are a lot of places where the text implies "learn it this way for now" as opposed to "learn it this way". As I have learned more C on my own, past this book, I realized they left out and glossed right over some glaringly important points. Maybe for the sake of not scaring the reader? Hey, I am a grown-up. If I am going to take the trouble to learn the language at all, I´d like to get it right even if it´s a little scary. The authors could have alluded to there being more to it, at least.

Computer programming isn´t a "sorta/kinda" thing, unfortunately, so I wish the authors had been just a bit more concise. I think they could have, without compromising the good intuitive feel they were also imparting to the readers.

That said, it´s an okay place to start. But I think learning C this way could limit one´s understanding of it later.¤

3) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams. Greg Perry has a way of teaching complex subjects to absolute beginners. This book is easy to follow even if you´ve never programmed before.¤

4) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams. This book is extremely simple and by far too verbose.

Book is about 360 pages which could easily be fit in 90 page none-verbose version. Still good start if you are absoutely new to C.

To be more specific, this book doesa good job to defining compplecated C terms like Stack/Hip and dynamic memory allocation.

¤

5) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams. Hi, my name is Adrian Mowrey, and I´m a computer programming student. I always wanted to learn C, but I couldn´t because I wasn´t able to find a good reference for beginners until I found this book. Another thing that made it harder for me to understand other books is that English was not my first language, and many other books talk too technical for me to understand. This book is much easier for someone, like myself, whose first language is not English. After I read this book, I decided to move forward and order "The C Programming Language" by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie. I hope I will advance to a respectable level from where I can build my personal ideas with C, and I´m sure I won´t have any problems since I have these two books.¤

6) Paperback Book Absolute Beginner's Guide to C (2nd Edition) (Other Sams) by Sams.

For beginning programmers, this updated edition answers all C programming questions. This bestseller talks to readers at their level, explaining every aspect of how to get started and learn the C language quickly. Readers also find out where to learn more about C. This book includes tear-out reference card of C functions and statements, a hierarchy chart, and other valuable information. It uses special icons, notes, clues, warnings, and rewards to make understanding easier. And the clear and friendly style presumes no programming knowledge.

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 23-Nov-2008, 0672305100752063051009, 280-000-630-650-840-360-L3B-8

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