Book Reviews - Books on C++ Programming

  • C++ Without Fear by Brian Overland Recommended
    The most popular book by visitors of this site, C++ Without fear is a good first book in computer programming, covering a fair number of important C++ language features, including object-oriented programming. Overland's writing is clear and accessible, and the book includes many worked-through and explained examples. Also convenient is that Overland includes a CD containing the solutions to the exercises as well as a free compiler, DJGPP, with straight-forward installation instructions.

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  • Practical C++ Programming, Second Edition by Steve Oualline Recommended

    True to its name, this book emphasizes practical programming and results. Oualline makes compelling points about commenting code, choosing descriptive variable names, and making code easy to maintain. It also covers all the features of C++, often in significant detail. This is a great second book on C++ (perhaps after reading some tutorials), and is extremely useful for solidifying the details of the language and picking up practical tips.

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  • The C++ Programming Language by Bjarne Stroustrup Highly recommended


    This book covers every part of C++. Not a tutorial, for the expert programmer this book is both an excellent reference and a good read. Stroustrup created C++, and he explains every feature of the language and why it was included. One of the strengths of the book is the coverage of the nuances and gotchas that are unfortunately a part of C++.

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  • C++ for Dummies by Stephen Randy Davis Not recommended

    A book I can't recommend. The book doesn't do a good job explaining how C++ differs from C, why you would want to use C++, and how to think about object oriented programming. Many of the examples are either trivial or useless. The very For Dummies attempts at cuteness go a long way toward confusing the reader when the material is complex enough. The book tends to go into unnecessary detail at times, emphasizing behind-the-scenes details while leaving out important points.

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