Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: This book taught me things about C++ and the Standard Template Library that no C++ class ever has. In high school, I took a C++ class which taught me the very basics of C++. Now that I'm in college, I've taken several C++ classes, though none of them have even touched on the STL concepts covered in this book. If you know the basics of C++ and want to learn how to use the C++ Standard Template Library to its greatest potential, you MUST get this book.This book covers virtually the entire C++ Standard Template Library in an easy to understand way. Not only does it have several graphs and tables which make it a great quick reference, it also goes in depth to make you understand how things are working. The footnotes make sure everything is totally clear and no corner is cut. There are many full examples, and the website has downloadable archives of the examples and more. I can't say it enough. If you use C++ and don't know how to use the Standard Template Library, you need this book. It is interesting, informative, and well written.
Rating:
Summary: THE reference for the standard C++ library
Review: The book is subtitled "a tutorial and reference". Let it be said that it is more of a reference. There are several concise examples that explain how to use the features, but the writing style is fairly terse. This book is an excellent supplement to books such as Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language". The discussion about how to use the standard library is more detailed than other books. The reason why I am giving this book five stars is because it is the best reference on the standard library that I have found anywhere. The examples are both minimal and complete -- just enough code to explain how the features should be used. I wouldn't say that this is a book you should have on your shelf -- it belongs on your desk.
Rating: 
Summary: tutorial maybe, NOT a reference of any depth
Review: I so wanted to like this book, but I take a $50 book purchase very seriously. Every time I try to look something up in this book, I end up finding the answer in The C++ Programming Language (3rd Ed, by Stroustrup) instead. That bums me out. I wanted a reference for the STL that I could pull out while coding and get the answer with no digging. This book ain't it.
Also, I read the first couple of chapters straight through and they struck me as weak. There seemed to be selective assumptions about what the reader should know. I'm an experienced coder and I had trouble figuring out what the author was really trying to get across, or why. I guess I'm used to the efficient, logical, concept-packed prose (and expertise) of Stroustrup, Kernighan/Ritchie, and Meyers. Even so, I will continue to give this book a chance and will edit my review if I find that I was too quick to judgment.
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Okay, here's my update. I have returned the book to amazon. The title should be STL Primer, as in a breezy INTRODUCTION to the STL. It is a reference only for beginners (in my view). The examples are uniformly simplistic and there is little depth to the discussions. Even when some potential pitfall or complexity is mentioned, the matter is dropped right there. This all sounds negative, but I don't mean to be. I was simply misled by the huge number of (inaccurate) raves. This is NOT a reference of any depth. It certainly is not a "must have". It may be a decent tutorial for someone new to STL.
Rating:
Summary: Very helpful to learn, understand, and use C++ library
Review: Perhaps this book is the best one to help you to mature all of the C++ huge standard (ISO) library.
It covers both the library and its underlying concepts pretty well and completely, with useful examples. This book has helped me to discover very interesting things about the C++ library that have boosted my effectiveness, while at the same time it has allowed me to reach a level of understanding of the library where I can extend it really nice, for instance, defining my own containers and iterators.
It has minor defects, though. Still, you can use it as reference. For example, the index is too small IMHO, and the documentation for routines, classes, templates, etc., surprisingly miss their exact prototypes, so, sometimes you must guess the right types of parameters and the stuff.
In very few words, "It is really worth the price". -= Ed =-
Rating:
Summary: Thorough and yet accessible
Review: In the Preface, the author mentions that the book is "not complete". However, you'll be hard pressed to find any area of the C++ Standard Library that is not discussed in great clarity. The lucid writing style and the sound organization contribute to making the volume very accessible to a reader with a moderate amount of experience in C++ programming. Among the (very) many nice touches is the fact that subtle or recently standardized core language issues are explained, as are their impact on common library usage idioms. This is perhaps the first book to cover the new templatized iostream and internationalization support (locales) in a clear and thorough manner. That alone makes it worth every penny it costs (but in fact you get so much more). Whether you need a tutorial or a reference: Josuttis has achieved the rare feat of excelling at both.
Rating:
Summary: *THE* book for STL
Review: I purchased this book to learn STL over 2 years ago, after fumbling through a couple others on the subject. Not only was this the most clear for learning STL, it is one of my most used reference books to this date. Well written and organized.
Rating:
Summary: THE book for learning the STL
Review: This book is the best tutorial/reference available for the C++ Standard Template Library. The STL contains some of the most useful features of the C++ library, and without a strong knowledge of the STL you will end up writing a lot of code that already exists. Most books said to be a tutorial and reference usually do a poor job as a tutorial, and provide too much fluff for a reference. This book is the exception. If you want to learn the STL, or need a good reference, this is the only book you will want to have on your desk.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite STL reference
Review: In learning STL, I started with the irreplaceable Stroustrup, but it was Josuttis who got me functioning the most quickly. Things are very easy to find. It's straightforwardly organized in a way that takes the mystique out of STL. At the office, this is the most borrowed of my C++ books, and the one that lies open on my desk all day.
Rating:
Summary: Great book on the STL library
Review: This book provides detailed information on the STL. I bought this book to get help using STL for the first time in a project. Using STL was very easy with the help of this book. Other people on the project also ended up buying this book.
Rating:
Summary: Most useful reference on the shelf
Review: This is both a text and a reference manual. It is the most useful reference I have ever purchased. It may be the best written text I ever read. Amazing for someone who probably didn't learn English as a first language. Absolutely essential for anyone doing serious development with the C++ Standard Library.
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