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Summary: This book is very good!
Review: I have never used C++ in the past, and I managed to pull an A- on my first assignment even though it was my first attempt. The book is very straight-forward with a lot of examples and is very specific in explaining what each component does and why it does what it does. You couldn't ask for a better way of explaining things from the very beginning, and taking you through each part step-by-step. It is written in plain english for simple reading and understanding. This book is a **must** for anyone beginning to program in C++!!
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Summary: I would not recommend this book to ANYONE
Review: I was SHOCKED to see positive reviews for this book. I have experience with a wide variety of programming languages and operating systems, all of which I taught myself using only the aid of books and online tutorials. I am currently taking a course at college on C++, and even with the aid of an instructor, I am struggling. This has to be one of the worst programming books ever."C++: How to Program" is explicitly geared towards beginners. However, when it introduces aspects of the C++ language, they explain concepts in a manner that could only serve to confuse the reader. For example, a variable is defined as "a location in a computer's memory where a value can be stored for use by a program". While this definition is certainly accurate, it fails to explain how a variable is implemented in a program and what its purpose is. All of the concepts are explained in such a manner; the book describes programming concepts in relation to hardware instead of how they relate to the composition of a program. Both beginners and advanced programmers will find the book confusing. In addition, intermediate-to-expert programmers will want to start doing neat stuff right away. The excercises are often near impossible to complete using only knowledge gained from the book, and the answers are not provided. I find that one of the most helpful ways of learning a language is from viewing the source code as examples and then breaking down the commands and figuring out how the program was constructed. This book does not allow that. It has a few helpful tips and reference tables, but that's it. In short, stay away from this book. Trust me. Ignore the other reviews. Buy something from O'Reilly instead; they have yet to disappoint me.
Rating: 
Summary: well written,If you dont know C++,This is your second choice
Review: The book is very well written with the examples that are easy to understand, also the questions in the back of each chapter is very helpful, when assigning homework. Most of the freshman students have a bit difficulty grasping technical details in the book. It is not the best book for the very first C++ beginners. If you have a bit of C++ knowledge, then it is very easy to understand the content. The beginners may feel that the book is full of unnecessary detail. But for someone who already possesses C++ knowledge, this one of the best books in the market.
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Summary: C++ How to Program: One of the best
Review: A well written and well organized book. You will love it. It is simply one of the best.
Rating:
Summary: Bleah
Review: I can't agree with the many people who have told me they found this to be an acceptable college text book. The index is nearly useless, containing detailed information about minor references, but nothing leading you to important information. The book starts slowly with an in-depth description of what a computer is, then rushes ahead without adequately detailing important concepts. Often the examples included show exceptions to the rules, but not the rules themself. I found much more useful information with random web searches.
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Summary: An Info Book
Review: This guide was excellent because if I had a problem it had the answer. It had a ton of information and that's what I like about guides. It definitely was better than the 2nd edition.
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Summary: Excellent Book, for C++ at any level
Review: The best C++ Reference/Tutorial Book in the market.
Rating:
Summary: A must have.
Review: This is a must have for anyone doing C++ programming. I have bought a few C++ books before but none come close to the technical detail in this book. It is not simply a collection of information, but rather they present topics in a way that is applicacble and relevant to real-world programming issues. There are many books that teach C++ and there are many that are merely reference books. This one however combines the best of both worlds. One thing that stands out in this book is the fact that they do not rely on superficial examples and marginal coverage of the language; they really explain what the code does, and why they are doing it that way. Finally, in this edition, they cover UML which is another important tool for building better software.
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Summary: Newbies Beware
Review: This was the first book I bought on C++. I figured the authors were MIT grads, had their own consulting firm, and probably knew what was up. The edition I bought had a CD which I thought would be helpful. I spent a few weeks reading it and found myself falling asleep after a few pages. The chapter examples were okay as were the problem sections, but I found that reading the book was a strangely bland and dull experience. I left this book on the shelf and went to Practical C++ Programming by Oualline, which has problems all its own, but which was much more engaging, focussed, and had a personality. Currently, I know more of what's going on with C++, and looking back, despite the notable strengths of parts of this book, I really think this is one of THE worst books a person could use to start learning programming. I think if you're already a programmer, this book is probably okay, because you already understand the global context that this book assumes you have a grasp of, which I think most newbies do not. I'm not saying don't buy this book either, because it has some useful code solutions and the end-of-chapter stuff has cool problems. Just don't use the main text to learn. My reason for saying this is because the style is like that of a dictionary being read to you by a robot. The book also lacks planning in terms of pacing how to present topics, how much depth to present topics, and how to connect topics into a logically developing model of language. Instead, it goes from point to point, digressing deeply on some topics, going superficial on others, almost like a trivia contest, and offering definitions without giving a comprehensive view of where concepts defined might fit together. It also mixes layers of concepts, presenting material not really discussed until several chapters later, but talking about in detail as if you already understood it quite well. This leads, in my case, to drowsiness. Then it throws in a few anecdotes which leave the reader guessing as to what the significance was. I was digging through my books this evening and I skimmed a few pages in this book and it really bothered me how the authors jumbled the intro topics with a whole mess of commentary related to more complex topics -- topics often meaningless to a newbie. For example, in the first chapter, regarding namespace std: "Programmers should not use namespace std to define new class libraries. The preceding statement simply says that we are using software components from the C++ standard library. If we were to define our own class library, we might place all our classes and functions in namespace deitel to make our class libraries unique from class libraries of all other companies and from the C++ standard library." No wonder I fell asleep. Who cares? What the hell is a class or a class library supposed to mean to someone reading at chapter one? They've effectively amplified a simple concept into a ball of useless drivel. Robert Lafore in contrast states: "A C++ program can be divided into different namespaces. A namespace is part of the program in which certain names are recognized; outside of the namespace they're unknown. The directive:-- using namespace std; -- says that all the program statements that follow are within the std namespace." (from "OOP in C++" by Lafore) Thank you, RF. By chapter two the authors are examining C++ control structures but at the same time introducing concepts related to static variables, prior to explaining datatypes to any depth or even details related to declaring variables (two pages on this in chapter one). Why do this? By chapter three the authors are into functions. In their introduction to function prototyping, the authors state: "The compiler uses function prototypes to validate function calls. Early versions of C did not perform this kind of checking, so it was possible to call functions improperly." The newbie response would be "SO?" They are SO boring to read. They are technically proficient, and their information is accurate, but they are SO boring to read, and in my opinion they are terrible educators, going from simple topic to complex, introducing irrelevent extraneous information without a clear context, using terminology that is accurate but useless to someone new to the topic (validate function call?), mixing levels of learning structure without proper groundwork having been established, and providing limited visibility as to what a feature actually does. Finally, I want to mention, the chapter on pointers is a nightmare. There is one diagram describing pointers is so minimal it has no meaning -- unless you already understand pointers -- at which point, you know the diagram is useless. The diagram has a box with a "7" inside. On top of the box is the label "count". The description says: "count directly references a variable whose value is 7". Still meaningless. Sorry. Yes, it is so bad, it's comic. So, I guess this is the main problem with the book. If you already know the topic, the book makes sense -- sort of -- you sort of know what to ignore. If you don't, you need to refer to another source, otherwise you will waste a lot of time realizing stuff you didn't understand wasn't meaningful in the context presented anyway. Are you sure these guys aren't tenured somewhere? **I** recommend, in hindsight, Oualline's snappy and humorful "Practical C++", Lafore's beautiful "OOP in C++", and Abelson and Sussman's astounding "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". Avoid D&D until you understand C++ or another programming language to some depth and can parse code emotionlessly like HAL.
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Summary: Excellent Text
Review: Before purchasing this book, I had absolutely no experience with any form of computer programming. It has been a little over a month since that purchase, and I now feel confident in my ability to write simple C++ programs. As I have only read the first 7 chapters, I expect to become more proficient through continued reading of this wonderful book. The book is detailed and explicit. It has many examples and convenient blurbs titled things like "common programming errors" and "software engineering observations". My only complaint is that the book is not very useful as a reference. It can be difficult to locate the explanation of a specific technique. However, I do not believe it is intended to be a reference. It is better read straight through. You may not learn what you wanted at the moment, but you'll learn everything eventually.
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