Rating: 
Summary: Solid
Review: (Please note that reviews of all the editions appear regardless of what edition you've selected)ABOUT THE THIRD EDITION (Green and Purple Book) Pros: This is a really good book. The style of writing is geared towards a non-computer science major undergraduate student. There's a very short section in the first chapter that explains the history of C, the abstract parts of a computer and so on. The has an example for nearly idea that it discusses. I think this is handy for students to see the parts of a program they are reading about, especially to get the syntax down. I also really like the order of the chapters and the level of detail in each chapter. For example, C++ has many different types of numbers but the book only sticks to the most commonly used types (int and double -- although it does briefly mention the others) to prevent "information overload" on the reader. The book has highlighted pitfalls and programming tips that are useful to the student. The "trick" to most test questions seem to revolve around these points, so it's really useful for studying. Some of the examples are a little bit too heavyweight -- that is, there's too much code (usually no more than 2 pages though) so that you can't isolate a single idea. In the author's defense, I think this is so that all of the code examples do something useful, but I'm of the opinion it's better to see stripped-down code that doesn't do much so that you can take away how just that one piece works without getting confused. I think the linked list and template chapters might be a bridge too far for the introductory text. I think templates are a pretty tough concept to through at new students, and I think linked lists are a subject better saved for a data-structures book. I think a better discussion of the vector and list STL classes would be more useful. There is no free compiler or CD-ROM offered with this text. This wouldn't be such a big deal, except that there are many introductory texts that have these offerings. OTHER COMMENTS This book is strictly on "portable" C++ -- there's nothing on graphics, using a printer or network, or even using a specific compiler. If you are just getting started with C++ and you want to do one of these tasks, you'll need to look for other books. The book is also not a very good reference. It's meant to be a text book. This can be a little frustrating if you are trying to study for an exam or see how to do something specific. If you want a good reference, I would suggest buying a second book in addition to this one. "The C++ Programming Language", by Bjarne Stroustrup is a complete reference (but not for the faint of heart) ABOUT THE SECOND EDITION (Orange and White Book) The second edition (as I think someone else mentions) doesn't conform to the newest C++ standard. Therefore, things like namespaces and exceptions are not included in the text. The second edition also uses the old-style headers as well. If you are a student trying to make the decision between buying a used second edition text, versus a new third edition text -- I "suppose" you could get by for most of the course on the older edition, but keep in mind there are whole chapters missing out of the second edition. There don't seem to be many exercises that are different between the two texts, though.
Rating:
Summary: a good place to start...
Review: ... but it's really annoying that a new edition (the 4th) appeared so quickly on its heels. There's a lot to like about Savitch's thorough presentation. I must admit I find his prose more suited to an oral hearing than a reading; he just gets a bit too cute at times. That, I admit, might show my generation gap-py away! I do find the graphics miles ahead of his Java book and the earlier C++ books. The programming examples are excellent, and the self-tests are great. What I would like, if the publishers are into popping out new editions, is solutions to a few of the more complicated programming challenges at the end of the chapters.
Rating: 
Summary: Great for people not even taking a course in C++
Review: A truly wonderful book. If you are interested in computer programming, buy this book now. Great if you want to teach yourself. Clear and well explained examples.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the C++ programming language.
Review: After introducing the most common and fundamental features of any procedural programming language in the first five chapters, the book dives into object oriented programming concepts in chapter 6. Savitch introduces classes to the reader gently and allows the reader to gradually build a sound foundation for studying the C++ language in more detail after he/she has finished reading the book. All the main features of C++ are discussed although some of the subtelties are omitted so as not to overwhelm the reader. This book is an excellent introduction to the C++ programming language and it will probably become a classic for a person taking a first course in the language.
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Summary: This is how I learned to program in C++
Review: Among the many wonderful things about this book, in addition to it being easy to understand, is that it doesn't confine your learning of C++ to one particular compiler or platform. All the concepts and examples in this book should run fine on any decent C++ compiler. I used Visual C++ myself, but several others in my class used Code Warrior or Mac compilers. Yes, this was my textbook for a beginners programming course and I definitely kept it on my shelf instead of selling it on textbook buyback day at the college bookstore! Do youself a favor if you want to learn C++ and buy this book. It's easy enough to follow that I'm CERTAIN I didn't need to be enrolled in a college course to understand it. It will give you the foundation you will need for UNIX or Windows programming as you become more experienced. And besides all that, it is fun to read and not horribly dull and dry!
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Summary: Savitch does a superb job of...
Review: Explaining many of the basic concepts in C/C++ programming. This book is good for an novice programmer as it touches on many of the typical "pitfalls" made in programming. He does a good job of highlighting important stuff such as programming constructs and methods. There are some examples although they are not too great, nonetheless for an introductory course in programming this book is tough to beat. I recently used it in a semester long Introductory Embedded Systems course (utilizing C) and found it to be a great reference and very helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Savitch's book proved to be the best learning source
Review: First year student in programming, I have to understand clear and fast. The interval between what I am tought and the assignments I must hand in could hardly be shorter. Walter Savitch's has prooven the best learning tool to grasp concepts and relationships between program components, complementing rightly the professor's lectures. As a starter for someone without any programming bacground, the book provides basic though serious theoretical knowledge. It takes the reader into the dynamics of C++ programs, explaining with detailed diagrams what happends, why and when during the source code execution. The coverage is wide enough (up to classes and recursivity) and the answered exercices are particularly welcome. Experts (God bless them) may find it superficial, the book sacrifying on purpose extensive covering of the C++ language ressources to comments upon the fundamental points that will serve you the rest of your programmer life. One could be a bit puzzled about finding arrays as far as chapter 9 but here you can jump on the chapter as it flow in class. To say it in one word, it is one of the very rare book in programming that deserves to be said a pedagogic one, made by an author with an obvious concern about making students understand how programs are actually working. Not sufficient by itself, it is thus nevertheless quite a rare gem in the world of machine books.
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Summary: Savitch's C++: Clear Plus Concise Plus Comprehensive
Review: Geared towards beginner with no prior programming knowledge, this book teaches the fundamentals of the C++ language in a way that is extremely easy to read yet is very comprehensive. Savitch's down-to-earth style doesn't attempt to impress the reader with overly complex examples or ambiguously stated text. The book was designed to give the reader a solid understanding of the basic programming skills involved with C++ and does just that in a clear, concise manner. The book includes questions and answers along with suggested programming projects designed to sharpen skills.
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Summary: The best, best, best.... C++ programming book for beginner
Review: I am an international student study in USA. I've been reading some C++ programming books. But this is the only one doesn't make me feel sleepy and headache. I really love it. Since I could gain a lot from it, I bet you can too(ps. I am a really slow learner)
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Summary: This book opened up my eyes to object oriented programming
Review: I bought this book as part of a class I took at NJIT. I thought it was great. It really got me rolling with C++. The examples are simple enough so that you can grasp the concepts. I highly recommend this book for the beginner.
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