Rating: 
Summary: No bedtime stories please, I'm studying.
Review: Many of us have said "I want to be a gameprogrammer!" but as soon as we start reading our first how-tobook we fall asleep. If you want a bedtime story to knock you out, don't buy this book! It's likely to keep you up all night reading. Breaking away from the boredom of simple technical writing, Andre LeMonthe weaves together information, visualization, and entertainment, much like that zany high-school teacher we love to listen to. I've been taking college courses in programming for a year now and I found this book to be and excellent reference source. The material covered in this book, such as sound, AI, and how to use binary shifting, complements my classes and often explains things better than some of my instructors. If you truly want to learn programming, or simply want to become a better programmer, I highly recommend this book. Even after you've read it, it will make an invaluable desk reference book.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for beginners
Review: Speaking from the position of the beginner, I can say first hand that this book has helped me tremendously in beginning with DirectX. It is clearly written, easy to understand, and most of all it's interesting. Not only is the book DirectX specific but the chapters on game design (AI among other things) are quite good. There are a few things I didn't like however:1)While the chapters on DirectDraw were very detailed, many of the book's later chapters were more of a 'skim' of the topics. I think perhaps the scope of the book was too broad. 2) I found that some of the code samples were buggy with some fairly serious bugs.
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Summary: Don't read this¿read the book!
Review: I can't recommend this book enough. If you buy only one book on game programming (and even if you don't), buy this one. I own over 20 books on: C/C++, MFC, Algorithms, Graphics Math, DirectX, and the like. I never quite got there. Don't get me wrong--I'm no novice: I'm a VB lead programmer on a corporate database project, but Windows programming is not trivial! The first three chapters, which step you through basic windows programming, are worth the price of the book. LaMothe writes in a clear, engaging style. Windows, DirectX, COM, GDI, physics modeling, game AI, and other topics are covered well. LaMothe has put some serious thought in these things. If you've given DirectX programming a try and you just can't seem to get off the blocks, try 'Tips and Tricks'. This book will make the pieces fall into place. One final note: Unlike every other author I have ever come across, LaMothe answers his e-mail. I sent him a note and got a response back in 20 minutes. This is a little like buying your old, favorite professor for the price of a book.
Rating:
Summary: Great beginner book
Review: I felt lucky to find this book, because it was at the EXACT level i needed to start learning how to program games. I had just finished a high school C++ class. I had some good programming skills, but all i could create were text console programs. This program starts by explaining the basics of windows programs, which got me on my feet to start creating win32 apps, and then it goes into directX. It is very well written, and I have been fortunate to have a good CD which has very helpful demos.
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Summary: THE BEST WAY TA LEARN
Review: I am 11 years old and have been programing for about a year, and I can say this book has helped me a lot! If I am 11 and I can do it why can't any one else. Trust me Andre LaMothe has a very skilled teaching stlye and has you programing in the first chapter. I have e-mailed Andre for help, and I got it! THIS BOOK ROCKS!
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Summary: Great For Newbie C++ DirectX Gamers!
Review: I'm fairly new to the C++ DirectX gaming scene. So far, this book has helped out a lot. I can't wait to get the second book and Andre's other books. Enough about me, here's the review. First of all, this book mainly focuses on 3D, but has a lot of 2D in it too. I am planning on making 2D games and the samples on the CD help out a lot. The cool thing here is that the second CD has a C++ compiler, so the requirements to be able to apply this book are...nothing! Even if you don't have C++, it comes with a compiler! Next, this book has a lot of advanced math. If you aren't good in math...you wouldn't be doing 3D programming anyway. Therefore, this book has lots of helpful mathematical concepts that can be applied to your schoolwork. I'm 12 years old and in sixth grade, so I'm learning a lot more from this book than from math class. Can you say Pythagoras? Finally, this book is great if you don't already own any of Andre's books. It rocks whether you're William Izmi (it's a joke...) or William Gates. Be you a newbie or an advanced programmer, you're sure to benefit from Andre's work!
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Summary: Very cool:)
Review: I always have a problem reading big fat books... I start a few chapters, then give up! Anyway, this is the first big fat book I've ever read from start to finish! Andre has a cool, very readable style of explaining things, some quirky jokes here and there, and cute quotes from movies at the start of every chapter:) So yeah, to summarise, it's cool!:)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: After reading this book you will compare it to no other, it is in a class all by itself. Chapter 8 is awesome, Andre', gives some great ideas on how to do scrolling, and isometric 3D Engines. This book has helped me out so much, keep up the great work Andre'!
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Summary: If you haven't bought this book, don't cry.
Review: I will give this book 10 stars. If you want to be a game programmer, you MUST buy this book. First it talks about the 2D Graphic programming basic like 2D game math,bitmap graphic..., then it drives into some advenced topics like AI, game physics, 3D-sounds and even Particle System! Also, if you want to learn DirectX it must be a good choice! I am waiting for the Volume II of this book which will fully cover 3D. I will also recommand the book "Michael Abrash's Graphics Programming Black Book Special Edition" which is a excellent classic Graphic Programming book for advanced programmer.
Rating:
Summary: Congratulations
Review: Congratulations on finding the best book out there for aspiring game programmers. This book is written exceptionally well, covering everything from basic Windows programming structure to DirectDraw, implementing physics, and AI! The author, Andre LaMothe, is one of "us", and even after having 20+ years of experience in this area, he hasn't forgotten what it was like when he first started. The physical book doesn't really cover 3d, however it comes with a great CD which has online book regarding 3d concepts. If you're a beginner, this isn't a problem. Otherwise, I'd advise buying a book that is just for 3d programming. In sum, this book owns me! =) P.S. I hope you don't consider sleep a necessary ingrediant to your existence, because you won't want to stop reading this book =)
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