Rating: 
Summary: Which edition to buy?
Review: Thank you for considering my book. My series on C++ now has three current versions, which can be a bit confusing. ** First is Teach Yourself C++ In 21 Days SECOND Edition -- this is the book to buy if you wish to teach yourself this language in depth. It is ANSI compliant (which means it will work with any modern compiler) and will take you from scratch through the advanced topics of exceptions and templates. You will need to buy a compiler -- Microsoft makes the industry leading compiler and the learning edition is under $100. ** If you want to get started but don't want to buy a compiler, the new edition -- the complete learning edition, comes with a reasonably up-to-date Borland compiler as well as adding additional self-testing material. The book included with this edition is identical to the book described above. ** Finally, if you want a quick introduction to C++ without all the gory details you may want to consider "Teach Yourself C++ In 24 Hours" ** I supply support for all these books on my web site including source code, an up to date errata and a FAQ for the books. I also teach an online course on using the 21 Days book. ** Thank you again for considering my books.
Rating: 
Summary: A good way to get started into programming
Review: This book could have been organized better (in my humble newbie opinion) but i learned enough of the basics to go on to Java in just 12 days! The Borland compiler works well with little difficulty. Pointers and references (which are in no way easy to understand) are still confusing, but everything else is well taught.
Rating: 
Summary: Put the Book down and walk away. You'll be glad you did!
Review: This book is better used as a door stop. This book was very badly organized and very hard to understand. It'll take you about 21 weeks to finally make sense of this book. Very outdated. I wish I never bought it.
Rating:
Summary: Through book of C++
Review: This book is great for someone first starting out in programming, in that it covers C++ throughly, accurately, and makes it easy to underatand. Once you finish this it, you'll never need another C++ book to fill the holes that other books have. It would have recieved 5 stars if it was organized better as a reference too. My suggestion: BUY IT.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good quick ref guide for working with classes.
Review: [I rate most modern programming guides much lower than this, so curve my rating accordingly!]My Background: Graduate computer science student nearing graduation. Have used about 10 languages in the last 15 years. PROS OF THE BOOK: (1) all source code available off the web!! (2) progressive examples of classes with more and more options built in (3) source code compiles with little effort using MS VISUAL STUDIO (C++) (4) down to earth discussion of class design: this is the most productive book on C++ classes that I have read CONS OF THE BOOK: (1) errata et corrigenda: <iostreams.h> should be <iostream.h> (2) no discussion of basic class connections to access low level pixel operations: it seems to me that in this graphics intensive marketplace a discussion of basic graphics classes is a must, especially as an object is required in (MS VISUAL STUDIO) C++ to access the pixel operations. (How can you not love pixels?) (3) No one can learn C++ in 21 days! The syntax of the language is simple (for those who know C) but the design of classes remains a black hole of ignorance in modern computer science curricula (undergraduate and graduate)--you cannot find any course dealing with the subject, and almost no theoretical research has been done on the design of efficient (reusable) classes. Unfortunately, many of the books on the market ASSUME the superiority of a certain design process, and there is no hardcore evidence for such opinions. Jesse Liberty steers clear of this wild wild west area of modern program ming and sticks to very practical guidelines. Still, learning to think in classes is a radically different skill which is not learnable in such a short time. When I am forced to produce a full-blown dual level neural network in 2.5 weeks, or an advanced AI solution in 2 weeks, class design requires containerization and probably multiple inheritance levels. Rewriting a string class is utterly trivial in comparison! My Point: Modern class design theory (in popular ! books) may be passable for the average "real life" programmer who has only a bachelor's and is 15 years behind the cutting edge of design theory, but this usual presentation of class design theory is hopelessly simplistic and deficient for the graduate level student. The great saving characteristic of popular C++ books is that MS's on-line documentation is much, MUCH worse! Jesse Liberty's book is welcome on my center shelf.
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