The Art of Computer Programming, Volumes 1-3 Boxed Set
by Donald Knuth, Donald E. Knuth
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (October, 1998)
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Reviews (42)

"Check it out"
I borrowed volume 2 to implement a special data structure.It helped me immensely in that task.But it wasn't the only resource I used.I could not justify spending the money on this book.

Short of the mathematical treatment, the knowledge certainly wasn't limited to Knuth.In fact, most (all?) of the Art of Programming is a compilation of ideas, isn't it?

I used a variety of resources.I even used to web.There are some terrific animations that show special case tree rotations for AVL trees or red-black trees out there.

Knuth will be appreciated by academics the most.Very specialized programmers, such as embedded designers, OS authors, or database designers will likely be the next biggest group of fans.Application developers will be next in line.They mostly depend on APIs to implement the topics for them.And Rapid Application Developers will hate the book.Don't care.Don't need to know.And they don't.So figure out where you are in that list and that's how much you need this book.

A modern rewrite would definitely nudge me into buying the book.But I just can't force hand on wallet ... to ... shell ... out ... bucks for a book that's already widely available in a variety of formats for free.

PROS:
Likely the best mathematical treatment of a computer science subject you will find.No one ties the practicality of CS and abstraction of math better than Knuth.

Coverage of many core concepts of computer science such asdata structures, big-O notation and efficiency, bit wise arithmetic algorithms, random number generators, etc.

Classic work.Impress your colleagues by idly leaving the book around.Bonus points:leave it open AND have a copy of Red Dragon nearby.

CONS:
Not enough pictures.Seriously.I am a visually oriented person.Two pages of tree rotation diagrams are far more helpful than ten pages of prose.

The book is type faced as a college text.The typeface is difficult to read.The exercises litter the book and make thumbing through it a bit annoying.

MIX.This is Knuth's solution to describing algorithms in a universal programming language the audience can understand.Unforunately, the language is assembly designed for a fictional computer.So no one can understand it but equally as well.Actually, any popular assembler experience (Motorola/Intel/PIC) should span the gap nicely.But when's the last time you programmed in assembler?How come?I blew past the MIX examples and looked for better psuedocode elsewhere.

My two cents
Yes, using MIX is all wrong.Psuedo-code that's intuitively obvious would save
us so much trouble.But, why not a "TAoCP in FORTRAN-90",
a "TAoCP" in APL, a "TAoCP" in COBOL, a "TAoCP" in BASIC,
a "TAoCP" in LISP, a "TAoCP" in ALGOL, a "TAoCP in Ada", a "TAoCP in C", a
"TAoCP in Java", etc. ??Think of the money to be made re-selling it in every
possible langauge if there's a market for it?I might even do it myself and
make some $.Actually, there's no need for a Visual Basic version, etc. because
I/O, etc. is not the issue.This set is about art, about *algorithms*, so most of
the high level language specific aspects are irrelevant (except for recursion,
details like garbage collect, inheritance, polymorphism...). Equally irrelevant is
worrying about efficient memory usage and the like. Today, memory, disk
space, etc. are not scare resources.While (being from the old school) I don't
believe in wasteful code, all people really want today out of algorithms is
optimal speed.Time and CPU power are the only resources that is still
constraints.Discussions about sort algorithms which optimize for anything
else (memory space, etc.) are pointless if they aren't also the most time
efficient.We don't care!Also, unless you work for the US Census or Social
Security Administration, you don't care about hardware devices like tape drives,
so those algorithms are just theoretical mind games. Anyway, please rewrite
this set in a practical high level psuedo-code with time optimal algorithms
only.But only the timeless (pun-intended) universally necessary algorithms
that are always going to be useful.Stuff like searching, data structures,
hashing,trade offs between techniques. In the future all people will want are
parallel processing algorithms for distributed environments and perhaps
eventually quantum computing algorithms for a language built on a CPU which
only processes QBits. One final thing: wasn't there originally
supposed to be 7 volumes and only these 3 were completed? What ever
happened to the rest?Why were they abandoned? I guess I never heard.

Precisely, but let us keep our logic straight.
From the review by Ekalavya Nishada: "It is true it uses MIX and does not cover the last 20 years of advances in computer science yet but if you cant understand MIX you have no hope of understanding the mathemtical analysis of algorithms in these books nor appreciate a quality book like this."

But this is precisely the point! Indeed, w/o MIX you won't be able to really read TAoCP, right, but let us keep our logic straight. Do you need MIX for anything other than reading this book? Nope. Does it add anything to the subject matter? Nope (in fact, it detracts from it; C would be more illustrative and realistic.) Is learning it so easy as to make the issue unworthy of bringing it up? No, learning it will take quite a bit of effort. Yet it *is* a precondition to being able to read TAoCP. And, btw, it's not that MIX "doesn't cover the advances of the last 20 years" -- I suspect, it simply has nothing in common with reality, whether today or 20 years ago. Is it worth your time to dig into this piece of gratuitous esoterica simply in order to be able to read the book? Is TAoCP *that* great and indispensable? Everyone will decide on one's own, but personally I think not, not today -- there are now quite adequate alternatives that do not tax the reader unnecessarily. Life is short; its demands are many; not everyone's a tenured professor...

(And to propose that the only alternative to TAoCP is "O'Reilly cookbooks" is a wild exaggeration: there are just as in-depth *yet readable* books to choose from. Twenty years ago, maybe this wasn't the case, but life didn't stop then -- our then-beloved books and us, we all have to face a threat of obsolescence ; let's not mistake our sentimental rememberances of the past for eternal verities.) ... Read more

Isbn: 0201485419
Sales Rank: 12393
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computers    4. Programming - General    5. Reference - General   

The C++ Programming Language (Special 3rd Edition)
by Bjarne Stroustrup
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 February, 2000)
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Editorial Review

In this brand-new third edition of The C++ Programming Language, author Bjarne Stroustrup, the creator of C++, presents the full specification for the C++ language and standard library, a spec that will soon become the joint ISO/ANSI C++ standard.

Past readers will find that the new edition has changed a great deal and grown considerably to encompass new language features, particularly run-time type identification, namespaces, and the standard library. At the same time, readers will recognize the lucid style and sensible advice that made previous editions so readable and enjoyable. Probably the biggest change is a substantial new section, well over 200 pages in length, covering the contents and design of the C++ standard library, the most important new feature of the C++ specification. The author has also added a substantial number of new exercises while keeping many from previous editions that have retained their value.

While The C++ Programming Language is not a C++ tutorial, strictly speaking, anyone learning the language, especially those coming from C, will greatly benefit from the clear presentation of all its elements. It is impossible to overstate the importance of this book for anyone who is serious about using C++. ... Read more

Reviews (249)

Essential Reading for Real C++ Developers
This is not an introductory programming book.This is a book about what C++ has to offer and how to best take advantage of it.It will be most useful to people that already know another language (C would make your life the easiest) and want to learn C++.

The first three chapters do a great job introducing the major facilities of C++ and how to think in C++ terms.The coverage of different programming paradigms will be useful to all developers.Also, the material on inheritance and multiple inheritance in particular, is clear and insightful.

This book is an excellent tutorial and reference.Though it is dense reading and the code examples are typically short but not inadequate.You may also have some trouble jumping around to a particular section as the examples often build from previous sections.But it is easy to backtrack to get the big picture.

Anyone writing nontrivial C++ applications should read this book.

For expirience programmers - The best
This book is the favorite on c++.
It truly covers the language.
However, buy it just if you are not new to C++ since it is for advanced programmers.
D. Orbach
booksprice - one book one click best price

A must-have, yet imperfect text
Anyone aspiring to be a solid C++ programmer will want this book.The text appears to be thorough, and the chapters are organized such that one can find the sections she is interested in.

In reading this book, I get the impression that Stroustrup is attempting to "clone himself" in its reasoning and explanations.This is beneficial from one standpoint -- the man is clearly brilliant, and he knows his topic as very few experts do.That said, this book is not even slightly concise and might not function well as a quick introduction or a quick reference.

By "concise", look at Appendix B:Standard Library of THE C PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE, SECOND EDITION by Brian Kernighan and Dennis Ritchie.In 18 pages, these gentlemen say almost everything that needs to be said about C's standard library.There are no examples, and there is very little discussion.

The C++ standard library does immensely more than the C standard library, and the concepts are far more complex.I can't expect Stroustrup to address everything in 18 pages, yet I believe he can be a lot more "to the point" than he is in his book (or at least a portion thereof).

I also find numerous places where I question Stroustrup's advice and generalizations, but I find no fault in the fact his views and mine differ sharply in places.Anyone who understands what Stroustrup is saying will be able to agree or disagree for herself.

An immense plus for this text is its completeness.I once faced a C++ examination after having studied a Microsoft Press textbook which said it covered C++, but in fact left enormous sections on the language untouched (e.g., templates were not mentioned).My score reflected the gaps in that textbook.By contrast, an examination in C taken the same day placed my score in the top 1% of the United States -- and the only book I read was the aforementioned Kernighan & Ritchie.

If you already know some C++, and you want to REALLY know C++, and you want to do this in a single book (you'll have to read it more than once), I think that Stroustrup's is the one for you to read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201700735
Subjects:  1. C (Programming Language)    2. C++ (Computer program language    3. C++ (Computer program language)    4. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computers    7. Programming Languages - C++    8. Computers / Programming Languages / C++   

C++ Primer Plus (4th Edition)
by Stephen Prata
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 December, 2001)
list price: $49.99
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Reviews (91)

Very helpful book
If you are looking for a book to start learning C++ then you have found it!This is a very good book that helped me in my first C++ steps.

Decent, but not the best
This is a huge book. I liked some of the content, but I also feel that the author tried to stuff too much in. As usual, he glossed over pointers leaving the reader clueless, as most books on this topic usually do.

If you decide to buy this, then I recommend that you supplement it with C++ Pointers and Memory Management by Daconta.

Excellent, excellent
For someone without any programming experience at all, this book opened my eyes to programming.Clearly presented and concise.Should be a must read for anyone interested in learning about computers and programming. ... Read more

Isbn: 0672322234
Sales Rank: 84235
Subjects:  1. C (Programming Language)    2. C++ (Computer program language    3. C++ (Computer program language)    4. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computers    7. Programming Languages - C++    8. Computers / Programming Languages / C++   

Numerical Recipes in C : The Art of Scientific Computing
by William H. Press, Brian P. Flannery, Saul A. Teukolsky, William T. Vetterling
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (30 October, 1992)
list price: $75.00 -- our price: $51.13
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Reviews (35)

Great compilation of numerical routines for C programmers
I found this book indispensible in my effort to develop profitable trading systems for futures and options and in my research in factor analysis and, more recently, in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. Anyone who programs in C or C++ and works with mathematics must have this book. It covers a surprisingly wide range of algorithms: routines are included for everything from handling Julian dates and solving systems of linear equations to determining eigenvectors and singular value decompositions, solving differential equations, doing numerical integration (quadrature), not to mention calculating fast fourier transforms, lomb periodograms and maximum entropy spectral analyses. While not always state-of-the-art, the routines are quite reliable (when used correctly), clearly-written, and easy to understand and use. I would strongly recommend this book (and the companion software) to anyone who programs in C and is literate in mathematics. I always keep a copy nearby.

Jeffrey Owen Katz, Ph.D.
Author: "The Encyclopedia of Trading Strategies" (McGraw Hill, 2000)

A nice classic
What I didn't like: the license for the source code is very
restrictive. Some things might have been implemented otherwise
(better?, oh well). Arrays use a 1-offset instead of 0 offset
as is the convention in C.

What I did like: the exposition and organization. It may not
provide the best solutions, but the ones provided are good enough
and readable.

Check GNU Scientific Library first
I give the book 4 stars to maintain the current level.I own a Fortran copy of NR, but like the other authors, I like NR for the explanations of algorithms, but not for the code.

There is a VERY good alternative to Numerical Recipes in C, namely GNU Scientific Library.You can find the source code and manual from:

http://sources.redhat.com/gsl/

or

http://www.gnu.org/software/gsl

As typical GNU software, GSL is licensed under GNU General Public License, so it is ABSOLUTELY free !You can download it, modify it, linked it with your own code, without feeling guilty of copyright violation (Not in the case of NR, NR comes with a copyright license to prohibit modification and linking).

GSL is written in C from scratch by its author.The design is modern, much better than NR in C, and also allowed linking with C++ or modern scripting language like Python.Some of the leading authors have background in theoretical physics and astrophysics, just like NR authors.

Check it out.You lose nothing to check GSL first, you may ended up saving some $$$. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521431085
Sales Rank: 48414
Subjects:  1. Applied    2. C (Computer program language)    3. C (Programming Language)    4. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    5. Computer Books: General    6. Discrete Mathematics    7. Mathematics    8. Numerical Analysis    9. Programming Languages - C    10. Mathematics / General    11. Probability & statistics   

Introduction to Automata Theory, Languages, and Computation (2nd Edition)
by John E. Hopcroft, Rajeev Motwani, Jeffrey D. Ullman
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (14 November, 2000)
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Editorial Review

This book is a rigorous exposition of formal languages and models of computation, with an introduction to computational complexity. The authors present the theory in a concise and straightforward manner, with an eye out for the practical applications. Exercises at the end of each chapter, including some that have been solved, help readers confirm and enhance their understanding of the material. This book is appropriate for upper-level computer science undergraduates who are comfortable with mathematical arguments. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Need some challenge? Come here!
I started to learn this course at the beginning of this semester and I just brought this book from Amazon in August.
I had no introductory course before but I was so curious about this subject so I am taking this graduate level course.
Now, I am in chapter 10, and I would like to give a review of this book.
This book is well organized, from the beginning to the end.
I have read almost each word in this book(including the extra ones in the box), and I would like to say: It is worth to do that.
Although sometimes the sentences are not very clear(maybe because I am an international student), but almost all the ideas are precious. So, please be patient when you are reading.
Trust me, if you do not have any related course before, you need time for it. but if you can understand all the contents in this book, and if you are more energetic, finishing most of the exercise with excalmatory marks, you will find your mind becomes so clear that is beyond your imagination.
For the tests, if there are some in your class, is only a half piece of cake. you will feel 100 points is just for the left hand(given the condition that you are a right-hander). :)
If you buy an international version, prepare to visit the book's website. and I will say this second edition seems to me the -1th edition because it contains all the errors listed on the website. Prepare you pen and become a co-auther of the book.
If you feel you need to improve your mathematics, take it, because reading this book can improve your mathematical thinking and proof ability tremendously.
If you feel all the course in your university is too easy and can not match your intelligence, take it, then you will find something interesting.

first edition is a classic, the second one unremarkable
The first edition is one of the best book in its field. A classic. A reference for many advanced courses in computer theory.

Sadly, the second edition misses a great deal of the first edition. Many chapters were removed. Important lemmas and theorems are missing.

I would gladly exchange my second edition for the first one, if it wasn't out of print.

J.

Excellent introductory text, but has several weaknesses
This was my textbook for an introductory course on Finite Automata and Languages - I enjoyed it a lot and I think that the chapters until the Turing Machines are covered very well, along with good examples. As one previous reviewer has already mentioned, the exercises can get very hard as compared to what's actually presented - this I found not too good.

The topics of complexity classes and NP-Completeness, as well as the chapter on Turing Machines are rather succint and do not cover the full depth. Papadimitriou's "Computational Complexity" does a better job in this respect, even though it is not at all flawless. Some might say that there is a reason why this book is introductory, but I argue that instead of doing a poor job, the authors should have maybe just made another book dealing with the above-mentioned topics.

PS: My professor told me that the first edition was much better - maybe you could find it somewhere in the library, if interested. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201441241
Subjects:  1. Computational complexity    2. Computer Science    3. Formal languages    4. Logic    5. Machine theory    6. Mathematics    7. Number Theory    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Computers / Computer Science   

Modern Compiler Implementation in Java
by Andrew W. Appel
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (13 December, 1997)
list price: $60.00 -- our price: $60.00
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Reviews (20)

An absolute waste of paper
Andrew Appel's textbook (Modern Compiler implementation in Java) has been prescribed as a Course Textbook. Given a choice, I strongly recommend to take it from the library or any place where you can get it for free for one semester/quarter. This book is not worth the money and is an absolute waste. Not only does it not teach you anything about compilers, but if you already know something, then it serves to confuse you.

The author has tried to explain things using an example and "steps" through the process of writing a compiler. So in that sense, if you are just looking to write a compiler and be done with it whether you understand it or not, then this book might be considered OK, though not good in any sense.

No theory about compilers is explained and the author seems to be talking to himself throughout the text.

Vague at Best.
I've read through several compiler texts over the past few months as I work away on a compilers project for school.I would have to say that this text, the required textbook for my class, is not in the least bit useful.Most of the material in the book is not covered in any real depth.If you are looking for a useful book on compilers, I would recomend "Compilers" by Aho, Sethi and Ulman (the Dragon Book), or "Crafting a Compiler" by Fisher and LeBlanc.Both books are much more thorough.The Fisher's book is also quite easy to read and understand.Appel's books only saving grace is the occasional modern view of things.

Finally, a compiler book that makes sense to me.
I love the chapter layout and the explanations of compiler concepts contained in this book. The language is a bit dry and somewhat mathematical at times. It may not be a perfect fit for every one. However, it was just what I needed to help me understand graph coloring and flow analysis. I like that he uses pseudo-code adaptable to many different languages in different places in the book. Originally, I bought this book strictly for its explanations of register allocation and liveness analysis. Those chapters were good, but flipping through, I can see that the remaining chapters may clear up other questions I may have as I become a more advanced compiler writer.

Overall, I am glad I bought this book. I own several rather academic books on compilers as well as some more practical books such as Writing Compilers and Interpreters by Ronald Mak and A Targetable C Compiler: Design and Implementation by Fraser/Hanson. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. Overall, I like this Appel book for its good examples of difficult to understand concepts. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521583888
Sales Rank: 138939
Subjects:  1. Compilers    2. Compilers (Computer Science)    3. Compilers (Computer programs)    4. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    5. Computer Books: General    6. Computers    7. Java (Computer program language)    8. Programming - Software Development    9. Programming Languages - Java    10. Compilers & interpreters    11. Computers / Programming / Software Development    12. Java & variants   

Computational Complexity
by Christos H. Papadimitriou
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (30 November, 1993)
list price: $67.00 -- our price: $67.00
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Reviews (12)

Good overall.
A well-written book that teaches you how to think about complexity theory instead of just a flat summary of results. Something like Lewis and Papadimitriou's _Elements of the Theory of Computation_ would be more than enough preparation for this (note that the style of these books is quite different- this one is more informal and descriptive). Covers all the material you need in a first text. Has a good little introduction to mathematical logic in it, including a nice succinct version of Godels Incompleteness Theorem.Lots of interesting exercises.

Upon Leaving The Realm Of Sense, For Points Distant
*Computational Complexity* is a great introduction to contemporary formal logic, which is more heavily mathematical than even the great mathematical logicians of the past were.It's a great introduction, even though they put a good-lookin' chick on the *back* cover (what's that about?), because Papadimitriou does not suffer from what Quine called *mathematosis* -- he is not assimilating the material of logic (anything and everything symbolic) to the rigorized abstractions of mathematics.And as such, this book defines what I think *computer science* should be today by choosing the "greater of two evils".If you think that computer science began with Turing like most people, CS is about building machines that do what thinking beings do (problems of detail); but if you think that computer science began with Church's undecidability theorem, CS would be about figuring out why thinking beings fall down on the reasoning job (troubles with principle).

I prefer the second definition; and although I'm a little old-fashioned in my tastes (prove it by me), this book demonstrates such an attitude can be forward-looking.Although Church is not venerated throughout the book, a task handled by Papadimitriou in his earlier CS introduction with Lewis, unlike Hopcroft and Ullman the spirit of Church is very much present in Papadimitriou's teasing-apart of complexity problems from applied CS.Yes, it's never about the physical machine, and Ryle can go away instead of work like this -- which in my opinion could form the basis of a "computational psychology" concerned with the will to truth rather than the will to power.

All in one roof, but presentation very poor
I agree with the review by Arthur Fischer.Papadimitriou might
be an excellent researcher, but his communication skills are
hopeless and horrible.The typos make learning even harder.

Perhaps someone like Michael Sipser should take up the task of
rewriting this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201530821
Sales Rank: 190041
Subjects:  1. Computational complexity    2. Computer Bks - General Information    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Logic    5. Computers    6. General    7. Logic    8. Programming - General    9. Computers / Computer Science   

Introduction to Algorithms (MIT Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)
by Thomas H. Cormen, Charles E. Leiserson, Ronald L. Rivest
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (18 June, 1990)
list price: $69.95
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Editorial Review

If you had to buy just one text on algorithms, Introduction to Algorithms is a magnificent choice. The book begins by considering the mathematical foundations of the analysis of algorithms and maintains this mathematical rigor throughout the work. The tools developed in these opening sections are then applied to sorting, data structures, graphs, and a variety of selected algorithms including computational geometry, string algorithms, parallel models of computation, fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), and more.

This book's strength lies in its encyclopedic range, clear exposition, and powerful analysis. Pseudo-code explanation of the algorithms coupled with proof of their accuracy makes this book is a great resource on the basic tools used to analyze the performance of algorithms. ... Read more

Reviews (122)

Too much coverage and few examples
I am a MS student, we used this book as Text Guide. Thank God I pass although I just got a B in part due to the poor coverage of exercises of this book. Despite of my willingness to try the examples and exercises it was really frustating not be able to check any of my answers.
First of all the book tries to cover all the possible topics related to Algorithms from sortingto NP-completeness problems. My recommendation, focus on what you know well and cover it thouroughly or at least split this book in 2 volumes.
Second, the anoying way to explain things by leaving them as exercises.
Third, the exercises were not in any way helpful to reinforce the material covered in the chapter, on the contrary are just the introduction of new concepts; and on top of that no answers available. In some cases the answers are not even related to the chapter you are reviewing, just an example, the solution for some of the problems in NP chapter are the application of Dynamic Programming which is a different chapter in the book.

If you have the unfortune of using this book, search on the net for answers that may guide you on your homework assignments.

Best of the luck.

Comprehensive and (almost) complete.
I am an EE PhD student in Princeton, with basic CS background. I bought this book about a week ago, and I just finished reading more than half of it. I am impressed by the organisation and dedication of the authors to write something understandable to a wide audience, without sacrificing in depth analysis. If you need a good and complete introductory book,that summarizes also the latest research in the field, I would recommend this one.

Drawbacks...Minor (+ I am a weird guy) and hardly mentionable, but I have the feeling that some proofs may have been presented more rigorously. I would also like to see more examples or SOLUTIONS to some of the problems.

Lots of stuff, but a little verbose
A good introductory text but that's about it. Any CS major worth his salt should chew his way through this level material pretty quickly, and there's the only rub... at points this could be a little bit more concise because it actually can aid understanding in an exact field. Sometimes less is more. The spared pages could be used to cover more material or to raise the bar a little. ... Read more

Isbn: 0262031418
Subjects:  1. Algorithms (Computer Programming)    2. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    3. Computer Books: Operating Systems    4. Computer Science    5. Computer algorithms    6. Computer programming    7. Computers    8. Data Processing - General    9. Programming - Algorithms    10. Computers / Computer Science   

Discrete-Event System Simulation (3rd Edition)
by Jerry Banks, John S. Carson, Barry L. Nelson, David M. Nicol
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 August, 2000)
list price: $118.00
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Reviews (4)

Gives a well-written and complete introduction
This book provides a very good introduction to discrete-event simulation. The authors start out by providing several simple examples in areas such as queueing and inventory systems, as well as reliability. After the first few chapters the reader gets a sense of what simulation represents and why it is done. In later chapters they score high marks in introducing more advanced issues, such as probability models, random number and random variate generators, queueing theory, and input modeling.

In closing, the book makes for a very good junior or senior-level introduction to simulation, and I especially am thankful that the presentation was made independent of any simulation package. Instead it focuses on those things that any good simulation package/language should have (e.g. random-number generators, built-in objects for customers and servers, statistical support for evaluating hypotheses about collected data, etc.).

statictical simulation
This book contains very well topics as input and output analysis, verification and validation, random number generation etc. I strongly recommend this book as an introduction oftheoric simulation.

Comprehensive, updated, great book of simulation systems
Banks revised his great book with updated simulation package and information. Several new issues, such as, tools/softwares, random-variable generation, simulation termination, how to use Simulation to analysis and design computer system, many downloadable examples. Sufficient theories, to understand Simulation, are given, for instance, the Statistics and Queueing theories. Two chapters are dedicated for random-number generation. One chapter is dedicated for verification and validation of simulation models.Although it's only one chapter, several references are given for further study. IE or logistic practioner will enjoy since one chapter is for manufacturing and material handling system (wow!). Very good reference and practice. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130887021
Sales Rank: 143916
Subjects:  1. Engineering - Industrial    2. General    3. Operations Research    4. Operations Research (Engineering)    5. Operations Research (Management)    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Simulation methods    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Technology / Engineering / Industrial   

Fundamentals of Database Systems (3rd Edition)
by Ramez Elmasri, Shamkant Navathe
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 August, 1999)
list price: $95.00
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Reviews (37)

Want the big picture?!
I consider this text a superior cover on database systems.
So far,I didn't see a text as thorough as this one to cover the theory of databases. The book is full of SQL examples that links what you've learned with DBMS(s) and it also emphasizes the practical& impractical query algebraic e.g. division in query algebra and how would you accomplish it efficiently in SQL. However, the authors have devoted parts of their times to illustrate the implementation of queries for those interested in a deeper understanding.

You will find also interesting chapters about advanced database issues like data-mining, warehousing...etc. These topics need volumes to be covered thoroughly; however, they are covered in a way that make your life easier whenever you read postgraduate level texts on database systems.

As an undergrad. student I would say you don't have to consult any other text through the course. It is a full coverage, I guess!

As DB professional (Data Modeling,DBA,DB programmer or whatever you do for life !)I guess, unless you have problems with your wife or your roommate :),you will enjoy your time reading this text.

The bottom line is:I recommend this text for you or in other words, this is what you need.

for professionals
this is one of the best books if you ever wanted to know anything about databases. I think this isn't a tutorial book or a book for self study on this topic for beginners - but if you ever need to look up for an profound explication on some database matter this will be the book for you.

This gives you insights into your database, if you are on the frontier from application developer that has to understand what a database realy does.

Badly explained topics
I am very disappointed with this book because the content is generally very badly explained. I constantly had to refer to other 'clearer' sources online regarding nearly all areas of reading for much better explanations which incidentally were regularly about a tenth of the length of text and a hundred times clearer. ... Read more

Isbn: 0805317554
Sales Rank: 270898
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Data Base Management    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computers    4. Database Engineering    5. Database Management - General    6. Database management   

Artificial Intelligence: Modern Approach
by Stuart J. Russell, Peter Norvig
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 January, 1995)
list price: $84.00
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Editorial Review

Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach introduces basic ideas in artificial intelligence from the perspective of building intelligent agents, which the authors define as "anything that can be viewed as perceiving its environment through sensors and acting upon the environment through effectors." This textbook is up-to-date and is organized using the latest principles of good textbook design. It includes historical notes at the end of every chapter, exercises, margin notes, a bibliography, and a competent index. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach covers a wide array of material, including first-order logic, game playing, knowledge representation, planning, and reinforcement learning. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Re: Survey type of book, shallow but good for reference
I think the book is good overall, it could be more focused in some places and have better examples for the students.

My major point with writing this review though is to counter false claim from the reviewer who wrote the "Survey type of book, shallow but good for reference", the book does cover Simulated Annealing, see page 116 in the International Edition for instance.

An `ok' general purpose book on AI.
This is currently the best general purpose book on AI (the field). It is by no means the best book on any individual topic though... but I guess that wasn't the point of the book to begin with.

I'm not particularly happy with this book though. I think it's the language, or the examples, or something, but often it's just not `clear'---not as intuitive as I'd like. Many teachers seem to use it in a `general purpose course on AI' though (not anything particularly detailed, so it's `ok'---there are worse books on the subjects).

In short: as a general purpose AI book on everything, it does its job, but don't expect it to be anything other than a glorified field overview.

the book is an excellent material

the book enters all the aspects of AI today and tomorow. ... Read more

Isbn: 0131038052
Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Artificial Intelligence - General    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Neural Networks   

Computer Networks: A Systems Approach (Morgan Kaufmann Series in Networking)
by Larry Peterson, Bruce S. Davie
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1999)
list price: $88.95 -- our price: $88.95
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Editorial Review

Computer Networks: A Systems Approach, designed for an advanced college-level course in network design and operation, provides the network applications programmer with detailed information about how networks do their thing. While Computer Networks is neither a user manual nor a technical reference, it provides an in-depth background on how network architectures and protocols work.

In the beginning, Larry Peterson and Bruce Davie discuss why networks are important and talk about where networks may go in the long term. The authors then move right into a discussion of protocols. There's a fascinating section--complete with plenty of C code--in which the authors actually develop a network protocol called A Simple Protocol (ASP). They compare switching and packet networks and emphasize tunneling protocols. In the internetworking chapter, you'll learn practically all there is to know about Internet Protocol (IP). The concluding chapters talk about traffic management, congestion reduction, and high-speed networking technologies.

Computer Networks reveals the guts of what's going on with computers that share data. Though way out of the league of most computer users, true geeks with an interest in networking will find what they need here. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

A good general introduction, not an engineering textbook.
Although this book clarifies the concepts of networking quite good, it lacks in-depth mathematical & statistical theory.
For those who are interested in the general picture, it's an excellent book. The authors actually succeeded quite good in not making it 'too dry'. For those who need 'more', like engineers and students in telecommunications/electronics, such as theories, applications and examples on efficiency, network performance parameters, etc., please look further as this book just doesn't offer that (and it probably never intended to).

Excellent book
I've been dealing with computer networks in theory and practice for quite some time. This book is excellent reference and give in depth details and knowledge. The structure is well designed and the materials are following each other. If you are looking for a startup book though, this might not be the right choice.

Too Confusing
This book is designed for someone who has prior knowledge with the underlying systems of a computer network.It is fairly in-depth, and explains a lot, but I think that for a true beginner it is hard to comprehend.I am working on a degree in Computer Science, so it wasn't like I was new to the idea of networking, but I found it hard to digest a lot of the technical aspects of this book.Some things could have been made to be more of an overview, rather than in-depth explanation of how something works at a bit level.I am now taking CCNA training, and some of the things talked about in this book do not relate at all to what someone needs to understand a working network. ... Read more

Isbn: 1558605142
Subjects:  1. Communication Networks    2. Computer Bks - Communications / Networking    3. Computer Books: General    4. Computer Systems    5. Computer networks    6. Computers    7. Internet - General    8. Management Information Systems    9. Networking - General    10. Neural Networks   

Algorithms for Image Processing and Computer Vision
by J. R.Parker
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (08 November, 1996)
list price: $85.00 -- our price: $73.69
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Reviews (6)

I like this book
It has source C code available, which I found is very helpful. It would be better if its code is written in C++.

Muy buena referencia
Recomiendo este libro a todos aquellos que estén trabajando en procesamiento digital de imágenes. Requiere conocimiento previo dado que el análisis matemático asociado no está descrito con suficiente profundidad en todos los temas, sin embargo describe muy bien las técnicas y alcances de las las diferentes teorías relacionadas con el procesamiento de señales.El CD que lo acompaña es de gran valor y permite fijar con mucha rapidez los logros descritos en el libro.

A great Scope
This book is very helpfull. Not only for image processing. An unsuspected use that I do to this book was use an algorithm for correct blurred images to revert effect of movil mean that produce a strain gage when one sense ancompresion wave traveling throw an iron bar, and work very well. This bookhas an "honor place" in my library. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471140562
Sales Rank: 96376
Subjects:  1. Algorithms (Computer Programming)    2. Computer Graphics - General    3. Computer algorithms    4. Computer vision    5. Digital techniques    6. Discrete Mathematics    7. Image Processing (Engineering)    8. Image processing    9. Imaging Systems    10. Optics    11. Technology    12. Technology & Industrial Arts    13. Computers / Computer Vision    14. Mathematical theory of computation    15. Signal processing   

Digital Image Processing (2nd Edition)
by Rafael C. Gonzalez, Richard E. Woods
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (15 January, 2002)
list price: $121.00 -- our price: $121.00
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Reviews (15)

need some enhancements
The book is not well organized even though the organization is very important for such a book with a lot of contents.

Nice book
Pleasure to read.Also, make sure u get ISBN: 0139353224.
Two-Dimensional Signal and Image Processing

A comprehensive book for almost everyone
The book gives a comprehensive treatment on image processing and covers the appropriate amount of information. The depth of materials was appropriate for someone already familiar with basic signal and probability theories. This is definitely the book to keep as reference if you plan to work in the area.An additional chapter on image reconstruction will be extra helpful. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201180758
Sales Rank: 43683
Subjects:  1. Computer Graphics - General    2. Digital Image Processing    3. Digital techniques    4. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    5. Image processing    6. Imaging Systems    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology    9. Technology & Industrial Arts    10. Technology / Engineering / Electrical   

Modern Operating Systems (2nd Edition)
by Andrew Tanenbaum
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (28 February, 2001)
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Editorial Review

For software development professionals and computer science students, Modern Operating Systems gives a solid conceptual overview of operating system design, including detailed case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000.

What makes an operating system modern? According to author Andrew Tanenbaum, it is the awareness of high-demand computer applications--primarily in the areas of multimedia, parallel and distributed computing, and security. The development of faster and more advanced hardware has driven progress in software, including enhancements to the operating system. It is one thing to run an old operating system on current hardware, and another to effectively leverage current hardware to best serve modern software applications. If you don't believe it, install Windows 3.0 on a modern PC and try surfing the Internet or burning a CD.

Readers familiar with Tanenbaum's previous text, Operating Systems, know the author is a great proponent of simple design and hands-on experimentation. His earlier book came bundled with the source code for an operating system called Minux, a simple variant of Unix and the platform used by Linus Torvalds to develop Linux. Although this book does not come with any source code, he illustrates many of his points with code fragments (C, usually with Unix system calls).

The first half of Modern Operating Systems focuses on traditional operating systems concepts: processes, deadlocks, memory management, I/O, and file systems. There is nothing groundbreaking in these early chapters, but all topics are well covered, each including sections on current research and a set of student problems. It is enlightening to read Tanenbaum's explanations of the design decisions made by past operating systems gurus, including his view that additional research on the problem of deadlocks is impractical except for "keeping otherwise unemployed graph theorists off the streets."

It is the second half of the book that differentiates itself from older operating systems texts. Here, each chapter describes an element of what constitutes a modern operating system--awareness of multimedia applications, multiple processors, computer networks, and a high level of security. The chapter on multimedia functionality focuses on such features as handling massive files and providing video-on-demand. Included in the discussion on multiprocessor platforms are clustered computers and distributed computing. Finally, the importance of security is discussed--a lively enumeration of the scores of ways operating systems can be vulnerable to attack, from password security to computer viruses and Internet worms.

Included at the end of the book are case studies of two popular operating systems: Unix/Linux and Windows 2000. There is a bias toward the Unix/Linux approach, not surprising given the author's experience and academic bent, but this bias does not detract from Tanenbaum's analysis. Both operating systems are dissected, describing how each implements processes, file systems, memory management, and other operating system fundamentals.

Tanenbaum's mantra is simple, accessible operating system design. Given that modern operating systems have extensive features, he is forced to reconcile physical size with simplicity. Toward this end, he makes frequent references to the Frederick Brooks classic The Mythical Man-Month for wisdom on managing large, complex software development projects. He finds both Windows 2000 and Unix/Linux guilty of being too complicated--with a particular skewering of Windows 2000 and its "mammoth Win32 API." A primary culprit is the attempt to make operating systems more "user-friendly," which Tanenbaum views as an excuse for bloated code. The solution is to have smart people, the smallest possible team, and well-defined interactions between various operating systems components. Future operating system design will benefit if the advice in this book is taken to heart. --Pete Ostenson ... Read more

Reviews (21)

my favorite Computer Science book
Just finished my bachelor's degree in Computer Science and looking back this is hands down the best, most readable textbook I had in college.It has a proud place on my book shelf.I can't claim to have read the *entire* book (though I was supposed to), but I read quite a lot of it and it was fascinating.

Tanenbaum covers the material in depth, but he has a relaxed, entertaining writing style that is engaging and amazingly easy to follow considering the weighty material.There are undoubtedly occasional mistakes, but unlike other books with more obtuse, "I am smarter than you" writing styles, you're actually awake enough to spot the mistakes when they show up.I don't ever remember being baffled by any mistakes.After reading the reviews by this book's few detractors, all I can do is shrug my shoulders and say that I loved it and that every classmate I talked to (including two roommates) wholeheartedly agreed.

By the way, I concur with an earlier reviewer in highly encouraging readers to read the case studies of Unix/Linux and Windows 2000 in chapters 10 & 11... fascinating stuff.

aggravating to read
The book is generally good and the author has a nice sense of humor but it's clear that english is not his native language because it is full of statements that just don't seem to quite make sense. For example, in the synchronization section dealing with SLEEP and WAKEUP calls he states:

"The WAKEUP call has one parameter, the process to be awakened. Alternatively, both SLEEP and WAKEUP each have one parameter, a memory address used to match up SLEEPs with WAKEUPs." (p.108)

Huh??? Can someone tell me whether WAKEUP has one parameter or two? And what does he mean by "alternatively"? He doesn't appear to be presenting contrasting alternatives. This is not an isolated example; the book is full of statements that, to put it charitably, don't translate quite right and are less than perfectly clear. This book could be great if it were only reviewed by a native english-speaking editor. For now though it's a very frustrating read.

Not an easy read
This books is a tough read, Mr. Tanenbaums explanations of concepts is very loopy and confusing at best.I have a fairly strong foundation in Operating Systems but still this book leaves me dazed.In addition to this book I have Operating Systems by Deitel and Stallings and I find that they manage to convey the concepts of OS much more clearly than Mr. Tanenbaum.I would strongly recommend against this book, even keeping it as a reference is a no-go especially considering the cost. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130313580
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Operating Systems    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Operating Systems    4. Computers    5. Operating Systems - General    6. Operating systems (Computers)    7. Computers / Operating Systems / General   

Software Engineering (6th Edition)
by Ian Sommerville
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (11 August, 2000)
list price: $112.60 -- our price: $112.60
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Reviews (17)

Informative but not Practical
I used this book for an introductory course on software engineering.Although the book gives an expansive view of the field, there isn't enough detail or in-depth examples to make it anything more than an academic treatise.I don't feel that I could use much of what I've learned in an actual project - I would have to resort to more specific references.

Now, the premise of having an entire book on software engineering may be more to blame than the clarity or presentation of the material.But software engineering is a practical field, and a software engineering text that doesn't provide practical information isn't useful.For this reason, I cannot give the book a passing grade.

Shallow and not using American English
This book tries to cover way too much information in such a small space leaving topics overly vague and generic.

Further, the author does not use American English, which is fine - when you don't attend an American university.Words such a "modelling" and general sentence structure makes the text distracting and confusing in ways it shouldn't be.If I am going to have trouble reading it, let it be the material and now how the material is presented.

If the book isn't forced upon you by a university, you should consider a different software engineering book if you want details.

Of course, I won't even go into my professor who is using this book - yikes.

Worth the paper it's printed on but no more
I used this book in a 400 level college course on software engineering, and found it to be exceedingly shallow in its coverage of the topic. The work is a worthy attempt at providing a broad overview of the discipline. However, in my estimate it covers too much material in too little space and presents too few practical examples of the type that might be applicable to a "real-world" software project. Further the text only gives lip service to the wide array of tools now available. In all honesty I don't see how any one could give this book more than three starts (apologies to the other reviewers), especially considering that the book is now in its sixth edition.

I was at the used book store recently and had the good fortune of acquiring Stephen R. Schach's excellent book: "Software Engineering with Java." If you are a college professor looking for a course text, I would highly recommend taking a look at this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 020139815X
Sales Rank: 131574
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computers    4. Programming - Software Development    5. Programming Languages - General    6. Software Engineering    7. Computers / Programming / Software Development   

Structured Computer Organization (4th Edition)
by Andrew S. Tanenbaum
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (23 October, 1998)
list price: $108.00 -- our price: $108.00
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Reviews (38)

Book is fine
Ignore the other reviewers comments who are lazy and/or incapable of doing the end-chapter problems, it's amusing how many people repeated that(like parrots).
Some problems take more time and require compact understanding of concepts explained so far and some are easy, I used the book for an independent study course and it's readable, presenting a good deal of material, and includes quite funny comments in the text. I recommend it.

Tanenbaum needs new publisher and editors
Andrew Tanenbaum might be the best there is when it comes to the study of computers but, unless you're a "thorough geek," you'd wish other technical writers would step into the fore.

Tanenbaum's books all use the same single technique to help students remember important ideas:bold letters.That's it.You'd be hard pressed to understand the main concepts most of the times because, like a forgetful professor, he'd sometimes mention it in passing (without bold font) that you think they weren't that important.Until one pops up in one of his chapter problems, then you're through.

He does not provide any solutions at the end of his books.One gets the sense he wrote his books for the instructors/professors who are too lazy (or uncreative) to come up with their own sample problems for the students.I wish they'd write computer science books the way mathematicians write their books: They assume their students are "mathematically-challenged" so they go that extra mile to make sure the students get the point.They provide answers to odd-number problems, for one.They also make sure the layout of their books are arranged so that students don't miss the main ideas.With Tanenbaum, you'd have to dig everywhere; you don't know whether to search in the current, previous, or the following chapters for help in answering the problems.

I still have a few more semesters of computer science; I'm almost sure all the textbooks would be written by Tanenbaum (again!).I dread the thought.

So, Tanenbaum, if you're reading this:Please, please, look for another publisher and editor who would help you in the layout of your book.And please, please, provide some answers to some of your problems for the students.At over a hundred bucks, I want my money's worth!

The Book
Does any one know of a solution mannual for this book? The questions at the end of the book are nice and all but they are really hard to solve. ... Read more

Isbn: 0130959901
Sales Rank: 105331
Subjects:  1. Computer Architecture    2. Computer Architecture - General    3. Computer Bks - General Information    4. Computer Books: General    5. Computer organization    6. Computer programming    7. Computers    8. Computers / Computer Architecture   

OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL, Version 1.2 (3rd Edition)
by Mason Woo, Jackie Neider, Tom Davis, Dave Shreiner, OpenGL Architecture Review Board
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (06 August, 1999)
list price: $59.99
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Editorial Review

The OpenGL Programming Guide, now in its third edition, is the definitive volume for programmers using this evolving graphics interface standard. Written by members of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board, this book offers understandable tutorials and lessons on getting up to speed and getting the most out of the latest version of OpenGL, version 1.2.

The guide uses code examples in C and is targeted at programmers who have experience in coding yet are new to coding for OpenGL applications. The opening chapters go into descriptive detail of how OpenGL, the software interface for hardware 3-D chipsets, works and what you can expect from it, which turns out to be much more than you might have thought. Color plates are used, for example, to show how OpenGL handles such effects as motion blur and depth-of-field blur, in addition to shadows and texture mapping.

This is not a beginner's guide to programming computer graphics. Some previous knowledge of both programming in general and computer graphics in particular is required. For example, code snippets are used to describe how to implement these effects, but because OpenGL is platform-independent, some code examples may need to be modified when used with your specific compiler.

Filled with the expertise of those who standardized OpenGL, there is no better reference volume for learning and understanding this system. The examples cited are clear, commented, and explained. The only drawback to the book is that it lacks a companion CD-ROM--all examples must be either typed in or downloaded from an Internet FTP site. (The URL is listed in the preface.) --Mike Caputo ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Bound man pages
There are about 20 brief introductory pages at the beginning of the book that are the unique content. After that the book is basically bound manual pages for the APIs. If you don't like reading this material on a screen then you might consider buying the book.

I'm giving this book three stars because even though it's handy to have a reference manual such as this, I think they could have spent the time to do some cross referencing and some better graphical structuring to add value to the material. O'Reilly, for example, has some books (particularly the Nutshell books) which are little more than API references, but people pay for the cross-referencing and the information design. More care could have been taken on this book.

An OpenGL Companion
The fourth edition of "OpenGL Reference Manual" edited by Dave Shreiner provides an official command reference for the OpenGL graphics library version 1.4.Published by Addison Wesley (ISBN 0-321-17383-X) the text is approximately 760 pages and has a suggested retail price of $59.99.

First introduced in 1992, OpenGL is an industry standard graphical application programming interface (API) that supports 2D and 3D rendering across a host of platforms.The Architectural Review Board (ARB) governs the OpenGL API and oversees the adoption of new interface functions.Functions (or commands) within the API are usually simple and discrete.A developer calls a series of these small functions in sequence to specify rendering operations.To help utilize the library, the "OpenGL Reference Manual" supplies key functional documentation in a uniform manner.

The first two chapters provide an introduction to OpenGL, and an overview of the OpenGL architecture.The provided information is largely for reference rather than instruction.Generally, it is assumed the reader has a working knowledge of the pipeline already.

The third and fourth chapters list different groupings of the functional commands to provide the reader with several methods to index and reference functions. The third chapter details all each official OpenGL command categorized by functionality.The fourth chapter lists the various OpenGL constants that are compatible with each command.

Beginning with the fifth chapter, 160 official OpenGL commands are described.Listed alphabetically, every command has the following sections: Name, Function Prototype, Parameters, Description, Notes, Errors, See Also, and (sometimes when appropriate) Associated Gets.The coverage of each command spans an average of 3 pages.

The last two chapters describe fifty-two of the OpenGL Utility Library (GLU) and thirty-five OpenGL X-Windows extension commands.The reference format is identical but slightly shorter (averaging about 2 pages per command).

Overall, the organization and consistency is excellent.Often, material is duplicated per command to save the reader cross-referencing other sections of the book.Throughout the text, the wording is clear and unambiguous (if a bit dry) - exactly what you'd expect from a reference book of this nature.

The book does have a few shortcomings, however.There is only a small trace of sample source code.While the commands are presented alphabetically by class, the book contained no overall index.OpenGL Extensions (pixel and vertex shader commands, etc.) are not provided since they're not officially part of the Standard.Finally, having an electronic version of the text would have been a nice touch - especially one that integrated with the common development environments to provide context sensitive help or electronic searching.

The latest edition of the "OpenGL Reference Manual" is a great companion for OpenGL developers. To get the most from this book, readers unfamiliar or interested in learning the API should first read the "OpenGL Programming Guide, 4th Edition" (ISBN 0-3-211-73491) also published by Addison Wesley.

The best OpenGL book on the market ...unfortunately.
If you have a degree in Computer Science or Mathematics, this is the OpenGL book for you; otherwise, you'll want to start with something substantially simpler.

Even for those with the requisite pre-education, some parts of the book gloss over details a little too much, leaving you to experiment with the demonstration software to work out what things do. For example, the description of texture blending modes is very skimpy--if you want to know the difference between alpha, luminance and intensity textures, you'll need to look elsewhere.

Another problem is that the arrangement of information is sometimes perverse; while it may make sense from a reference point of view, learners will need to skip around in the book to learn things in a logical order. For instance, you're told how to define texture coordinate arrays, and texture mipmap generation is explained in detail, long before the book has gotten around to explaining how to actually paint a texture on a polygon.

Finally, with OpenGL at version 1.4, the book is in need of an update. I wish I could recommend a better book, but at the time of writing this really does seem to be the best one available. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201604582
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers    6. OpenGL    7. Programming Languages - General   

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice in C (2nd Edition)
by James D. Foley, Andries van Dam, Steven K. Feiner, John F. Hughes
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 August, 1995)
list price: $79.99 -- our price: $63.02
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Editorial Review

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice is the most exhaustive overview of computer graphics techniques available. This textbook's 21 chapters cover graphics hardware, user interface software, rendering, and a host of other subjects. Assuming a solid background in computer science or a related field, Computer Graphicsgives example programs in C and provides exercises at the end of each chapter to test your knowledge of the material. The guide has over 100 beautiful, four-color photographs that illustrate important topics and algorithms, such as ray tracing and bump maps, and also inspire you to acquire the skills necessary to produce them. Encyclopedic in its coverage, the book has a good table of contents so that you can immediately turn to information on the z-Buffer algorithm or the chapter on animation. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

An out-dated clasic.
I see that this book is getting a 4.5 average star rating.I really think many of these ratings are based largely on nostalgia.I bought this book 7 years ago or so.I definitely can say that I learned a great deal from this book, and it is a classic.

However, it hasn't been updated since then, and I think that, considering the price tag, it really doesn't make sense for most modern readers to buy it.(Especially if they don't have Real-Time Rendering, which is my recommendation.)

Let's scan through the table of contents and see which chapters might be worth reading:

1.) Introduction
2.) SRGP - if you don't know what this means, it's because it stands for a graphics system that nobody uses anymore.
3.) Basic raster graphics algorithms for drawing 2d primitives - this is a good reference for this stuff.Of course, a lot fewer people need to know how to do software rasterization nowadays
4.) Graphics Hardware - circa 1996
5.) geometrical transforms - standard material as covered elsewhere, though more difficult to understand
6.) viewing in 3D - This is actually a pretty unique chapter and worth reading once you've read other books (which will be easier to learn from).There's some unique information about different types of projections, and some alternative ways of looking at the problem.
7.) Object heirarchy and SPHIGS.Another graphics programming system nobody uses anymore.
8.) input devices, interaction techniques, and interaction tasks - I never read these chapters because they were about UI design.Maybe you'll find them useful - but they aren't really about "graphics"
9.) dialogue design - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
10.) user interface software - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
11.) Representing curves and surfaces - there's some good meat here, most of it pretty timeless.But again, I think the information is contained in plenty of other books, as well.
12.) solid modeling - some interesting material here that isn't the same old stuff found in every other graphics book.
13.) achromatic and colored light - gets into the theory of color and different color models.Interesting and useful.
14.) the quest for visual realism - largely out of date, but some decent information
15.) visible surface determination - covers a wide variety of algorthims, many of which are more interesting than useful.
16.) illumination and shading - gives the standard local lighting model.Mostly this is standard information you can get elsewhere.
17.) image manipulation and storage - discusses filtering techniques, etc.
18.) Advanced Raster Graphics Architecture - out of date
19.) Advanced Geometric and Raster Algorithms - Mostly out of date, but with some standard information you can get elsewhere
20.) Advanced Modeling techniques - fractals, particle systems, etc - doesn't cover much in detail
21.) Animation - not much can be covered in 23 pages...

For most people, I would suggest "Real-Time Rendering" as a more modern "survey of computer graphics".

This is not a book for beginners - there's so much information in this book that none of it is covered with any sort of decent explanation.

And the code is all really old-school K&R C style with the type of the function arguments declared in between the closing paren and the opening brace.

The reasons to get this book are:

1.) To "complete your bookshelf" with a book that all good programmers are "supposed to have"
2.) As an interesting (but expensive) read on algorithms and ideas that you probably won't use directly, but you may find interesting and learn altative ways of looking at problems.

A thorough coverage of the Computer Graphics world.
I have found this book to be _the_ most useful book in my line of work yet. I have been involved in computer graphics and software development for about 10 years, and this stands out as the ideal reference book.

Dont bother with this book if you just want source code. This book is all about explanation of the fundamentals of computer graphics. It is excellent in helping with design descisions and implementation strategies. Dont overlook this book if you are in anyway involved with the creation of a computer graphics application. The theory and algorithms described are old, but these are still used today - interestingly other reviewers seem to think this is bad, its not. It saves you spending months researching a method only to find it was already mentioned in this book, and the benefits and disadvantages are often written well with solid references.

In my opinion, in Computer Graphics, this is the Bible. The theories and algorithms assist in solving any problem you will find in the computer graphics world. It wont give you the code, but it will give you a solution.

Good book for 3D graphics
It is a book for the ones who like math, not for general programmers. ... Read more

Isbn: 0201848406
Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Graphics    4. Computer Graphics - General    5. Computers / Computer Graphics / General