Customer Reviews

A Book on C: Programming in C

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is the best book I have ever read on C, one of the best textbooks I have ever read, and one of the best books (no exceptions) I have ever read.

I learned C from this book (second edition) in the author's (AK's) computational math class at UC Santa Cruz. I have since looked at many other C books (including K&R, "C By Example", "C for Programmers", and others) and this is hands-down the best. It provides a thorough, accessible and ANSI-compliant introduction to the language, uses many useful (nontrivial) examples from general computer science and computational math (sorting algorithms, matrix math), and I found it fun to read! In particular, I think it provides the most intuitive and useful introduction to pointers and pointer arithmatic anywere. The examples are well integrated into the flow of presentation, and it is well indexed (it is an excellent reference book). One of the reasons I like it so much as an example of good writing is that it serves double duty as a teaching tool and a reference work, and does both successfully.

This is the one!

Well, after reading Teach Yourself C in 24 hours and not learning much from the overly useless examples and plain explanations, I decided to a buy another C book to get a more advanced education on the C language. I looked through the reviews of the C books, and decided on this one...

Best choice I ever made.

This book is truly fantastic. Explanations of new concepts and ideas are given lots of detail and thought, programs are explained well with the helpful dissection technique, the order of the chapters is well thought out, etc, etc. I would suggest an easier book on C(Don't get Teach Yourself C in 24 Hours tho), although it isn't required to understand this book because of how well it's written. Overall, this book is incredible, and wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend it full-heartedly. Althought it isn't perfect (Typos and lack of full examples are the only two problems I can think of) this book comes the closest I've ever seen. It even introduces C++ and Java at the end, a very nice touch.

I got this originally for an advanced class in C when I had already been programming in it for a few years. I had been using K&R as the bible but K&R is a little too terse for me and I needed some examples. I have been programming in C for 20 years but I have a terrible memory and always need to refer to some part of it for syntax and usage. This book is just right for me.

It is so useful I keep it with me all the time. All my friends in the lab were borrowing it so it got so dog-eared I threw it out and bought a second.

It not only covers basic and advanced C, but it also has some data structures with linked lists, stacks, and queues in programs that actually compile and work. I also use the little bit they have on the differences with C++. You need another book if you really want to get into data structures or C++ but this will get you through the most common situations. Very useful indeed.

I had difficulty understanding C programmming in my years at college. You couldn't ask anyone for advice because people would contradict each other. I somehow got a job and wanted to make a career in software. My boss gave me this book to get started and I never looked back. I have read lots and lots of books in C programming. But 'A Book on C' stands out for it's clarity and it's graded presentation. If you solve the exercises (and they are doable) you will be a master. Mastering programming requires effort in the beginning, but once you understand the concepts you can cruise for the rest of your life. This is a great book to learn concepts. A lot of people recommend K&R's 'The C Programming Language'. There is no doubt that this is a great book. It is a masterpiece in brevity and it defines the language. But it is more of a reference book. To get good concepts and a more 'humane' starting book you need 'A Book on C'. You will never regret the purchase!

Somebody complained that this book doesn't talk about windows programming. Windows programming is not too much to do with language itself (C/C++), it's more about the compilers (Borland C++ Builder , Visual c++...). This book which was written by college math professors focuses on the language itself, and the best way to do that is using a text based environment (DOS, UNIX compilers). Yes, it is dry and a little too much math oriented, and lack of deep, clear explanation in some important, confusing parts. And, it is not a easy, how to, tutorial book. I am not sure if this book will make you a good, practical C programmer any time soon, but you will have OK understanding on C though (if you survive after those exercises). If you are a true beginner and need a easy-to-follow tutorial book, "Teach yourself C in 21 days" is not too bad to start with. If you know a little bit of C programming ("Teach yourself C in 21 days" will get you there), I have some recommandations for you :

*Pointers on C (the best)
*The C programming language (!!!!!!!!!!!)
*The Standard C Library (must have)
*The C Puzzle Book
*C Traps and Pitfalls
*Expert C Programming

Conclusion : Buy 3 books (if you are kind of new to C but serious),
1. A Book on C
2. Teach yourself C in 21 days
3. Pointers on C
compare them, and return 2 books.
I know that you will keep #3

This is a wonderful, concise book on C programming, possibly the best I've encountered. The examples are illustrative with detailed explanations on every piece of the code. I'd suggest it for all level of programming, whether you're just starting or for review.

If your're a beginner some parts might be too complex for you, but with time, you'll get there.

I've been learning C and bought several books, Kernighan's is a classic, but it's too condensed, lacks some detailed explanations and is now a bit dated maybe. Still a good referece, but if I could have only one C book, I'd keep this one. I also read some of the "fast" books like Teach Yourself C in 24h and Teach yourself C in 21 days, and a few others. A book on C is still my favorite. The introduction to Javascript and C++ is a nice extra too.

This the second book that I've read on C. It is a great book to gain a solid understanding of the language. The C++ and Java sections really whet your appetite for those languages. Overall, I felt the quality of the writing was outstanding and very easy to follow. Being in the business world, I chose to skip some of the scientific examples. The book has a great section on unix makefiles and permissions. I recommend this book for any programmer's library. Very enjoyable and applicable reading !

This is an excellent book to learn C programming if you are already familiar with C.

For starters, I suggest that you get C in 21 days and then continue C learning using this book. This book can be difficult
and cause frustration if you don't have C fundamental concepts knowledge.

I have been a software engineer writing in C/C++ for several years now, and I always unequivocally recommend this book to anyone who asks me for a book on C programming at the beginner and intermediate level. I've rarely found a text book in any field that combines such a level of rigour with such a fluid writing style. Even now, I still refer to some of the more advanced sections to brush up my knowledge. Kelley and Pohl deserve congratulations for creating such a useful work (and for making it a no-brainer when someone asks me for a recommendation for a C programming book).