Practical C Programming is really accessible and enlightening. The topic on pointers serves as a good example. Pointers are considered one of the most difficult, but at the same time one of the most important, topics in C. This book explains pointers really well. It does so by using simple language, examples and by using many illustrations. The illustrations have really helped me to comprehend pointers in C. The attached images show some of the illustrations used to explain pointers.
These illustrations and explanations might seem really basic and a bit childish, but this way I understood the concepts on pointers straight away. It is actually a really valuable skill to be able to explain things simply. As Einstein said: "If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough."
Practical C Programming was actually not the first book on C that I started. I actually started with K&R2 (The C Programming Language). That was the book that was recommended and praised the most, so I figured I should study C using K&R2. I got to chapter 3, but with much difficulty. The authors of K&R2 mention that C is a small and concise language and that a book on C should therefore also be concise and small. This did not work well for me. The book assumes a lot of prior knowledge about computer science. New topics are not explained extensively. That's why I switched to Practical C Programming and I am glad I did so. I expect to understand the content of K&R2 much better now that I have finished Practical C.
As the title of the book states it is a practical book. It teaches more than just theory and the C syntax. It teaches how to write good programs and it focuses on good programming style.
The book is quite old (1991 – 1997). Some information in the book is really outdated, but the main concepts and lessons still apply (I will share some examples about outdated info in the book later on).
Overall I found Practical C Programming a really beneficial book. It is easy and enlightening as a first book on C. It is suitable and accessible for new programmers without much experience or a background in computer science. The book contain a few minor things that I disagree on with the author. I rate it 7.5 out of 10.
ISBN-13: 978-1565923065
ISBN-10: 1565923065
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Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019
These illustrations and explanations might seem really basic and a bit childish, but this way I understood the concepts on pointers straight away. It is actually a really valuable skill to be able to explain things simply. As Einstein said: "If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough."
Practical C Programming was actually not the first book on C that I started. I actually started with K&R2 (The C Programming Language). That was the book that was recommended and praised the most, so I figured I should study C using K&R2. I got to chapter 3, but with much difficulty. The authors of K&R2 mention that C is a small and concise language and that a book on C should therefore also be concise and small. This did not work well for me. The book assumes a lot of prior knowledge about computer science. New topics are not explained extensively. That's why I switched to Practical C Programming and I am glad I did so. I expect to understand the content of K&R2 much better now that I have finished Practical C.
As the title of the book states it is a practical book. It teaches more than just theory and the C syntax. It teaches how to write good programs and it focuses on good programming style.
The book is quite old (1991 – 1997). Some information in the book is really outdated, but the main concepts and lessons still apply (I will share some examples about outdated info in the book later on).
Overall I found Practical C Programming a really beneficial book. It is easy and enlightening as a first book on C. It is suitable and accessible for new programmers without much experience or a background in computer science. The book contain a few minor things that I disagree on with the author. I rate it 7.5 out of 10.
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Accessible and enlightening
By Jacob Huisman on July 22, 2019
Practical C Programming is really accessible and enlightening. The topic on pointers serves as a good example. Pointers are considered one of the most difficult, but at the same time one of the most important, topics in C. This book explains pointers really well. It does so by using simple language, examples and by using many illustrations. The illustrations have really helped me to comprehend pointers in C. The attached images show some of the illustrations used to explain pointers.By Jacob Huisman on July 22, 2019
These illustrations and explanations might seem really basic and a bit childish, but this way I understood the concepts on pointers straight away. It is actually a really valuable skill to be able to explain things simply. As Einstein said: "If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough."
Practical C Programming was actually not the first book on C that I started. I actually started with K&R2 (The C Programming Language). That was the book that was recommended and praised the most, so I figured I should study C using K&R2. I got to chapter 3, but with much difficulty. The authors of K&R2 mention that C is a small and concise language and that a book on C should therefore also be concise and small. This did not work well for me. The book assumes a lot of prior knowledge about computer science. New topics are not explained extensively. That's why I switched to Practical C Programming and I am glad I did so. I expect to understand the content of K&R2 much better now that I have finished Practical C.
As the title of the book states it is a practical book. It teaches more than just theory and the C syntax. It teaches how to write good programs and it focuses on good programming style.
The book is quite old (1991 – 1997). Some information in the book is really outdated, but the main concepts and lessons still apply (I will share some examples about outdated info in the book later on).
Overall I found Practical C Programming a really beneficial book. It is easy and enlightening as a first book on C. It is suitable and accessible for new programmers without much experience or a background in computer science. The book contain a few minor things that I disagree on with the author. I rate it 7.5 out of 10.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2013
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Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2003
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Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2013
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Top reviews from other countries
Ollie S.
Good intro to C but a little out of date in places
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 4, 2011Verified Purchase
Ashley Farnham
Great book, but a bit out-of-date
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2021Verified Purchase
abl
Great!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2020Verified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2021Verified Purchase
mark keiller
Great purchase! Thanks
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 31, 2017Verified Purchase
