2 comments about C# Language Pocket Reference.

1. For anyone that is looking to learn or make the transition to C#, this is a nice little overview to quickly get your feet wet. Being a pocket reference, this isn't meant to be a book where you can quickly become a C# expert, rather it's a nice, light introduction to what this new language by Microsoft provides and why .NET development is so easy (hint: C# makes quick use of all the thousands of modules already built by other programmers in the past)!!
   
   These little pocket reference books should accomplish a couple of things: giving you a quick overview of the language, providing tables & figures stating the new conventions used, and namespaces/libraries that can be called up to speedily use pre-existing code. For this price, I think that you would find the 'C# Langugage Pocket Reference' to be a fine way to start your C# career or even quickly brush up on topics you might not have remembered.
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



2. Having coded in C++ for years with only a small amount of experience in C#, this book was a great asset. It gives a good overview of the basics of C# and doesn't gloss over important details like space requirements and (optional) memory management.
   
   The book is also a great reference for the .NET Framework. Obviously it does not give an in depth explanation of every concept, being only 118 pages long. Instead it references a number of .NET libraries that you should look into depending on what you're trying to do. I love this concept! Now whenever I want to try something new, I first check in the Pocket Reference to see what I should look into, then either go to MSDN or crack open a larger, less navigable manual.
   
   Recommended for all those relatively new to C# and in need of a good starting point in the .NET Framework.

3 comments about Bundle of Algorithms in C++, Parts 1-5: Fundamentals, Data Structures, Sorting, Searching, and Graph Algorithms (3rd Edition).

1. Any professional programmer would benefit from having these books at hand. Excellent discussions of the basic algorithms which every programmer needs to know.
   
   But I would like to particularly highlight the discussions on binary and n-ary search trees. The most enlightening discussion in print, giving the reader a real synoptic view of search tree algorithms, how they evolved, and their culmination in red-black trees.
   
   Other reviewers have mentioned that the algorithms as presented here seem to be just warmed=over versions of their C counterparts presented in the C edition of this work. There is a germ of truth to this, but I really don't consider it to be a valid criticism of the books. The point here is not to present C++ coding techniques, but to understand algorithms. If you want to know what a state-of-the art C++ implementation of Red-Black trees looks like, just read the source code which comes with the GNU compiler toolchain. But you're not going to have a prayer of understanding it until you first understand how Red-black trees work--that's where this book comes in. If you are trying to explain the Red-black tree algorithm, you don't want all of the C++ do-dads and optimizations, templates, etc, all cluttering up the presentation of the skeletal algorithm.



2. If you need a book to introduce yourself in data structures, thats not your book. This books are for consult, not to learn, cos there are leaks : insuficient code, insuficient large explanations and drawings about TDAs. Furthermore, its expensive.
   Even trough that, Id recommended part 5 because its a good collection of the most used algorithms based in graphs.



3. What happened to the sections on string processing, geometric algorithms, and advanced topics? The Introduction says parts 5-8 are contained in a separate volume, but the second volume contains only the part on Graphs (which the intro says is supposed to be Part 7) What gives?

5 comments about The Dream Machine: J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal.

1. If The Dream Machine were a novel, you might conclude the author used every writer's technique to make it a thriller. Even though you know the outcome, you wonder how the many "miracles" and lucky breaks it took for the dream to become reality.



2. A graduate course in a book! A tour through historical theories, accounts, and events that made up the development of the modern computer and the Net. Far more extensive than just the story of Kicklider, a historical overview of many of the minds at that time and the events that converged to form the new informaton era.



3. If there such a thing as an "epic" story of computer science, then M. Mitchell Waldrop's The Dream Machine is it. Although it purports to be the story of J.C.R. Licklider, and the birth of personal computing, this book is much more than that. It takes us from the edges of the computer science revolution, through the development of the modern computing industry and the World Wide Web.
   
   Waldrop spends more time exploring the shadowy edges of the rise of computer science in America, and the intellectuals whose raw thinking provided the structure around which computing would develop. Giants like Norbert Weiner and Claude Shannon, and more obscure players like John Atanasoff of Iowa State University are given more thoughtful attention here than in most popular history accounts that I've encountered. Not only are their concrete accomplishments covered with clarity and understandability, but the thinking that got them there is attended to as well.
   
   Of course, among the cast of great individuals is Licklider, whose efforts are worthy of the title billing Waldrop gives him. J.C.R. Licklider was a computer scientist before there was computer science, in any practical sense. While Lick (as everyone called him) himself, and the voice of technical accuracy, would likely disagree with that assertion, I stand beside it. Licklider was first a scientist, and he applied those core principles to developing his ideas in computing; computer science.
   
   However, Waldrop's book does not feel like it was about Licklider, per se - despite a very intimate coverage of the man. Instead, the book remains focused on the growth of the intellectual concepts, and the practical technology that rose from those ideas. The scope of characters and technical detail covered by the book is remarkable, and yet it remains a readable and compelling story. The science is clear and understandable to individuals with an interest in the subject, without requiring a deep background (although, those with deeper backgrounds will still find the book enjoyable, and original).



4. For anyone who wants to know the history behind the personal computer revolution, this book is a must read. The author was a senior writer for Science magazine and understands both the technology and the people involved. There's almost no fluff in the book's 475-pages of fact-rich, well-written prose. My only complain it that, along with pictures of people, I'd have loved to have seen pictures and diagrams of the early equipment he describes.
   
   --Michael W. Perry, author of Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings



5. "The Dream Machine" is billed as the story of J.C.R. Licklider, one of the main driving forces behind the research and engineering of personal computing. However, at least half of the book actually consists of general computer science history having little directly to do with Licklider, but which rather serves as context for Licklider's long and varied career. Well, it seemed to me that both aspects were handled very well by the author Mr. Waldrop and I am certainly much more educated now on computer science.
   
   Though quite long at nearly 500 pages, the book was actually a page turner for me as the style of the prose is closer to that of a novel than of a textbook. I found the transformation of government funding from virtually unlimited in the '50s and '60s (e.g. the massive SAGE project) to greatly budget constrained in the '70s fascinating, as well as the various contractors' reactions to the changing federal priorities.
   
   I give this 4.5 stars as it could have used a bit more focus on the purported subject, Licklider. Highly recommended for anyone with a strong interest in computers and software.

5 comments about Foundations of Computer Science: C Edition (Principles of Computer Science Series).

1. This is a poorly written, poorly designed book. Mathematicians may enjoy having this one on their shelf since they are probably the only ones that would enjoy the arcane, obfuscating language of the material. Since computer science is a practical application of mathematics, it would help to have a book that sets the foundations for newcomers in practical language with practical examples. This book does neither. I cite from page 370: "Suppose a relation R, from domain A to range B, has the property that for every member of A there is at most one element b in B such that aRb. Then R is said to be a partial function from domain A to range B." This is just a small example of the author's droning about set theory. A computer science major would be better served by, "A function cannot produce more than one answer", but nowhere in the text is this practical application mentioned. It's as though the publisher offered the author a bonus for long-windedness and theoretical prattle. This book should be in a graduate seminar on how NOT to write computer science texts.



2. I've used this book for the namesake course at university, 2 years ago. It proved to be perfectly adequate at that time. It was very readable and complete. And this would be enough for me to give it a five stars rate.
   But there's more. After these two years I've collected many other books in various areas of CS, but when I need a quick reference on any specific topic or I don't remember the formal definition of a concept, I always find this book in my hands. It is one of the references I use most often.
   It has been my first book by the couple Aho-Ullman. Now I've understood that whenever these two "emeritus guys" writes something, it always worths time and money to read them.



3. Overall, I think this book is an excellent book that anyone serious about computer science should own. I think that this book is good both for those new to computer science and those who have been involved in computer science for several years.

   For those new to computer science, I would not use this as a first book (this is made clear in the introduction, as well). The expectation is that the reader will already understand the basics of programming, so prior experience or an introductory course in computer science would be appropriate. Many of the examples make use of pointers, which can occasionally be confusing to students unfamiliar with programming, so it would definitely be a good idea for the reader to be familiar with a language like C or Pascal before starting this book. Once that foundation is in place, this is an excellent book to learn the basics of the field of computer science.

   For more experienced readers, this book serves as an amazing review and does a good job of collecting lots of information in one place. Explanations are solid, so the book can serve as a good reference for multiple topics. Note that the level of detail is not appropriate if you are just interested in one thing -- if you are interested only in details of algorithms, a book like the MIT Press Algorithms book would be more appropriate.




4. I'm not sure what the reviewers giving it 1-2 stars are complaining about? Maybe they just don't get it. I've been programming professionally for 8 years and I have yet to see a better book that ties Discrete Math with Computer Science. I think it gives a great example of how Induction and Recursive thinking are linked. I bought this book 3 years ago and I occasionally re-visit it to do all the exercises.... There's a lot but they are good. It's like going to the gym for a good workout but in the context of Computer Science.

   No, it's not introductory, but if you're having a hard time with Discrete Math and have a solid programming background, are willing to sit down and "Work out" the excercises, then this book is for you.




5. This is the best all-around foundational book covering Computer Science and Discrete Math; I wish it was used when I was a Computer Science student. I think the bad reviews were written by people who mistook this as an introductory book to CS, it's not. To get anything from this book you should know C well and be mathematically mature.
   
   The book provides numerous examples and mathematical background for recursion, iteration, algorithmic efficiency, combinatorics and probability, as well as the major data structures.
   
   I think if you take the time to go through this book you'll be well rewarded.

5 comments about C++ Programming Today (2nd Edition).

1. Few titles have ever gotten me really excited, but I have to tell you, "C++ Programming Today" has. The text is organized with the new and intermediate C++ programmer in mind. Each chapter leads the reader into new and more challenging concepts that are built upon topics presented in previous chapters. Throughout the book the author uses lots of color and highlighting which to me, is a lot easier on the eyes and makes the book a more enjoyable read. Another useful feature is the use of 4 Stoplight icons to tell the reader when a C++ programming method is either a "Good Programming Practice" (Green Stoplight), "Be Cautious" (Yellow), "Stop! Do Not Do This" (Red) or a Stoplight with yellow flags to represent a "Troubleshooting Tip". The appendices (over 115 pages) contain lots of great reference information such as C++ keywords, operators, string class, file IO, hex notation and ASCII character codes. I was REALLY happy to find out that this book also came with two CD's - the first one contains the full working code of all the examples Johnston uses throughout her book. The second CD is a full-blown copy of Microsoft's Visual C++ 6 (Intro edition). The only thing I didn't like about the book was that the perforated quick reference card was printed on the same paper as the rest of the book, in my opinion it's not strong enough for a reference card you'll be referring to all the time. (I took mine to Kinko's and had it laminated) All in all I would still highly recommend this book.



2. Johnston's book should replace Deitel & Deitel. It covers the essentials of C++ and object-oriented programming more thoroughly, and it has realistic debugging/troubleshooting discussions. The appendices give the reader a refreshingly complete one-stop reference for all the little details that I tend to forget.

   The book has lots and lots of sample code with careful discussion of what's being done and why. The troubleshooting and debugging advice alone is worth the price of the book.




3. Unfortunately I was requried to buy this book for a class. An absolute waste of money. Nothing is covered in any sort of detail at all, while the pages are dedicated to output from compilers. For an example, the information covering file Input and Output consists of a single paragraph. And it's wrong. C++ Primer Plus is a much better alternative. It's cheaper, bigger, more correct, and is actually a useful book. I want my money back Barbara! (And I suspect that you're the one who wrote the first review and that you also paid someone to write the second.)



4. I am goin to make this short and sweet because this is the third time I have had to type this because your site keeps crashing.( have been on sites before this one and many sites after with no problems so I am goin to assume it is just yours)
   problems:
   #1 ordered a book for class and recieved it late.
   #2 was sent the wrong book in my first order. sent that book back and recieved a replacement.
   #3 the replacement was again the wrong book.
   #4 was charge for 2 books while i only have the one in my possession. i sent the original book back and was told i would not be charged for the second one. no corrections have been made to my account so far.



5. (I'm not a child. I am a student where the author teaches and I don't want my real name on this. Not before I graduate, at least.)
   
   I have taken two semesters of C++ at a school where the course owner is the author of this book. Barbara Johnston is a great teacher and a wonderful lady, but she can't write to save her life.
   
   I found the narration in the book unbearably child-oriented and unnecessarily flowery and just... Unbelievably irritating to read. I don't know about everyone else, but when I'm reading a text book, I want it to read like a text-book, not a children's novel.
   
   On a more technical note, this book did not delve into nearly enough depth on any topic, in my opinion, and the diagrams presented were to convoluted it hurt my head to look at them.
   
   I absolutely hated this book and for the greater part of my two semesters, I didn't read it except to get the assignment programs from the end of the chapters. I recommend Deitel & Deitel's C++ How to Program 3rd Edition. This book is definitely for the birds.

5 comments about The Annotated C++ Reference Manual.

1. Well, I know it was out there. But I was referring other books most of the time. I paid for that. Many cannot answer questions like "Why the hell you need a COPY constructor in the first place?" or "Why Copy Constructor always takes a reference to the object as an argument". Here I found the answers. Again this is the BEST reference book available. If you are a serious programmer who wants to know in and out of C++, this is a must. I won't recommend this for those "POOR" souls who just want to be a C++ programmer.

   Again being a reference book, you don't have to read the PREVIOUS chapters to understand a specific topic. You may have to read couple of times to understand certain sections.




2. This book was good when it came out in 1990. It needs to updated to to the newer versions of C++. Other than that it is a good book.



3. This book was fairly complete at the time of its publication, but there have been so many significant improvements and new approaches to the C++ language that the book is outdated. I'd recommend this book only to people who are interested in a historical collection of C++ documents.

   I'd recommend any of the other Stroustrup books. "The C++ Programming Language," (3rd edition) is the closest thing to a bible for the language. (Don't buy the 1st or 2nd edition--they're also outdated. If you want a hard-covered reference, the "Special Edition" is a hardcovered 3rd edition.) I'd recommend "The Design and Evolution of C++," which is slightly outdated but both imformative and instructional to experienced C++ programmers.




4. This was "The" standard for creating C++ 99. Since then the standard libraries were added, a full implementation of templates and exception handleing etc. So while its a good reference for the "core" of C++, i.e. the classes etc, it shouldn't be the first book (or even the 2nd) on C++ you buy. Better to get the Hardcover "The C++ Programming Language (Special 3rd Edition)" which has chapters on all of the language.

   Note: That's not the first book on C++ you should get either, if you are just learning, it is however one you should own if you are going to profressionally write C++.

   On why there isn't a second edition of the ARM, has in part due to the restrictions for republishing the ISO standard. And its also 2003 and now the language looks like it will continue to evolve and thus a second ed. ARM would be soon out of date as well. Maybe we'll be lucky and there will be one for C++2005.




5. Yes it is outdated as it does not cover the latest features added to the standard. However it does describe in great details the core language and it is still the most detailed book about C++ to my knowledge after the C++ standard document text itself. Even the latest edition of 'The C++ programming language' book does not provide as much details about the language itself.

1 comments about C++ for Business Programmers (2nd Edition).

1. The text was easy to understand and came with numerous helpful items in the form of code snippets, example code, and exercises. The lesson objectives were clear and the associated activities were in alignment with those objectives. A very useful feature of the book were the "Notes" insets that are distributed throughout each chapter. These supplimental notes make the review of important concepts efficient. The chapter review section was lacking in definitions of key terms, however, it did a fairly good job of summarizing main concepts and terminology. I could only suggest one area of improvement to the text and that would be to have a companion CD containing the code examples. This minor addition would allow the reader to more quickly be able to experiment and learn without having to re-type code. Overall the book was very good, I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking to learn C++. This book can be informative whether the reader is experienced in programming concepts or not.

5 comments about Object Oriented Programming in C++.

1. I am an engineer (not a computer scientist), and my primary computer language is Visual Basic. I have written a good amount of code and I appreciate VB technology very much. (The fact is that this technology works good and cheap enough in wide scope of practical needs).
   I wanted to extend my knowledge in computer programming languages and I began to study C++ computer language. At some point I discovered about the existence of the Standard C++ and I understood that, in my case, the right approach must be studying exactly the Standard C++. Finally I did find my personnel "Entry Point" within Nicolai's very nice book! While I often refer to other books as well, I do use the "Object Oriented Programming in C++" as main base point.
   The Author demonstrated:
   1. Deep understanding of the subject.
   2. Strong defending of the idea of the Standard C++.
   3. Carefully marking the commons and differences between C++ and C programming languages.
   4. Great attention to the detail.
   5. Clear explanations of the definitions.
   6. Perfect cross references.
   7. Generous sharing with the reader.
   8. Excellent style!
   Thanks a lot for the excellent job!
   The Publisher did a good job as well. The book is easy to read and follow. Thanks!



2. In my point of view, this book is one if not the best book I have ever read so far in C++. The author knew exactly what the reader needs to know and presented them in a clear and concise manner. It has very well written & easy to read C++ code samples. For a beginner to intermediate in C++, I think this book is for you as it walks you through a step by step approach to learning C++. The knowledge you would learn at the end of reading will make you feel better and comfortable in using C++. There are books out there that I've found boring if not too advanced at my level, I wish this influence you not to put yourself into that experience.

   Thanks Nicolai for putting this together, a wonderful book that will surely help many people that are interested to learn C++.




3. THIS IS A GOOD C++ BOOK BUT THE AUTHOR DOES NOT RESPOND TO E-MAILS AND THE BOOK SELLS FOR $55.00 RETAIL, BUT PRICED HERE AT $60.00.



4. This is a quite good book for professional programmers who are new to c++. Especially for designers and architects. In other words, without the knowledge described in this book, you can never design professional quality software written in C++. Also good for those who want to graduate from 'C++ as better C'.



5. Nicolai clearly knows his material very well, yet is able to talk at a comprehensible level. He doesn't dwell on the basics (what is a loop?), and on the other hand, doesn't get into all the arcane features of C++. I think it is a good book for anyone who already knows some programming (not necessarily C or C++), but is still enjoyable and informative for people familiar with C++.
   
   Most examples are complete, concise programs demonstrating the concept. Code is well written and commented. He first gives the file listing, then dissects each new piece to explain what it does and why. Common errors and subtleties are explained. Often he shows several alternative ways of implementing a feature, and explains the pros and cons of each. For instance, implementing an operator first as a member function and then as a global function.
   
   Where a feature may be better implemented with topics covered later, or is covered in more depth later, a page reference is provided. For example, input is first covered with rudimentary error handling, with a forward page reference to the version with improved error handling available using exceptions.
   
   Some of the design rationale behind C++ and the standard library is also given, such as why the std::stack pop() function doesn't return the top element, for exception safety. This helps the reader appreciate the inherent difficulties and to incorporate similar solutions into their own code.
   
   He covers the standard library (STL) and templates in enough detail to be useful, but really a separate reference on these topics is required. In this respect, his C++ Templates book is an excellent companion. (I expect his book The C++ Standard Library to be useful, but can't yet say from experience.)

5 comments about C++ FAQs (2nd Edition).

1. I was suggested this book years ago by a university lecturer, however, even though I'm glad I read it, I'm glad simply so I can highlight its pitfalls to others I see reading it.
   
   Firstly, all the way through the book the authors systematically promote the usage of exception specifications. Exception specifications are all well and good when you can guarantee the exceptions that will be thrown from subsequent nested calls or operations, but to teach this behaviour to potentially novice coders, who may not be aware that a particular implementation of operator[] may throw something other than out_of_range is terrible. What's worse, it does it all the way through the book. It also does not highlight the consequences of not handling an exception of a different type. It's C++, not Java. (And, some development environments don't support exception specifications anyway, so much confusion would ensue when code suddenly breaks on a different platform/compiler)
   
   Also, I take exception (groan) to the promotion of "using namespace std". This completely wipes out the point of namespaces, whereby it would have been better (to keep the code examples "clean") to import just the required elements of std, rather than the entire library.
   
   I also don't like the mixed practice of using streams, and then littering strings with escape sequences - the std library defines new line characters (endl), and \n may not be the appropriate behaviour on some platforms.
   
   A great majority of this book feels like it is a C++ guide written by C developers. There are parts that actually teach coders how to break elements of the standard (such as nothrow), rather than simply advocate the use of smart pointers instead. In this way it also pretty much ignores the entirety of the STL (which seems laudible considering the "covers... such major innovations as the C++ Standard Library" line on the back of the book), so readers remain completely oblivious to iterators etc - and also remain blissfully unaware of times when you really would find a functor (functionoid in this book) useful. Instead it harps on about technologies irrelevent to C++ itself - there are many other, better, sources on COM and CORBA, and these sections feel utterly out of place.
   
   The intended target audience of this book is frankly bizarre. It doesn't suit novice programmers because of the techniques it promotes, and, for more advanced developers, is littered with basics such as explaining OO, classes and inheritance. There are also some really preachy parts that go down the software engineering route (Why is OO important to my organisation? etc). If I wanted some condescending essays on programming practice, I'd go and read Fred Brooks. All in all, it feels like a guide for those migrating from C to C++.
   
   This book is out-of-date, teaches bad practice (in my opinion, obviously), and has no defined readership. Like one of the other reviewers here, I would recommend reading Meyer's Effective range of books instead.



2. This book teaches you what the authors and other people have discovered in a hard-won, time-consuming, hair-raising/pulling manner.
   
   The experience of Using a language, beyond the syntax, and the languages features. What happens when all the cool/esoteric features/implementation details interact in a zillion ways. How to survive/avoid them. How to figure out the path through the tar-pit/quick-sand. Thats what This book is all about.
   Forget trying to save a few $$'s and reading the online version (you might save yourself some hair on your head).
   
   What is the likelihood that you or I may be (unknowingly) commiting exactly the same errors right now? Quite high, IMHO.
   
   Get this book, read it, start applying, re-read it, reapply. Worth every Rupee, I paid for it.



3. Summary: Don't buy it. Don't even read it. Get Sutter or Meyers instead, or see my other recommendations below.
   
   Chances are, you heard about this book from a Usenet FAQ. The authors maintain the "FAQ-lite" as they call it, a free document available on the net, and encourage you to buy the "full" FAQ, which is this book.
   
   Don't be scammed by this cheap marketing tactic. If you're going to buy a book from a famous author, it should be an author who's famous for writing published BOOKS, not free FAQs. These authors don't qualify.
   
   It is abominable that they continue to advertise this ancient tome. Although C++ itself has not changed since 1998, the techniques and best practices for using it have matured tremendously. (As just one example, the book encourages homebrew reference counting! And exception specifications! And, and...) The attitudes of programmers have likewise matured. The book is loaded with "OOP evangelism" that was dated in 1998 and is just laughable by modern standards.
   
   (If it matters, in addition to being grossly dated, the book is plain bad. The authors behave themselves as spoiled Usenet divas, using phrases like "not moral" and "evil" and "that wastes money" to describe techniques they disapprove of, rather than giving a clear technical analysis. They expect you to take their authority on faith.)
   
   These days, the C++ community generally recommands the following. Of course, check the reviews on each specific book:
   
   - Introduction: _Accelerated C++_
   - Big Tome of Goodness: _The C++ Programming Language_
   - Advice and tips from experts: Anything from Herb Sutter or Scott Meyers
   
   There's more, but that stuff is always a safe bet. C++ FAQs, on the other hand, was preachy, evangelical trash when written, and is now almost 7 years dated. It's scarcely fit to burn, much less read.



4. I stumbled on this book while looking for something else in my home library, opened it, and couldn't put it down! I read it first when it was published; then I used to write a lot of C++ code. Since then I have spent years architecting OO distributed systems using Java as well, yet as I just found, the book contains bits of the timeless widsom.
   
   A significant part of the book is dedicated to answering questions on architecture and design of OO systems, and on general object-oriented thinking. These are the chapters that are worth more than the books' weight in gold regardless of your programming language of choice, especially because of the enjoyable writing style and authors' conviction and deep understanding of the subject.



5. I bought this because I'm a big fan of the online C++ FAQ Lite by the same author, and I was hoping for answers to a few of my own recurring questions that weren't addressed there.
   
   They weren't addressed here either - instead of adding recommendations on how to solve OO design problems, it only seemed to contain repeated admonitions about how not to solve them (which were already present in the online FAQ), and a lot of preaching.
   
   I kept it, because I wanted to support the excellent online version, which I will continue to use, but I'll rarely open the book again.

5 comments about Practical Neural Network Recipes in C++.

1. As an undergraduate Math and Computing student, when I took up a high-level course in Neural Networks as an open elective, the only book my instructor recommended was Neural Networks by Simon Haykin. I got that book, and was soon put off by the mathematical rigour it had.
   It was sometime later that I came across Practical Neural Network Recipes in C++ by Masters'. This, by all standards, is an exceptionally well written book.
   It has the complete code for a neural network application, including Conjugate Gradient based back-propagation, Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithm powered optimisation, and much more. The code, although not very object-oriented, is clear and easy to follow. Undergraduates with a limited knowledge of mathematics will most certainly appreciate the way Masters' deals with the underlying concepts behind neural networks training and use. He simplifies the mathematical equations, and the code listings serve to see the math in action. The more mathematically mature can look into the excellent references provided in the text.
   When much later in the course I went on to study Recurrent Networks (RNNs, which Masters' doesn't cover in his book), I found myself going back to Masters' when I had to implement algorithms for RNN training. This is one book that will teach you to convert complex mathematical equations into working code. Its a skill that is of much importance to most computational science students. This book is a must have for all neural networks students and practitioners alike.



2. I bought my first copy of this book over two years ago. I wore it out, and I just ordered a new copy to replace it. The book is just what it says: practical, step-by-step instructions on designing and training neural nets. The author gives excellent descriptions of neural nets in plain English. He explains what they can do, what the different structures are, how to construct training sets, avoid local minima, interpret weights and evaluate performance.
   
   An earlier reviewer claims that the code is incomplete. I am puzzled by this assertion because I had little difficulty getting it to compile and have achieved some very promising results.
   
   I highly recommend it!



3. This book isn't for a beginner. There're many good beginner's book for NN (or general AI), but this book delves into a bit more detail, and requires careful reading and understanding to appreciate the book.
   
   I have given negative review for this book in the past. What I want at that time was a quick reading and code. This book is not like that. You have to have some basic knowledge in AI (at least read any introductory book once) to understand it.
   
   I highly recommend this book for any one just got bored with introductory books on AI.



4. I am just starting to learn neural networks, and this book hit the spot. It is not overloaded with math, and its approach is very practical and well suited for programmers/engineers that want to start working with neural networks. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a background in computer science or engineering and wants to learn how to apply neural networks.



5. In contrast with many other books on AI and neural networks this book DOES give the following:
   
   * limited amount of topics that are explained well.
   * good examples.
   * well written.
   * useful tips and guidelines.
   * source code.
   
   I my opinion this book does a good job of giving an excellent explanation of the selected topics. In contrast to other authors who try to show off all their wisdom by touching all possible topics in AI and then off course stay way to general in all of them this book delivers what is says.
   
   One small point of critique: it can use a little restyling :-)