12 Games of Christmas

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. The author clearly knows the subject deeply and has thought hard about how to teach it. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.

Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

Solid and well-organised. A couple of chapters dragged a little.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.