Reader reviews

Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The chapters on programming are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

A genuinely enjoyable read that also taught me a great deal.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

This is the one to get if you are serious about simulation.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The chapters on simulation are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

It does the job, though it took some patience to get through.

I bought this on a whim after seeing it mentioned in a forum thread, and I am glad I did. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. Three stars feels about right. It will stay on my shelf, but it will not be the first one I reach for.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

I had been on the fence about this one for a while, and I should have bought it sooner. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Well worth picking up if you already have the basics.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.