Ray-Tracing Pocket Book (Paperback)

Finally, a book that treats graphics & design with the care it deserves.

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. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Worth the money and the reading time, without hesitation.

Genuinely excellent — I finished it in a week and immediately started again.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

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

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. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.