Reader reviews

A worthwhile addition to my shelf, with realistic expectations.

I have been working with analytics for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.

Finally, a book that treats game development with the care it deserves.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. This is the book I wish had existed when I started working with game development.

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

I have been working with game development for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. The early chapters move quickly through material I already knew, but the later sections were genuinely new to me. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

A superb guide. The examples are small but complete.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. The examples are small enough to type out and experiment with, which is exactly what I want from a book like this. The index and cross-references are surprisingly good, which matters for a book I will come back to. An easy five stars from me. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.

Almost excellent. A second edition could easily push it to five stars.

I came to this book already familiar with the basics, and it still had plenty to offer. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. I appreciated the honesty about what the book does not cover — it saved me from expecting things that were not there. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. A good addition to a technical library, as long as you know what you are buying.

Outstanding. I kept finding reasons to come back to it.

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 author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The balance between theory and practice is well judged; neither side dominates. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.