Who's Afraid of C++ ? by Steve Heller, C++, C++ Programming, Computer Programmers, ETA Reviews

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Who's Afraid of C++ ? by Steve Heller reviewed by D Kotecha One of the ETA Friends from Commerce and Industry

I dare anyone to pick up Who's Afraid of C++, read the table of contents, and say, hand on heart, that they have no desire to look further. My bit (?) of the dare is that I will byte (?) into my (virtually real) hat should such a person really exist!

The book (unlike this review) is written with a great sense of humour. It is presented as a training course rather than a book, using a classroom metaphor that works well. The author assumes no prior programming knowledge and takes care in explaining fundamental concepts. This might be an obvious expectation from a book that is classified as a primer, but just try finding another C++ primer that really manages it.

Preliminary chapters are devoted to areas such as hardware and to processes involved in compilation. Although this may be a little frustrating to the carnivores amongst us, who want to get their teeth into the programming meat, Heller (rightly) stresses the virtues of patience. For the die-hard vegetarians, by the way, the book is worth buying just for the chewy nostalgia. If you are not a novice to computer programming, Mr Heller does a wonderful job of reminding you exactly how old you are. But swallow your pride and you might be surprised at what you learn. I was.

The remainder of the book concentrates on the stuff you need to get between your ears to become a reasonable C++ programmer, and does it very successfully. Heller's innovative approach has two key benefits, in my opinion.

First benefit: I don't know of any statistics on the successful completion of home study courses, but I suspect it is pretty low. My own teaching experience suggests that self study fails partly because it lacks companionship, and partly because most courses do not know how to fill gaps when the student's interest ebbs and flows. The dialogue between tutor and student works well as a teaching method, and compensates a little for the companionship. The light-hearted approach keeps the course interesting and readable. Heller has an annoying habit of even sneaking in some real knowledge in the humour.

The second benefit: I recently picked up a course directory from one the leading IT training companies in the UK (one that I have used frequently with complete satisfaction). If a complete novice wished to take this agency's C++ courses, they would need to take three, and maybe upto six 'prerequisite knowledge' courses. Heller more than adequately shows in this book that it is possible to learn C++ without any prior programming knowledge. Of course, it has to be taught in the right way, and this book does just that.

I don't know whether I'm going to have to eat my hat, but I certainly take it off to Steve Heller for an excellent and valuable contribution to the C++ world. A few more books like this and all us serious programmers will see a significant drop in our earning power!

Recommendation: So, who's afraid of C++? I'm not, anymore.

USA $39.95 UK £29.95
Publisher and Supplier: AP Professional (Academic Press)

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