Reviews
PC Utilities, issue 48, distributed April 2004.
Computer programming is often perceived as a topic best left to those with degrees in the subject, and not something that just anyone can pick up and master. With You Can Do It!. Francis Glassborow is attempting to turn this notion on its head, by not only providing an accessible introduction to programmlng, but also by testing his guide out on a willing guinea pig - programming virgin, Roberta Allen.
In each of the guide's chapters, the Author introduces concepts in programming through practical examples that readers can follow to improve their knowledge. Unlike many 'teach yourself' guides, the intention is for readers to practice each stage before moving on to the next chapter. This is something that is driven home in Roberta Allen's comments at the end of each section, as she makes many of the same mistakes readers may make themselves.
Glassborow is an authority in C++, so should come as no surprise that the book covers this programming language to the exclusion of all others. This limitation of scope is understandable though, and doesn't prevent the book from being a useful, accessible Introduction to programming in general. Given that it comes with a CD featuring all the software you'll need, as well as examples of code, You Can Do It! Is an excellent read and a great resource for would-be programmers.
Given 87% and PC Utilities Editor's Choice for the Issue.
Small reviews and opinions
Here are some opinions from those who have volunteered to mentor.
I should comment that I have known Roger Orr for some time so you might want to discount his opinion on the basis that it might just be helping a mate out. However the other two were complete strangers to me until they volunteered as mentors
From Jacques Labusch (in New Zealand)
here are two things about this book which make it an excellent choice for beginners:
You aren't rushed through the basics and then presented more interesting intermediate material. Things like loops and functions are intuitive to people who already understand them, but we forget how hard it all was the first time round. It is (IMHO) incredibly important to take the time to get an abolutely rock-solid understanding of the basics.
This isn't a book about C. Far too often, authors feel the need to teach the C subset of C++ before touching on the standard library, templates, exceptions and so forth. This book gives a more "pure" view onto C++, teaching the usage of vectors, strings and algorithms right from the start.
In short, this is a well-written book with useful tools included on the CD. I recommend it to anyone wanting to learn their first programming language.
From Roger Orr
As I said on Monday I like your approach and hope the book is successful in helping people to begin programming!
Chris K Young
Thanks for writing an excellent book that starts programming from ground up. It's refreshing to recall in my own mind how I approached learning programming some ten years ago, and I definitely wished that this book existed back then!
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