Learning Computer Programming (Book ) [With CDROM]

I'm about halfway through this book and I have to agree with the other reviewers -- it's a very good primer on programming concepts. The only fault I can find with it is that it reads like a college textbook...and not in a good way. Granted, I doubt many people read computer books for fun, but even so, the palpable academic flavor of this book does not do the subject of programming any favors. I won't say the book is boring to read -- the author is clearly knowledgeable and taking great pains as it is to present these concepts as clearly and simply as possible. But you know, there's something to be said for authors who can engage readers, especially with regard to technical matters. It makes the learning process all the more enjoyable and readers are far more likely to retain the info they read. Once I've finished this book, I will probably feel grateful that I've finished in the same way one feels grateful for having survived an interminable (though informative) Powerpoint presentation.

After reading programming for dummies and learning an arcane language I was left wishing for a better book to expose me to the basics of programming. The subtitle of this book is "Its not about languages" and that is the approach of this book. Farrell focuses on the logic of programming and mentions the actual syntax in passing. This makes this book valuable and a helpful tool for all programmers no matter what their language destination is. I wish that I had read this book first!