The Waite Group's Turbo C Programming for the PC

I picked this book up probably around 11 years ago and it is what I used to learn C programming. I had other books at hand as well, but this one really shines. The book has an obvious DOS slant to it as it is from that pre-Windows era. But in learning C programming, this one is hard to beat. I have since gone on to learn other languages, most notably Pascal / Delphi, but this book will always remain on my shelf. It was incredibly useful.

This book is how I learned to program 'C'. This is my favorite programming books of all time. It's easy to follow, good explanations and an excellent read. I've went on to become a lead programmer, and it all started here. Nostalgic, you bet. If you want to learn how to program in 'C', start here! I can't say anything more.

This is a great book for C programming. It starts from elementary level and ends up teaching you advanced controls and professional aspects. It also covers some part of C++ and object oriented programming.

To be fair, I have the first edition of this book, dated 1987, and called "Turbo C Programming for the IBM". It has been with me many a year and has always been my favorite C book. It is the easiest of my C books to understand, and can be read like a novel with only occasionally going to the computer to try out their programs for reinforcement of a concept. All their examples are complete programs which are very helpful to me. Drawbacks to this book include: a) their sections on "Turbo" C are not applicable anymore, b) there are sections dealing with pc-specific issues that are not useful, and c) the C is not ansi compliant. However, in spite of this, it is still my favorite book because it is easy to understand.

This was my very first C programming book. I had used Pascal a little bit when I bought it. 11 years later my copy of the book is tattered and torn, but I always keep it handy. The book is illustrated very well. It has floating arrows that describe what each element of the source code does. It does not talk down to the audience. The information within is presented with extreme clarity. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn C. I would also recommend this book to anyone wanting to give it as a gift to a teenager.