Xref: utzoo comp.graphics.visualization:674 comp.graphics:18626 alt.graphics:170 alt.books.technical:508 Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!emory!att!linac!mp.cs.niu.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu!khan From: khan@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Scott Coleman) Newsgroups: comp.graphics.visualization,comp.graphics,alt.graphics,alt.books.technical Subject: Re: Book: Lee Adams' Visualization Graphics in C Message-ID: Date: 15 Jun 91 21:54:02 GMT References: <1991Jun10.204207.548@digi.lonestar.org> <1991Jun12.211235.712@digi.lonestar.org> Sender: usenet@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (News) Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana Lines: 36 jgay@digi.lonestar.org (john gay) writes: >(Taking into account that this is all based on looking at the book for >~10-15 min. and that this is only my opinion) >I would not buy it. It didn't have that much in it as far as explanations, >techniques, or anything else. The "C" (double quotes intentional) was >the worst piece of shit coding that I have ever seen. It looked like very >bad basic code translated by a very bad translator into kindagarden (sp?)C. >The guy has never-ever heard of a switch statement, but is very, very familar >with goto. Also never heard of an if..else. The two co-workers that I was >with couldn't believe the code and kept saying just put back...stop ranting >about it just put it back. [...] >Summary: NOT recommended on short glance. I can report similar observations of Adams' other books. Oddly enough, this author has about half a dozen (and growing) books published by TAB/Windcrest/ whatever they're calling themselves this week. The C books have horrendous code examples, just as you describe. The other books are (surprise, surprise) written in BASIC. It almost looks as though Adams wrote one book, with BASIC code, and cloned it into a whole series of books, making only minimal changes (like running the BASIC through a translation program to get C code and making only those changes necessary to get it to compile and run). I made the mistake of buying two of these books sight unseen through a book club; biggest waste of money I can think of. Anyone thinking of buying a Lee Adams graphics book, JUST SAY NO. You'll be glad you did! -- Scott Coleman tmkk@uiuc.edu University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign "The military particularly liked Prodigy because the censorship came for free." - Andrew Grove on the use of email services to send mail to troops in the gulf