12 Games of Christmas

Decent, but uneven. Some chapters are much stronger than others.

A colleague recommended this and I can see why. It does something that few technical books manage: it respects the reader's time. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Almost excellent. A second edition could easily push it to five stars.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. There is a section near the end that ties several earlier ideas together in a way I had not seen before. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. Solid, and I would buy another book from this author without hesitation.