Modern C

Excellent for all levels - maybe the new K&R

It's ok but it's not great. It does not include a lot of things I would have included (defer and it's various existing implementations, for example). I don't really recommend this as an interesting read or a guide to the state of the art in C.

I received a damaged copy, the cover is completely scratched and the inside is bent. It seems like it fell to the floor and something went over it.

Seasoned programmers will understand the deliberate play on words in the title, but they are written with 100% honesty. I recently had to revisit writing in C again after a break of many years, and despite having a battered copy of K & R to hand, realised not only was I very rusty, but standards had moved on considerably. Maybe it is just me, but many technical references assume a level of knowledge or understanding that frequently the reader doesn't have. As a result, vital concepts are misunderstood or not fully grasped. The other danger is that the reader gets bored, confused, or just gives up due to the sheer dryness and weight of the reading material. It then becomes counter productive battle of wits as the reader faces an uphill struggle to master whatever challenge they initially picked up the book for. Somehow, the author seems to have escaped this mould and from the first page, I was engrossed, and that is a high compliment for a technical reference. By starting at the beginning, assuming nothing and steadily building on basic concepts and principles, a strong rapport is built between the author, the subject and the reader. As a result, learning (or certainly revisiting C as in my case) is far less onerous. This is not a beginners book by any means, and I am only about 1/3 of the way through it at the time of writing. Yes, I expect to be challenged and stretched, but I have made a personal committment to finishing reading the book, something that cannot be said of many other technical references that litter my bookshelves. For me, the author has brought C alive in a way that has renewed my interest in the beast. Along with my K & R, this book will take pride of place.