Rating: 
Summary: A thorough coverage of the Computer Graphics world.
Review: I have found this book to be _the_ most useful book in my line of work yet. I have been involved in computer graphics and software development for about 10 years, and this stands out as the ideal reference book.Dont bother with this book if you just want source code. This book is all about explanation of the fundamentals of computer graphics. It is excellent in helping with design descisions and implementation strategies. Dont overlook this book if you are in anyway involved with the creation of a computer graphics application. The theory and algorithms described are old, but these are still used today - interestingly other reviewers seem to think this is bad, its not. It saves you spending months researching a method only to find it was already mentioned in this book, and the benefits and disadvantages are often written well with solid references. In my opinion, in Computer Graphics, this is the Bible. The theories and algorithms assist in solving any problem you will find in the computer graphics world. It wont give you the code, but it will give you a solution.
Rating: 
Summary: Authoritative, Yes.. But not completely accurate.
Review: I have just begun to delve into this book, and have been referenced to it by two other sources in the last week so I can only presume it is the authoritative text, that's why I give it at least 4 stars despite my one disappointment here. I'm beginning this book by first going over the background math in the appendix to get up to speed on the topics needed to understand graphics. I'm just 5 pages into this appendix and I've already found an error in a formula included in the text. Here it is as I attempted to report it to the author (I don't know whether or not it was received): I am writing regarding the book "Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice, Second Edition in C". The bottom of page 1087 (in the Appendix) gives an incorrect answer to the excersize immediately above it. The answer is worded: "Answer: The points of the plane are all points of the form (1-s)((1-t)(1,0,4)+t(2,3,6))+s(0,0,7). Because all operations are defined componentwise, we can express this as the set of all points of the form ((1-s)(1-t)+2(1-s)t,3(1-s)t,4(1-s)(1-t)+6t+7s)." The error is in the final expansion of the result. The "+6t+" needs to be replaced by "+6(1-s)t+". This error may seem small but I was working out the numbers in a different way, then comparing them to the results given in the text and I couldn't figure out for some time why I was getting different results than them. It wasn't until I eventaully questioned the validity of the text that I confirmed that my answer was correct and the text was wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Stanford's Text of Choice
Review: I have nearly completed my first computer graphics class (of several) at Stanford University, and this was the primary text. While this is definitely not a text for the "cut-and-paste"-programmers, for anyone with a real interest in computer graphics (and the psychophysiology, math, and theory behind it), this is definitely *the* book to read. The writing style is actually very accessible, provided you are willing to work to understand it. While I knew I was interested in graphics prior to reading this book, I'm absolutely enfatuated now. For anyone considering advanced graphics, this book will definitely help you decide whether or not you really wish to pursue the field.
Rating:
Summary: Best series.
Review: I have owned the predecessor (Second edition not Second Edition C source code) for 4 years now, and I consider it to be the best book on the topic on computer graphics. It was very hard to understand at first, but has always been a valuable resource. In response to anyone who has complained that it covers too many topics, I ask that they (re) read the introduction. It is part of the Systems Programmer Series, which was started to document major discoveries/theories with computers, many of it's chapters where written in the 80's and are still relevant today.
Rating: 
Summary: An out-dated clasic.
Review: I see that this book is getting a 4.5 average star rating. I really think many of these ratings are based largely on nostalgia. I bought this book 7 years ago or so. I definitely can say that I learned a great deal from this book, and it is a classic.
However, it hasn't been updated since then, and I think that, considering the price tag, it really doesn't make sense for most modern readers to buy it. (Especially if they don't have Real-Time Rendering, which is my recommendation.)
Let's scan through the table of contents and see which chapters might be worth reading:
1.) Introduction
2.) SRGP - if you don't know what this means, it's because it stands for a graphics system that nobody uses anymore.
3.) Basic raster graphics algorithms for drawing 2d primitives - this is a good reference for this stuff. Of course, a lot fewer people need to know how to do software rasterization nowadays
4.) Graphics Hardware - circa 1996
5.) geometrical transforms - standard material as covered elsewhere, though more difficult to understand
6.) viewing in 3D - This is actually a pretty unique chapter and worth reading once you've read other books (which will be easier to learn from). There's some unique information about different types of projections, and some alternative ways of looking at the problem.
7.) Object heirarchy and SPHIGS. Another graphics programming system nobody uses anymore.
8.) input devices, interaction techniques, and interaction tasks - I never read these chapters because they were about UI design. Maybe you'll find them useful - but they aren't really about "graphics"
9.) dialogue design - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
10.) user interface software - Same comments as Ch 8 - probably not what you're buying the book for.
11.) Representing curves and surfaces - there's some good meat here, most of it pretty timeless. But again, I think the information is contained in plenty of other books, as well.
12.) solid modeling - some interesting material here that isn't the same old stuff found in every other graphics book.
13.) achromatic and colored light - gets into the theory of color and different color models. Interesting and useful.
14.) the quest for visual realism - largely out of date, but some decent information
15.) visible surface determination - covers a wide variety of algorthims, many of which are more interesting than useful.
16.) illumination and shading - gives the standard local lighting model. Mostly this is standard information you can get elsewhere.
17.) image manipulation and storage - discusses filtering techniques, etc.
18.) Advanced Raster Graphics Architecture - out of date
19.) Advanced Geometric and Raster Algorithms - Mostly out of date, but with some standard information you can get elsewhere
20.) Advanced Modeling techniques - fractals, particle systems, etc - doesn't cover much in detail
21.) Animation - not much can be covered in 23 pages...
For most people, I would suggest "Real-Time Rendering" as a more modern "survey of computer graphics".
This is not a book for beginners - there's so much information in this book that none of it is covered with any sort of decent explanation.
And the code is all really old-school K&R C style with the type of the function arguments declared in between the closing paren and the opening brace.
The reasons to get this book are:
1.) To "complete your bookshelf" with a book that all good programmers are "supposed to have"
2.) As an interesting (but expensive) read on algorithms and ideas that you probably won't use directly, but you may find interesting and learn altative ways of looking at problems.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but complex
Review: I thought the book was well done, but I would like a full source code sample.
Rating:
Summary: Review Withdrawn.
Review: I'm not an expert in this subject area and wish to withdraw my review (and have just edited it out). In short: The book was over my head.
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Summary: GREAT FOR EXPERIENCED CODERS, CONFUSING FOR BEGINNERS
Review: If you really know that you *are* a great coder, grasp this book and you will soon be able to code a clone of 3D-Studio MAX that is better than the original. ;-) This book covers all aspects of computer graphics in a very detailed and comprehensive way, if you know how to code. This book is great for reference, not for beginners. To understand it, you should know about some advanced programing methods.
Rating:
Summary: Good book for 3D graphics
Review: It is a book for the ones who like math, not for general programmers.
Rating:
Summary: This is a math book or programming book ??
Review: It's all about theory and math. Yes, it contains everything about computer graphic, it's complete, but I can't produce anything from it. For example how can I build raytracing program with only two pages of pseudocodes + few pages of theory ???. The author only introduce the subject, give you the formulas, sometime pseudocodes ( and you have to find your own way to implement them in programming ) and NEXT SUBJECT !!!. That why the book is very complete. I don't know if I'm stupid or this book is too hard, but one thing for sure the guys who love this book must be a MATH MASTER. I salute you !!!
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