Rating: 
Summary: A Way With Words
Review: Scott Meyers shows off in this book what he has shown in his previous works on the C++ core language: command of subject matter and a breezy fun-to-read style. Anyone who can get me to laugh out loud at the humor in a book on this topic deserves to be read and re-read!
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as his other books
Review: The only reason I picked up this book was because of his other book Effective C++. I liked the way he approached things in that book so I decided to pick up this book as well, trusting that I was going to get the same result. Writing a book on the STL is different however and the formula that worked for Effective C++ didn't work for this one at all. If you're looking for a book specifically on STL then I would recommend picking up something else before this one. If you've already read all the books on STL and you're looking for something that'll put some of those pieces together than this might be the one for you.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as his other books
Review: The only reason I picked up this book was because of his other book Effective C++. I liked the way he approached things in that book so I decided to pick up this book as well, trusting that I was going to get the same result. Writing a book on the STL is different however and the formula that worked for Effective C++ didn't work for this one at all. If you're looking for a book specifically on STL then I would recommend picking up something else before this one. If you've already read all the books on STL and you're looking for something that'll put some of those pieces together than this might be the one for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Scott Does It Again
Review: There we go - with his well-known sharpness and diligence, Scott absorbed STL in all detail, taught it in seminars, chewed on the ensuing experience, and distilled it all in this book.I was one of the reviewers and in the beginning I thought that reviewing a book on STL is going to be an easy enough task. I was wrong. I learned lots of new things on using STL effectively: why `empty()` is better than `size() == 0`, when and how to write custom allocators, how std::string might be implemented, how associative containers distinguish between equality and equivalence, how to implement associative containers as sorted vectors (that's a gem!), and many, many other things that I either had a blurry understanding of, or simply didn't know about. Now I'm glad I do, because my understanding of the STL and the practical use of it are much better. The book went through an extensive review process; it is really combed and distilled to its finest. I recommend it to any C++ programmer who uses STL - which should be, any C++ programmer, period. Five well deserved stars.
Rating:
Summary: Great Supplement to Introductory and Reference Books on STL
Review: This book follows in the manner of Scott Meyers' other excellent C++ books (Effective C++ and More Effective C++). It is divided into 50 "items" covering specific topics in using the Standard C++ Standard Library neatly grouped into 7 chapters on effective use of the containers, iterators and algorithms that make up the Library. This is a very good supplement to more basic and comprehensive books like The C++ Standard Library, by Nicolai Josuttis. Meyers' book assumes you have a basic familiarity with the inventory and interfaces of the STL and shows you how to use the STL more efficiently, safely and clearly. The book can be a little frustrating for those who just want a "do it this way" approach. Each item in the book takes you through the reasoning behind why it's better to use the STL in one way and not another. But, in the long run, this is a much more effective approach. The "why" is as important has the "how". The book also contains plenty of crossreferences between items, so it makes a good reference when you are done reading it through.
Rating:
Summary: Great Supplement to Introductory and Reference Books on STL
Review: This book follows in the manner of Scott Meyers' other excellent C++ books (Effective C++ and More Effective C++). It is divided into 50 "items" covering specific topics in using the Standard C++ Standard Library neatly grouped into 7 chapters on effective use of the containers, iterators and algorithms that make up the Library. This is a very good supplement to more basic and comprehensive books like The C++ Standard Library, by Nicolai Josuttis. Meyers' book assumes you have a basic familiarity with the inventory and interfaces of the STL and shows you how to use the STL more efficiently, safely and clearly. The book can be a little frustrating for those who just want a "do it this way" approach. Each item in the book takes you through the reasoning behind why it's better to use the STL in one way and not another. But, in the long run, this is a much more effective approach. The "why" is as important has the "how". The book also contains plenty of crossreferences between items, so it makes a good reference when you are done reading it through.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This is a truly useful book. It explains lots of little "gotchas" that I didn't know about previously, and Scott does his usual excellent job at explaining *why* it's important to do things a certain way (and no other). One part that I found particularly interesting is about the futility of writing container-independent code; not only does that section show why this is a bad idea, it also serves as a splendid illustration of the idiosyncracies of the various containers. The chapter on iterators is priceless, as are the tips about writing comprehensible code and debugging. The presentation is very much up-to-date (even to the point where it anticipates some of the forthcoming updates to the C++ standard). The writing style is clear and precise without sounding academic or condescending, and the book has an index that actually works. "Effective STL" is every bit as good as "Effective C++" and "More Effective C++". No C++ programmer should still be writing code without the STL, and no-one writing code with the STL should be without this book. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: This is a truly useful book. It explains lots of little "gotchas" that I didn't know about previously, and Scott does his usual excellent job at explaining *why* it's important to do things a certain way (and no other). One part that I found particularly interesting is about the futility of writing container-independent code; not only does that section show why this is a bad idea, it also serves as a splendid illustration of the idiosyncracies of the various containers. The chapter on iterators is priceless, as are the tips about writing comprehensible code and debugging. The presentation is very much up-to-date (even to the point where it anticipates some of the forthcoming updates to the C++ standard). The writing style is clear and precise without sounding academic or condescending, and the book has an index that actually works. "Effective STL" is every bit as good as "Effective C++" and "More Effective C++". No C++ programmer should still be writing code without the STL, and no-one writing code with the STL should be without this book. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Great (but *definitely* not for beginners)
Review: This is an indispensible book if you are already a very competent C++ programmer but think you might be missing out on some of STL. Do *not* purchase this book to learn STL - that's not what it's for. Buy this book if you've been using STL for a while and are pretty familiar with it. it contains many very specific examples of what to do, and what not to do with STL. You'll be disgusted byu how many of his "rules" you were breaking! Unfortunately, you won't understand it before you use STL for a while. To learn STL, I highly recommend "C++: HOW TO PROGRAM" by Deitel and Deitel. It might be ugly, but it is the best C++ book out there.
Rating:
Summary: "Hat Trick" for Scott
Review: This is the third book by Scott Meyers that I've owned. It is, as expected, a joy to read. I find Scott's style of writing easy to follow. Although, I suspect you could find everything that's in this book elsewhere, it would be several elsewhweres. Scott wraps it all up in one neat package. I guess I would summarize its utility in one sentence: "BUY THIS BOOK!"
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