Rating: 
Summary: Thorough, precise and crystal clear
Review: Make no mistake: if you're considering learning C++ on your own, this is the single most important book in your library. Mr. Horton exhibits the rare skill of making a difficult topic almost absurdly simple. The book is replete with examples and exercises, and the number of typographical errors is extremely low. This is a book that was written by an individual with an absolute mastery of C++, and that mastery shows; the result is a book that is both utterly precise and extremely simple to comprehend. However, this is not a light 'once over' of C++; the first half deals with elementary language constructs, while the last half is devoted to building a solid foundation in Object Oriented Programming (OOP). There is a wealth of information here, and any individual who chooses to complete the exercises and really learn the material can count himself as a competent C++ programmer.What impressed me the most about Mr. Horton's book was the fluid, almost seamless way that one topic flows into another, each one reinforcing the last so that your skills build almost without your realizing it. Writing a book that is so expertly laid out simply cannot be done by most authors, and indeed there are dozens of examples of C++ primers that are terribly choppy and uneven in their presentation. Getting it right requires, not only an absolute intellectual mastery of the subject, but also that rare gift of being able to communicate your subject so clearly that learning becomes joyful. Mr. Horton enjoys that gift, and it is thoroughly utilized in this book. On the cover, Mr. Horton makes the claim that anyone with this text, an up to date compiler and some dedication, can thoroughly learn C++. Of course, a lot of books make that claim. This one's for real. Buy it.
Rating:
Summary: A fine selection to and introduction for C++
Review: Other than private tutelage from Bjarne Stroustrup, I found this to be very well written introduction to the C++ language. With over nine-hundred pages of information, the chapters progress from simple datatypes to virtual functions and polymorphism. Since this is ANSI/ISO compliant C++, the reader will find few references to specific IDEs as Microsoft or Borland; the only software required is any one of the freeware C++ compilers available for download on the internet. For them familiar with VB, Pascal-Delphi or other OOP-ish languages you might complete this in two-weeks and move up to MFC.
Rating:
Summary: Great Supplement for any C++ Course
Review: Taking an introductory C++ at a local Universty. Found the required text to be extremely poor and hard to read. Bought Ivor's book and have been using it way more than the course text. It explains concepts by example, and very relavant examples at that. The topic of each chapter is broken down into smaller topics, each with it's own detailed explanation and most with their own example. The sample source code is plentyful too. This book is a keeper unlike the textbook for my class.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome book for beginners and intermediate people
Review: The author, Ivor Horton, explains everything you need to know about C++ to become a great programmer. I think that this is a must have book for a beginner programmer as well as a intermediate programmer, and oh yes, a expert programmer.
Rating:
Summary: An essential reference to learn C++
Review: The book is very well written and the concepts are crisp. The material can be applied to any flavor of C++. The book is for beginners as its title clearly states. Do not expect any database programming or getting deep in the COM objects.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, cumulative examples explained well.
Review: The examples are excellent, building on each other and explaining a lot of the Windows programming thought process. Very good tutorial. Horton is on my "ought to buy more of his books" list.
Rating: 
Summary: Many Errors in 1998 edition
Review: This aouthor is very famous for good writing. But book has many errors. Let me quote you verbatim from page 185 of the book (ISBN 1-861000-12-X) where author talks about array initialization.
"The syntax of C++ allows for empty initialization list, in which case all elements will be initialized to zero. However, I recommend that you always put at least one initializing value in the list."
The above statment can be interpreted to mean as if the declaration like below is allowed by C++: int Int_Array [ 10 ] = { };
Well not so. Visual C++ 6.0 compiler gives compile error for an initialization like this. This is not even a typographical error. If this error comes only with Visual C++ compiler, then I will like to know why ? Otherwise the statement made by author is reflective of fundamental error in his judgement. Satish Singhal
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books around
Review: This book is excellent! Not only for beginners but for professionals as well. The book has a great structure. The examples are well written. And he explains everything very well. The only bad thing is the chapter about STL, but when you get there you'll probably buy a book focusing only on the STL.
Rating:
Summary: Start from the beginning
Review: This book is great for the beginner. It assumes that you have no prior programming experience and sets about getting you some. By the end of the book you will be able to understand and program with simple objects. The only bad part is that Wrox is now denying that they published this book on their web page and no longer have the sample answers to the exercises. Luckily I found a copy that I backed up before they took it off the web page.
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Summary: Saved my GPA!
Review: This book is phenomenal! I was enrolled in a C++ Objects class, designed as a final 'weed out' course my last semester of college and was having a very difficult time following the professor and terrible text. Ivor Horton came to the rescue with this book. Easy to read, great examples that build upon previous concepts, this book helped me bring my grade up to a B, saving my GPA. Too many programming textbooks are written poorly, in an almost seemingly attempt to challenge/confuse the student. Schools and publishers should start thinking progressively and adapt Ivor Horton's approach to teaching.
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