One of the problems with many programming textbooks is their cost. Some cost so much that students won’t buy them.

But the cost of this book is quite reasonable. In fact, if you were to download any one of the C textbooks available for free on the web and print out a hardcopy, the printing cost would probably be more than the price of this book.

Another problem with many programming language textbooks is their length. Perhaps if you were stranded on a deserted island for several years, a 500-page programming textbook might be a good read.

But in the helter-skelter of a single semester? Fuggetabout it (New York pronunciation for "forget about it"). You will find the length of this book just right for a one-semester course.

Although short, this book covers all the important subtleties of C, just like (or maybe even better than) its 500-page counterparts. No book, short or long, is a magic wand that can impart mastery of C without a substantial effort on the reader’s part.

However, because this book is short, has plenty of simple examples, clear explanations, and no excess verbiage, it should make mastering C an enjoyable and rewarding process. This book is the first book in a series of three books on foundational computer science.

The next two are C++ Programming: A Student-friendly Approach and C++ Under the Hood Second Edition. All three are reasonably priced.

But most important, they provide the reader with a solid base in programming on which to build. .