The three major books are the "red book", "blue book", and "orange book". The "Red Book" is the OpenGL Programming Guide. The "Blue Book" is the OpenGL Reference manual. The "Orange Book" is the OpenGL Shading Language.

Just to make sure we are on the same page. Are you referring to these books(?):

Red Book:

http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Programming-Guide-Official-Learning/dp/0321773039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410587128&sr=8-1&keywords=OpenGl

Blue Book:

http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-SuperBible-Comprehensive-Tutorial-Reference/dp/0321902947/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410587128&sr=8-2&keywords=OpenGl

Orange Book:

http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Shading-Language-Randi-Rost/dp/0321637631/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1410587128&sr=8-14&keywords=OpenGl

Hi.

I say both, Go to school and learn on your own. This way with school you get a Recorded Grade and a piece of paper saying you have done some study.

Yes, no, yes. Blue Book has a long title of The OpenGL Reference Manual as I wrote and you quoted.

The 'SuperBible' book is in a different group, although I have an old copy on my bookshelf -- it was yellow back then.

Okay so you mean this one: http://www.amazon.com/OpenGL-Reference-Manual-Official-Document/dp/032117383X/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_2

I wanted to clarify because all the other books were more recent so I wasn't sure if you meant the older Reference or the Super Bible when you said blue book.

Though, OpenGL.org states that you should get the SuperBible and Programming Guide so I guess there is no harm in me linking it earlier.

Question: Is the Reference manual really all that helpful still since it is for version 1.4 and OpenGL is now on 4.5?

Thanks, tons of help from everyone

Hey I just wanted to recommend these excellent videos I've been watching. The guy teaching is a CS professor at Neumont University and he's really entertaining and has a really good teaching style (at least for me).

https://www.youtube.com/user/1kingja is the channel, he has several playlists on different C++ topics as well as two graphics/game related playlists:

Game Engine Development - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRwVmtr-pp04XomGtm-abzb-2M1xszjFx

3D Computer Graphics using OpenGL - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRwVmtr-pp06qT6ckboaOhnm9FxmzHpbY