IMHO, it''s worth the $40 I paid for it before it was published, but it''s not worth the current price that Amazon and Fatbrain are selling it for right now. I really wanted to give LaMothe another try(yes I know he''s not the principle author but his influence is apparent). Don''t let the size of the book fool you. At 816 pages and that table of contents, it sounds like quite a source for OpenGL and game programming information. However, roughly half of the book is source code listings(that are not included on the CD) with some book text dedicated to comments in between functions. This book reads a lot like those web pages people call "tutorials" when they provide a brief explanation and a lot of source code but never really explain anything very well. There are some definite gems of information in this book but quite frankly, there are better resources on the internet. If you want some real books about this book''s subject, these three are my favorite: "Game Architecture and Design", Andrew Rollings, Dave Morris; 742pg; The Coriolis Group; ISBN: 1576104257 "Game Programming Gems", Mark DeLoura; 600pg; Charles River Media; ISBN: 1584500492 "OpenGL 1.2 Programming Guide, Third Edition", Woo, Neider, Davis et al; 800pg; Addison-Wesley Pub-Co; ISBN: 0201604582 Yes, combined they are more expensive but they burst with information that you can use. Dodger_

ShiningKnight:
So have you actually read the book? I''m a complete newbie to 3D programming and do not know where or how to start. I have a book but it''s really hard to put into games.

I''d probably best be looking up tutorials of NeHe but if there''s a better (or easier) way...

I live in the UK and am still waiting for Amazon.co.uk to ship the book to me. I hate waiting for this when I see other people all ready have it. Has any other UK users received the book yet?

It''s not meant to be a flame, it''s just meant to be a warning to others who may be interested in buying this book, that they can find better sources. I disagree about the OpenGL Programming Guide being too advanced for new users. The redbook is very straight forward and starts out very simple and has lots of examples. It also acts as a reference later on, as the programmer''s knowledge grows. I suggested Game Programming Gems because that books gets the reader thinking. They may not necessarily be able to do everything in it but that''s not the point of my recommendation. That book has a lot of interesting things in it to think about and ask questions about. I have a real problem with books that use source code as filler to bulk up the book to make it look more attractive on the shelf. I know that it was an accident that the source was not on the CD but it was a very careless one. Any new programmer that picks up the book and then can''t find the source on the CD is going to be upset and maybe even a little put off by it. For every one of us that reads and posts in this forum, there are at least five people who want to write games out there who do not. Try to keep that in mind. Oh, and here''s another good book that I think is quite suitable for beginners:

"3D Games, Volume 1: Real-time Rendering and Software Technology", Alan Watt, Fabio Policarpo; 800pg; Addison-Wesley Pub Co; ISBN: 0201619210

If the rest of the series of this line of books turns out as well as this one, then there will be a place on my bookshelves for them.

Dodger_

Speaking as an OpenGL newbie, I''d have to say that the book was easy to absorb, and greatly useful as a learning tool; it was an excellent complement to NeHe''s tutorials.

A good chunk of the (thick) book dealt with non-GL topics, which initially cooled my interest, but the latter chapters are varied enough such that you''re likely to find *something* useful.

The $60 selling price is a bit steep. If you''re a hobbyist who enjoys digging about the Web for such info, then by all means, give it a pass. However, given the sparsity of info on the Web, it may save you plenty in terms of time/hassle/sanity.

Although someone with a good grasp of GL would probably find little of use here, I would certainly recommend it to fellow newcomers.

Browse it over some coffee at Borders before you buy.

Buy the book at barnes and noble, it''s about 10.00$ less than amazon.com.

If www.bookpool.com gets some more in the book is $36. I also noticed that amazon had a used one for sale.

I am a newbie to OpenGL and game programming and I got this book because of the engine and game that is built with the book. I know that it is a ''simple engine'', hence the name SimpleEngine, but for a newcomer this is great because it shows you how to build a game with an engine. I am finding this to be very good for me.

Eastwood