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Title: Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C++ (2nd Edition) by Mark Allen Weiss ISBN: 0-201-36122-1 Publisher: Pearson Addison Wesley Pub. Date: 09 November, 1998 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $101.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.09 (23 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A book that favors practicality over theory
Comment: I used this book for teaching an introductory data structures and algorithms course at Long Beach St. University. In teaching or studying such a course one has to walk a fine line between giving a good theoretical presentation of the material, but at the same time discuss practical implementation issues. Weiss walks this line with good balance and agility, but his presentation of the material does raise some pedagogical issues; the most obvious being whether or not it is prudent to use C++ code in favor of psuedocode. Not an easy question to answer. One compromise would be to first present the algorithms in pseudocode and then follow it up with C++ in an appendix. This is the choice taken by Drozdek, in his book with the same name. To Weiss's credit, however, I do not think this would work as well. Since he does very well at explaining many practical aspects of the implementation, it seems appropriate to have the code nearby. On the other hand, there were occassions when I felt that the code seemed too advanced and overly refined for an audience consisting of mostly students who are just learning how to program in C++. It only detracts from the issues at hand, namely the data structures and algorithms.
With so much detail paid to implementation issues, one aspect of the subject (possibly the most important aspect) that suffers most is the mathematical analysis. Frankly, there just isn't enough of it, to at least support many of the more advanced problems posed at the end of each chapter. Although an abundance of such problems is supplied, it would have helped to see a sample of them worked out as examples throughout the main text.
On a more positive note however, I did enjoy Weiss's down-to-earth style of writing. Helps make the material seem unthreatening (of course, until one reaches the problems at the end of each chapter!).
Finally, despite some of its shortcomings, I still consider this book one of the best on the subject (from an implementation point of view) and hence rate it with four stars.
Rating: 5
Summary: Heavy subject made easy
Comment: I have read tens of books about algorithm analysis. What makes this book special, in my opinion, is that this book suits fine for both those who are interested in the implementations of data structures and algorithms as well as for those who are interested in the theory of these topics. I think that especially cs students should really read this one.
Rating: 1
Summary: Beginner Beware
Comment: This book is impossible to learn from unless you know c++ like the person who wrote the language. I am using this book for my data structures class I'm in right now and it is useless. Our teacher is constantly finding things that are against normal convention. The code is very incomplete. Don't worry though, cause if you don't know c++ very very very well, you'll never even realize it. I compare his homework problems to teaching someone how to paint a bird house and then asking him how to build a skyscrapper. You should definetly avoid this book at all costs.
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Title: Operating System Concepts by Abraham Silberschatz, Greg Gagne, Peter Baer Galvin ISBN: 0471250600 Publisher: Wiley Text Books Pub. Date: 08 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $92.95 |
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Title: Concepts of Programming Languages (5th Edition) by Robert W. Sebesta ISBN: 0201752956 Publisher: Pearson Addison Wesley Pub. Date: 31 July, 2001 List Price(USD): $109.00 |
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Title: Computer Organization and Design Second Edition : The Hardware/Software Interface by David Patterson, John Hennessy ISBN: 1558604286 Publisher: Morgan Kaufmann Pub. Date: 01 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $84.95 |
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Title: File Structures: An Object-Oriented Approach with C++ (3rd Edition) by Michael J. Folk, Bill Zoellick, Greg Riccardi ISBN: 0201874016 Publisher: Addison-Wesley Pub Co Pub. Date: 16 December, 1997 List Price(USD): $89.00 |
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Title: Mathematical Structures for Computer Science by Judith L. Gersting ISBN: 0716743582 Publisher: W H Freeman & Co. Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $114.20 |
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