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Quite an interesting one this, it has a strange mix of the old and the new. Some parts of the language that are usually left to the advanced sections are introduced quite early as an integral part of the language. Function templates, for instance, are introduced at the same time as regular functions. Strings and streams are definitely not treated as add-on features. So the usual downfall of C++ introductory texts is avoided.

The presentation is impressive. The material is moved forward in a way that's bound to keep you interested. The Engineers and Scientists appear in the title because that is the focus of all the examples and exercises. It certainly makes a nice change from bank transactions and if this is your area then I imagine it will hold your interest much more.

There are a few technical inaccuracies that let the book down and this combined with the material that's missing gave me the impression that the author wasn't as fully conversant with C++ as you might hope. As an example, the section on cast operators was misleading and plain wrong in places. But a few minor problems like that shouldn't detract from such a nice tutorial text.

I'd recommend it to anyone needing to cross over from the harder sciences, but on the understanding that it is not really suitable as a reference and should be read in conjunction with something a bit more meaty.