The subtitle indicates that this book makes you feel smart. Believe it because it is true! Of course, this is because the book leaves out anything that is overly technical.

Consider the author's comment, "I don't stress it, because it is most appropriate in complex programs and not likely to be as useful to a beginner." This is the excuse for leaving a core topic out of a book - a topic that should be taught to a beginner from the start so when they are faced with a program being used in the real world that they are programming it properly.

The first thing I look for in an intro C++ book today is templates. I don't necessarily look for information on creating templates, but on using them. Templates have been a part of the C++ standard for a couple of years now and any serious compiler will support it. As such, any book on the C++ language should include references to templates. The book has a glossary that is missing the term. Additionally, it didn't makeit to the index. In fact no coverage was really included.

"The template-defining capability was not originally in the C++ specification, although it is now standard." This comment by the author included templates and the standard template library.

Most C++ programs in the real world -- even beginning ones -- will use the STL unless they are tied to a specific product (aka VC++). To leave this topic out -- especially since it is now part of the standard -- is an error. At a minimum, coverage of using templates and the STL should be included.

This book is good, but it is incomplete.