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I used this book to learn C having come from a Java and scripting background. I simply couldn't penetrate some of the other books and this definitely got me up and running. I'd say it's more of an intro book, though it's sheer size allows him to cover quite a bit. I would definitely NOT get this book if you're already a C-stud! You'd probably enjoy a more advanced book.

As a software engineer, I usually expect to get a book like this along with a real reference book (I also got C in a Nutshell which although it's very detailed and quite good, can tend to assume some the reader knows a lot already). So I don't have the typical developer's complaint that it's too basic because I believe it does it's job well.

I went through the book manually typing in the examples in about a month of pretty consistent self study. It was pretty much pain free and I don't recall more than one or two code errors. That's pretty darn good in a nearly thousand page book! I've emailed the author and he's actually responded and answered my questions. Five stars from me...keep it up Dan!

If you are a newcomer to C, buy this book. If you are a rusty veteran, like I was -- out of practice with C but wanting to get back in -- buy this book. Start at the beginning, work thru the exercises, and you'll get to a respectable level of sophistication very shortly. Gookin is methodical, thorough, and humorous (without being silly), and covers all the main issues in C including pointers (several good chapters on this one point :-'), functions, structures, and linked lists. The examples he gives you to help you thru the coding exercises are clear and easy to follow, and should serve as handy models for you own coding in the future.

It doesn't hurt to have a copy of Kernigan & Richie to review the standard functions and header files as he covers them, and to ensure that you become familiar with the KR writ.

If you are thinking of learning C then this is the book.Go and buy it. There are a host of other books on C like the classic K&R, How to program in C [Deitel & Deitel], C for Turbo C++ [Robert Lafore], C Primer Plus [Steven Prata] etc., all these books have their own merits as well as draw backs but Dan Gookin's is the very best.Dan teaches C like no other.If pointers or linked lists scare you to death. Have a look in this book! You will see how simply it is explained an executed. Yes, if you want to learn C BUY THIS BOOK!! Thanks Dan.

I had learned to program on an "as needed basis". A "cook book" programmer cutting and pasting my way through various projects and problems. Without an understanding of the foundations of C and it's syntax I struggled with the most basic coding problems.

I purchased a few suggested text books and found them useful. However, not one started at the very beginning. C for Dummies (All in one desk reference) is just that book. I can not tell you how much fun it's been reading this book. The light bulb above my head lit up and has remained lit for an astonishing length of time. Programming is fun again, an adventure.

The author makes this subject fun and you'll find this text to be refreshing and easy digest. Enough humor to lighten up an otherwise heady subject, but not so much that you lose the point.

If like me you learned programming from the middle out, you must invest in this book. I expect to have this volume near by for some time to come.

If you need to learn the C language, there is no better book than the "C All-In-One Desk Reference". The book is FUN to read, and gently (and effectively) takes you from the simplest of C concepts like variables, conditional statements and loops, through pointers, references, and arrays, to advanced topics like double-linked lists. The book is OK as a reference, but it EXCELS at presenting the C language to the new programmer. No other technical book in my personal library has helped me (and my career) as much as this one.

This book is great. Its funny, entertaining, and I haven't found any typos yet and I'm more than half way through the book. It covers all the topics of "C" and in great detail with lots of examples. Don't bother with any of those other editions of "C for Dummies", get this all in one desk reference because it's the best by far. I was a complete beginner to programming before I started this book and it was NO problem at all.

I learned to program in Java. C always seemed so complicated. In one weekend, I went from being confused to knowing how to code in C. I still prefer Java, but it's nice to take the mystery out of the "mother language".

This book was extremely helpful when I took Intro to C Programming. I was somewhat struggling with the class, then I got this book...and it made the course a lot easier. The author did explains concepts in laymen terms. As others have pointed out, this book covers a wide range of topics in C Programming. C All-in-One Desk Reference for Dummies is definitely a great source for beginners.

NOTE ABOUT WINDOWS VISTA/WINDOWS 7: There are many FREE compiler's that work with this book available to download! Before I type my review I realize that it is highly possible that some people may be contemplating purchasing this book, but wondering if they can find a compiler to use with this book on modern Windows Vista/Windows 7 computers. The answer is yes there are many FREE compilers my personal favorite is listed at the end of this review.
If you use Linux you will most probably already have the gcc compiler installed on your system!

C is my favorited programming language. C came before C++ and in my opinion gets less attention these days than it should! I also know some C++ and BASIC(QBASIC, yabasic, and Liberty BASIC)-I don't recomend learning basic these days. I use C and sometimes C++ on both Windows and Linux(Ubuntu) systems and in the past have used Red Hat and Mandrake Linux with C++.

This is a great book for learning C if you have little or no programming experience, and even if you have some experience with another programming language. I have never read the "C for Dummies" by the same author, but if you have any trouble following this book the other is supposed to be slower paced and explain things in a more understandable way.

The author does an amazing job at balancing hummor and information. I hope this author, the author of the first for Dummies book, publishes some more C books and hopefully a couple books on Intel and AMD assemly.

If you know how to use a computer and maybe have programmed a little in C++ or another language this book, "C All-In-One Desk Reference" will probably be easy for you to follow.

In my opinion this is a great book and any college student about to take C or anyone interested in learning programming will probably find this book extreamly helpful.

A FEW NOTES: (If you are new to C you can skip these two notes and goto the HELP and then the RECOMENDED IDE and COMPILER NOTE BELLOW!
1. fflush and fpurge are not to be used to clear the input stream in the context mentioned in the book. The authors website offers a better solution in his FAQ page.
2. gets is an EXTREAMLY DANGEROUS INSECURE function. It is ok when you are learning C, but for proffessional code it needs to be replaced by a more secure function. The authors website offers a fix for this problem the fgets function.
fgets sets a limit on the number of characters it can read in and is thus not dangerous. You can write a simple find and replace algorythm to remove the automatically inserted newline character.

HELP!
If you type a program exactly as it is written in the book and it wont compile goto the authors website listed in the book and click on errata it could be a typo. There are a few of these typos, but they are all very well documented on the authors website. I went through the errors on the authors page and marked them down in my two coppies of this book. They are not major errors only small typos.

RECOMENDED IDE and COMPILER for Windows Vista/Windows 7:
My favorited IDE and Compiler for the Windows Vista and Windows 7 platform is Code::Blocks with the included MinGW compiler.
I highly recomend this FREE IDE/Compiler bundle. This package works with C and also with C++.
For beginners, I believe this package is perfect, after downloading the approximately 70 MB file that includes both CodeBlocks and MinGW you can install it simply like installing any oter applications.

TO DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL CODE::BLOCKS:
1. Go to the Codeblocks website and click downloads, then click binaries, and finally select Windows.
2. There should be two downloads a smaller one and a larger one. The larger one approximately 70 MB is the one that contains the compiler! So if you don't already have a compiler download this package.
3. Install by just following the directions.
4. Then you are readdy to go!














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I have made various attempts to learn C over the last fifteen or so years, generally in the company of the C Programming Language (2nd Edition) (Prentice Hall Software) by Kernighan & Ritchie.

In these attempts, I picked up enough of the language to write some REALLY simple programmes, to print ready-reckoners and the like and also to do some basic programming on microcontrollers.

However, I would never have called myself a C programmer; pointers always remained a mystery to me. Is C just too hard? No - I was just using the wrong book. Whilst K&R makes a handy reference text, Dan Gookin's book actually TEACHES, and in a light-hearted style.

I am only about one-third the way into the section about pointers but, so far, it is all making sense. Many of the concepts are already familiar, as I am a Perl programmer. If you know Perl and want to learn a "real" programming language (ie: one that is compiled), this may well be the book for you. Having said that, I feel that even non-programmers could get into C with the aid of this book, provided that they have the correct mind-set.

This book is invaluable as a reference for the C programming language. It doesn't matter if you know a little or a lot about the C programming language this book caters for all levels. This book features a lot of working program examples and allows the reader to easily interact with the book whilst putting any knowledge gained from the book's content into practice.

I've been programming in C, on and off, since the mid-80s, and burned a lot of midnite oil reviewing and updating my C skills. This I believe is the best general introduction and refresher on that sometimes quirky language. I especially liked his leisurely and thorough tour through pointers, strings, and structures. His sense of humor is fun but very much aimed at reinforcing the points (ha ha, a pun) he is making. Highly recommended.

If you go to Georgia Tech, and have never programmed this book will not be enough. If you want to learn the basics and plan on practicing many different programs it's great.

This is a great book. Explains the topic in a way that is easily understood. Hopefully it will help me with my course this sememster.

Do not let the "for dummies" in the title get in the way. This book is excellent. Having a solid knowledge of C (I do embedded programming), I often find it difficult to teach C concepts to other programmers with different backgrounds (Visual Basic, PHP, Scripting Languages, etc). The author does a great job of introducing the C language in this book. His writing style is clear and humorous. It is a much easier text to digest for beginners than other C books I have used. This book will get any newcomer to C up to speed in C programming and prepare the way to more advanced concepts and textbooks. This book is a great value for the price. I own both the paperback copy and the Kindle edition. If you need a refresher or if you are a newcomer to the great C language, this book makes a very nice addition to your collection.

This is one of the best books teaching C language. It starts from the primitive steps and directs you to code quite advance programs. It teaches you all the major topics you need to know about C and covers a lot of necessary details that explain exactly what everything means. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to anyone starting with C language... don't be discouraged by the title "FOR DUMMIES" cause it is truly an amazing book!!!