WGSL Fundamentals (Paperback)

Mixed feelings. The good parts are genuinely good; the rest is forgettable.

I read this over a couple of weekends alongside a small side project, which turned out to be the ideal way to approach it. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The progression from chapter to chapter is well thought out; nothing feels out of order. The explanations are careful without being condescending, which is a difficult balance to strike. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.

I have been working with javascript for a few years now and I still found plenty here that was new to me. The chapters on javascript are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. I particularly liked the way the author builds up from simple cases before introducing the harder material. It is denser than the page count suggests, and I found myself slowing down around the middle. Recommended, with the caveat that it is not a gentle introduction.

Some sections were excellent and others felt like filler.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some of the diagrams are dense and I had to reread a few sections, though that may just be me. Some of the material is available elsewhere, but rarely presented this clearly. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.