Game Inverse Kinematics: A Practical Introduction

This is the one to get if you are serious about simulation.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. The chapters on simulation are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. If you have the prerequisites, this is an easy recommendation. I will be keeping it on my desk rather than the shelf.

Decent, but uneven. Some chapters are much stronger than others.

This is the third book I have read on simulation this year, and it is comfortably the best of them. I found myself making notes in the margins, which is always a good sign. The author is unusually honest about where the simplifications break down, which I appreciated. Borrow it first if you can, or at least check the table of contents carefully before buying.

Better than I expected. Rare to find a technical book this well judged.

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. The code samples assume a particular environment, which took a bit of fiddling to get running properly. The book rewards careful reading. Skimming it would be a mistake. One of those books that pays for itself within the first few chapters. Highly recommended.