With Linux's popularity as a workstation operating system skyrocketing and GNOME the most popular desktop environment for Linux, it makes sense for programmers to develop proficiency in GNOME programming. Old Unix salt Arthur Griffith relates his considerable knowledge of GNOME and its underlying graphics libraries in GNOME/GTK+ Programming Bible. He knows X programming very well, and does a fine job of introducing programmers (he assumes only familiarity with C) to GNOME, GTK+, GDK, and the rest of this Linux graphics hierarchy. Readers learn how to create buttons, menus, and other graphical user interface (GUI) elements, as well as polygons, pixels, and other custom graphics forms.

Griffith's style is heavy on code, which may or may not be to your liking. He typically introduces a concept (such as reacting to mouse events, or moving polygons around a canvas), writes a bit about the language elements that support it, and then unleashes a listing of code that implements the task and variations of it. After each code listing, he'll use prose to explain what's going on in the program. The most appealing part of Griffith's book is his depth of knowledge and enthusiasm for sharing it. He's like the owner of a toy store, demonstrating his wares to children. Read this volume for a well-grounded and wide-ranging explanation of what you can do with graphics under GNOME. --David Wall, Amazon.com