Subscriber Reviews

Average Rating:  Based on 20 Ratings

"Very helpful book" - by Umer Mansoor on 10-FEB-2012
Reviewer Rating:
Been using Git for almost half a year but never really understood the merging, rebasing and remote branches concept and often found using Git frustrating. However, this book helped me understand the concepts behind Git.

I highly recommend this book to people interested in learning Git. (Chapters 1, 2 and 3 being the most important). This is definitely one of the best, if not THE best, Git book.
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"Good intro into Git" - by Alex Ott on 20-JUL-2011
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Good introduction into Git VCS, providing both high level overview of Git workflows, and details on how these workflows could be implemented. Also provides many additional information on external tools, internal details, etc.
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"Pro Git: A Great Tutorial and Reference" - by BryceMorsello on 06-JUN-2011
Reviewer Rating:
Although "Pro Git" is a title I think some of my coworkers have earned, this book gives detailed coverage of the version control system developed by Linux's Linus Torvalds. The author's style is well-paced, and coverage includes basic functionality, and tutorial-style explanations of a variety of different development possibilities from small team to huge project.  Commands are covered individually, and the nuances of tagging, merging, and patching are covered in thorough but not labored detail.

As an example of the comfortable tone employed, consider the coverage of SHA-1 hash collisions.  As git uses hashes to identify snapshots, some users might be concerned about the implications of multiple snapshots randomly having the same identifier, the author first covers some detailed math, and then explains plainly: "A higher probability exists that every member of your programming team will be attacked and killed by wolves in unrelated incidents on the same night."

I'll use this book as both a tutorial and a reference, as there are plenty of details in the back chapters that aren't worth memorizing, and explanations of scenarios that one might not stumble on for a while.  This book has almost everything.  One conspicuous absence is a boiled-down matrix of git versus other version control systems.  Source management is a subtle art, with pain points often not becoming apparent until the first multi-way merge.  Guidance for those who haven't already chosen git would be a great addition.

If you're thinking of using git, this book is recommended.  If you're definitely using git, this book is highly recommended.
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"Great Book" - by gsieranski on 07-APR-2011
Reviewer Rating:
By Far the BEST book on Git I have come across.
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"Best for learning best practices" - by Filippo Erik Negroni on 12-SEP-2010
Reviewer Rating:
The book's intent is to provide, to both prospective and current users of git, a best-practice working knowledge of git and help them champion git in their development team or organisation.

The book achieves those aims marvellously.

It makes the learning curve way easier by omitting non-essential details in the early chapters yet giving enough detail to ensure a good practice approach is set from the start.

It gives examples, such as the branch management of some open source projects, which are relevant to anyone who would like to start contributing to a project and needs a reference.

If you are looking for a more technical description of the inner workings of git and how to perhaps use git as a component of a more sophisticated tool, a better resource would be Version Control with Git, 1st Edition, by Jon Loeliger.

Unfortunately, where Loeliger succeeds in delivering interesting technical details from the start, it fails to deliver a working understanding of what those technical details are useful for, and what detail is relevant, making it frustrating for the user to get up to speed quickly.

Scott Chacon instead succeeds at distilling information in a clear way that guides the reader through complex processes, allowing the reader to not only grasp the essence of the subject, but immediately apply best practices that are relevant, current and effective.
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