[jondot]

Please don't. Not for beginners and not for veteran C++ programmers that want a refresher. I've been polyglot for the last 20 years, and as I've expanded my skillset through the years, I've let C++ go 15 years ago. With C++14 popping up, I gave it a try and liked the feeling - so I've decided to first go through the agonizing process of refreshing my memory (agonizing because it hurts to see how much you forget, being once considered "an expert"), and then figure out what's the delta towards C++14 and learn it. Obviously I went straight to the "Effective X" series thinking it should be a no-bullshit intro for an experienced developer.

Acknowledging Scott Meyers is a great author, I'd say something morbid happened with this book. It feels that Scott simply bashes the language more than it introduces it - while he's obviously very knowledgeable and in the details he spots out glitches, pitfalls, death traps, and WTFs and keeps throwing these waves of "here be dragons" at you, that half way through I just quit reading it and quit attempting refreshing my C++ knowledge after my 15 year break up from it. You should get Stroustrups' "A Tour of C++" - it is a softer, more cheerful and proud book that'll motivate you (and god knows you need motivation with C++).

While everything he says is true, and I don't want to say "it's better not to know these things", since then half a year passed and I gave modern C++ another try _without_ this morbidness to follow my attempt. I've been happy following "soft" intros into modern C++, without the bummer parts. Truth be told I haven't bumped into what Scott has kept highlighting - yet.

So I would say Effective Modern C++ is for very experienced C++ developers with fresh memory of how the internals work.

[falcolas]

As someone who tried to bone up on my rusty C++ from this book, I agree with every point jondot made above.

It's a disaster to try and understand unless you are already starting from a very strong point in your C++ knowledge.

[BlanketLogic]

Very well put.

This matches my experience too. I regret buying them.

The series is not for those who were used to, but subsequently lost touch with, c++03 and earlier.

I found it better to learn the modern version by 'porting' earlier C++ code to use modern idioms.