C++ is one of the most used object-oriented languages and is used when speed and reliability are required. It is used for many system-level tasks, such as operating-system programming. For example, Windows and Linux include chunks of C++ programming. Windows applications continue to be written in C++.

This is a book about learning by doing and is aimed at programmers familiar with programming, but not C++. The key exercises are not simply listed at the end of the chapter, but are integrated into the main text. Readers work hands-on throughout the book. Each lesson poses numerous questions, asking readers to write answers directly in the book. The book includes answers to all questions, so readers can check their work. These exercises are not simple cookbook-style recipes (e.g., "Write a program to do xyz"). Instead, they are explorations—structured labs that guide readers through a series of steps to highlight specific features of C++.