Game Inverse Kinematics: A Practical Introduction

Three stars feels about right. Useful, but not essential.

I was looking for something that would bridge the gap between tutorials and proper reference material, and this does that well. Some terminology is introduced without much ceremony; I had to look a few things up along the way. The chapters on simulation are the strongest — the examples are stripped down but complete, and I could follow along without constant guessing. Fine, but there are stronger books on the same subject if you look around.

Very good, with a few caveats. The core material is strong.

I picked this up after getting stuck on a project and it turned out to be exactly the right book at the right time. A few of the examples could be more realistic, but the underlying points come across clearly. A couple of chapters felt like they could have been merged, but that is a minor complaint. The author avoids over-explaining, which keeps the pace up but means you need to pay attention. Four stars, and I suspect a second edition could easily push it to five.