Book excerpt: This text teaches the essentials of C programming, concentrating on what readers need to know in order to produce stand-alone programs and so solve typical scientific and engineering problems. It is a learning-by-doing book, with many examples and exercises, and lays a foundation of scientific programming concepts and techniques that will prove valuable for those who might eventually move on to another language. Written for undergraduates who are familiar with computers and typical applications but are new to programming.