Didn't some of the C++ books have to be crappy in some ways due to limitations of free (as in beer) compilers with arbitrary limitations? One I vaguely remember

Didn't some of the C++ books have to be crappy in some ways due to limitations of free (as in beer) compilers with arbitrary limitations? One I vaguely remember was a ridiculously (even for the time) limited stack size, so a lot of examples had to do unnecessary allocation just so readers could compile. I think it was this book (https://www.amazon.com/Flights-Fantasy-Programming-Video-Games/dp/1878739182/ref=pd_sbs_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1878739182&pd_rd_r=6ce9213c-7912-11e8-8434-9191398a8362&pd_rd_w=5vYRm&pd_rd_wg=1DW3X&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=5825442648805390339&pf_rd_r=MBCC0PXWQSFBW41PV2MT&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=MBCC0PXWQSFBW41PV2MT https://www.amazon.com/Flights-Fantasy-Programming-Video-Gam...) that taught me 3D programming better than anything else. The code was readable, the maths was well explained and it included sections on how to do things without those newfangled maths co-processors. I'd love to buy a copy now just to see if it really was a good book or if it led me astray.