It can be argued that one of the main reasons to use C++ is that you have direct access to memory using pointers. This is a feature that programmers of most other languages are prevented from doing. This means that as a C++ programmer, you are a special type of programmer: someone who is trusted with memory. In this chapter, you have seen how to obtain and use pointers and some examples of how inappropriate use of pointers can make your code go horribly wrong.
In the next chapter, we will cover functions which will include the description of another type of pointer: function pointers. If you are trusted with pointers to data and function pointers, you really are a special type of programmer.