5 comments about MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-528): Microsoft® .NET Framework 2.0 Web-Based Client Development (Pro Certification).

1. There's not a lot of good resources out there for studying for this test, but this one did help get me what I needed to know to pass it.



2. Apart from any exam-prep, this is an excellent book for learning and using ASP.NET. I have several ASP.NET books and this is the one that more often than not answers my questions. The organization and explanations are very practical and clear. If you are trying to learn ASP.NET then this is an excellent resource.
   
   As far as the exam - I have not yet taken the exam. I have taken some sample tests (not the easy ones that come with this book). I can say that just breezing through this book once will not prepare you to take the test. If you want to pass the test you will need to pretty much memorize this book, and also study other books. I recommend Programming Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Core Reference, Programming Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0 Applications: Advanced Topics, and Microsoft ADO.NET - all good books also by Microsoft Press. You will also need to understand object-oriented .NET programming - using classes, etc. Of course, the more practical experience you can get with ASP.NET the better. If nothing else, start a hobby website or get some other project.
   
   I don't remember a lot of egregious typos and errors, although I have not read 100% of the book nor tried out most of the sample code, etc. I bought this book summer 2007 so maybe I have a revised, cleaned up versions.



3. This was my first training kit book. I was preparing for 70-528 egzam using it. Now, after passing it (928 points) I can say, that this book contains some gaps (i.e. templated custom controls). Use another resources (msdn) to pass an exam too.



4. Using this book and the CD that comes with it, I passed this test in just 3 weeks. If read from front to back, everything you need to pass is here.
   
   Glen Johnson's half of the book was particularly sharp. His experience as a professional trainer were clearly evident; he's extremely easy to follow. Tony Northrup's half was not concise. I learned more from the end of chapter lessons than from his written contribution.



5. This book is exactly what is says a Training Kit. It is one of four books Microsoft recommends, along with the other MSPress books. So for the people who are bashing this book because it's not the only one you'll need please refer to Microsoft's website to get the other recommended material. If you don't like the MSPress titles you can use other books like Wrox or Apress. I used a combination of this book + Apress Pro ASP.NET 2.0 and passed with a 890 score on the first try.
   
   Bottom line
   
   Is this good training material: Yes
   Will you need other books to pass the exam: Yes

2 comments about Bayesian Computation with R (Use R).

1. Jim Albert is a great teacher and an excellent writer. The R language is becoming one of the most used languages by statistical researchers. This is because it has many similarities to S and can be used freely, Jim makes R easy to learn for statisticians in this book. One of the big breakthroughs in Bayesian statistics over the past 2 decades was the implementation of complicated priors and hierarchical models through the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms. The leaders is this filed created free software called BUGS (for Bayesian Analysis Using Gibbs Sampling). Gibbs sampling is one of the most commonly used MCMC algorithms. Statisticians using this software have been able to provide more satisfactory solutions to many basic and complex problems using these tools. After Windows became the dominant operating system on personal computers WINBUGS was born. This is a version of BUGS that uses Windows as the operating system and takes advantage of Windows many nice features. Now for the first time to my knowledge Jim Albert show the reader how to incorporate the BUGS technology in the framework of R programming. This can only add to the practical use of Bayesian methods among statisticians for research that advances both the theory and applications. In the late 1990s I was working in the medical device industry where a number of clinical trials were being analyzed using the MCMC methods. Jim deserves a great deal of credit for moving Bayesian statistics into the framework of R!



2. Great book. If you work through the examples, this book will move you to very near the top of the R learning curve and, more importantly, race you to the peak of the Bayesian curve.

5 comments about CompTIA A+ Certification All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech)).

1. The A+ Cert. for Dummies book is a great investment for multiple reasons. It's a great book to have to help you along with your studies, and it's a great read while your waiting to take your test. It comes with a full practice test on a CD that is very useful knowing that a practice test online would cost about the same amount of money as this book does. If you are studying for the A+ tests or if you just want to learn more about any specific computer related topic, you should get this book.



2. As one other reviewer said there were some bugs on the CD test questions. The one thing I would have like to have seen, was a way to just take the test on questions from specfic topics.



3. I have just got my A+ Certification and I think that this book was much more informative than both books that came with my class. If you want more in depth instruction,this would definately be a good choice.I told the other people in my class about the book and most said that they would get the book also.



4. I purchased this book in order to pass the A+ exam and also to have as a desk reference. This book did both. It is very informative and great to have lying around for whenever you come across a problem. I recently took and passed both the A+ Essentials and then the IT-Technician exam. Both on the first attempt. This is the only book I used to prepare for the exam. The only reason I did not give it all 5 stars is because I wish the book was organized around the different A+ exams. Instead it is all blended together. If you only want to study for a particular exam then you will have to use the index and jump around the book. Just read the book once, review some test questions and you will do fine on the A+ exams. But it is a great book to have for reference.



5. easy to follow, was able to pick up what i needed from this book without any difficulty. Even a dummy could do it.

5 comments about Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art (Best Practices (Microsoft)).

1. Excellent book. It seems like it is more targeted at Project Managers than developers, but it's definitely worth the read for both positions.



2. Despite the fact that most software developers consider themselves engineers or scientists, many mainly rely upon gut instinct for estimation rather than data. The material in this book enabled me to persuade my developers of the limits of gut instinct, to guide them to develop more quantitative methods and to help them predict the precision of their estimates.



3. Basic premise: that "the goal is software estimation is not pinpoint accuracy but estimates that are accurate enough to support effective project control. To that end, a "good estimate" is one that "provides a clear enough view of the project reality to allow the project leadership to make good decisions about how to control the project to hit its targets."
   
   Software estimation is inherently nontrivial. The resulting product is virtually invisible until it is finished---and you rarely end up with the same product that you initially estimated anyway. Early on, requirements are difficult to state (and measure) precisely, and as Rittel stated "the true nature of the problem only emerges as a solution is developed."
   
   Many PM's still believe that estimates are based on multiples of a gut feel. However, the ambiguous nature of software reality requires multiple and varied quantitative methods just to define the estimate space in terms of order of magnitude.
   
   This book provides a basic and superficial description of a number of these methods, including how and when to best apply them. It is an excellent primer to reading other more exhaustive texts (such as Stutzke's Estimating Software-Intensive Systems) and an indispensable desk-reference for Program Managers, Project Managers and Parametricians. Highly recommended.



4. I have just completed the reading. Not that, I didn't know estimation, nor that I was struggling to do a right kind of estimation. I am already fairly accustomed with standard tools and techniques in the world of professional software estimation. What I found appealing in this book is the approach towards estimation at the start.
   
   Today, I was sitting in an informal discussion session with a bunch of college graduates who barely completed 1 year in this industry. It was an open discussion set, and one point came up on right estimation. Many of them had gone through 20 hour workday regimen during the difficult times of the project, and all of them were convinced that somebody did not do the estimation right. To explain that estimation is not that easy math work like a college paper, I started with a quiz: What's the latitude of Sanghai. And as I continued speaking on estimating the latitude of Sanghai, I found increasing number of approving nods all around the room. Happy me! It was not always the case where I found an immediate place to apply my book reading in past, that too with the nods of approval.
   
   Coming back to the book, I will definitely recommend this book to all software project leaders and project managers to get a feel of the subject and how to address the problem at large. To gain deeper knowledge there are tons of research papers and books waiting for you, but if you are a busy professional, go through this book first.



5. Honesty, I was expecting very "soft" content, i.e., pages spent over-analyzing obvious points and so on. BUT this description could not be farther from the truth. In Software Estimation, McConnell draws on over a hundred published studies on the topic of software estimation as well as numerous case studies. The book is data driven and based on statistical techniques. McConnell emphases counting concrete project steps and comparing them with previous estimates where as intuiting off-the-cuff estimates is a major no-no.

5 comments about DOM Scripting: Web Design with JavaScript and the Document Object Model.

1. I've had time lately to do a lot more reading and Jeremy Keith's DOM Scripting book is another one that belongs on your shelf if you're trying to learn any amount of JavaScript. I've hated and avoided JavaScript for years, mostly because I started my career during the browser wars and quickly grew tired of having to write different code for different browsers. Thankfully, those days are now mostly over and this book has made me love JavaScript again.
   
   The Document Object Model (DOM) is a standard for conceptualizing and representing the contents of an HTML or XML type document. Mr. Keith's book teaches how to use JavaScript to manipulate the DOM so that you can dynamically add or remove content from a page, change the way things look, or move things around. Similar to how CSS allows you to control the presentation of your content, DOM scripting allows you to control behaviors and events.
   
   There are lots of great JavaScript frameworks available like jQuery, Script.aculo.us, or Dojo which allow you to easily enhance your websites. In order to fully take advantage of them though, you need to have a fundamental understanding of how things like the DOM and JavaScript event handling work. That's where this book really excels. It's written primarily for web standards developers fluent in XHTML/CSS who're looking to branch into more client-side scripting.
   
   This book is full of useful lessons and real world examples on how to make JavaScript and the DOM work in your applications. It also places a heavy focus on fundamentals and best practices such as graceful degradation which will help you make sure that your sites still function well even without the fancy JavaScript enhancements. JavaScript has long been thought to make things inaccessible but it doesn't have to be. This book stresses how to use these technologies in an efficient, unobtrusive way.
   
   What I liked most about this book was the voice in which it was written. I've read dozens of boring hard-to-follow tech manuals over the years but this book felt more like a friend standing over your shoulder and walking you through the process. That does somewhat limit the amount of information the book can cover and it definitely doesn't go very far into advanced techniques. If you've been doing standards development and basic JavaScript for a while though, and you really want to get started on increasing your scripting skills, this book makes an excellent primer. For me it turned my impression of JavaScript from an overly-complex annoyance to an easy-to-use yet incredibly powerful tool for improving my websites.
   
   [...]



2. Great book, no available in France. Basic Dom description but clever and useful. Jeremy Keith is a very good "teatcher". Grâce à ce livre tout devient plus facile et clair. Vraiment dommage qu'il n'existe pas de developpeurs en france qui écrivent des livres aussi bien. La collection friendsof est vraiment incontournable. Bravo et bonne suite à cette collection. FiendsOf is a very top book's edition.



3. One can't rely on a book to be good enough to explain things the way they should be explained. Many people give up trying to learn something because they blame themselves for not getting it. The key, I've learned, is to keep on looking until you find the resource that will. I've learned this lesson by going through a many books on JavaScript to finally end up with one that hits the nail directly on the head. That book is Jeremy Keith's DOM Scripting.
   
   I recommend starting with this book and then following it up with Christian Heilmann's beginning JavaScript book.



4. This book is perfect for front end developers with little to no JavaScript or DOM experience. Jeremy Keith is one of the top proponents for unobtrusive, semantic, and gracefully degrading JavaScript in the world. A must buy for anyone who ever needs to use or learn JavaScript and the Document Object Model.



5. This book gots it all together well. I love the way the author writes and the way he presents a concept. Its so easy to follow and understand. This book isn't fit for a total beginner..you're going to need at least some experience with Javascript, CSS, and HTML to be able to implement DOM in your javascript.
   
   I've never written a review before but after reading 10 chapters of this book, I purposely had to come on here to write this review. you really should check out some of the stuff Mr. Keith demonstrates in here. This is one of the best programming books I've read. The stuff he teaches sticks to you..they are real life programming techniques that can be used to spice up your website.
   
   Seriously, if you want to get deep into javascript, you ought to get this book. Very easy to read with very useful techniques being taught. A+ for this author. Next time I buy programming books, I will look for this author, Jeremy Keith.

5 comments about Stylin' with CSS: A Designer's Guide (2nd Edition) (Voices That Matter).

1. As the title of my review states, this book provides - with its conversational tone and very clear writing - a delightful nuts-and-bolts take on important aspects of CSS coding. It really feels as if the author is at your side, even anticipating your questions along the way.
   
   It helps if the reader has read at least one primer on (X)HTML and CSS before starting this book. A mark-up/presentation language newbie can certainly benefit from this book. But with an introductory text behind him or her, the reader can really appreciate the best-practice advice Charles Wyke-Smith has on offer here.
   
   Can't wait to read the author's "Codin'" book.



2. What a great book and easy read. The author assumes nothing and explains everything. I am more of an audio learner and reading this book was like having someone talk to me.
   
   I read it cover to cover, taking notes and highlighting items to come back to when I'm at the screen working on my site. It's doubtful that I have ever before read a technical book so quickly (if ever in entirety).



3. I looked at this book over at B&N and it got me hooked. Especially the chapter on how to do some basic page layout. I could not believe how simple it could be! The author really got me very interested and that eventually led to me buying this book. I'm glad I did. :-)
   
   If you're a Java developer like me or a CSS beginner, this is a great book to get you started. It's really easy to read. Complex concepts are explained in an easy to understand fashion. And the author follows and breeds best practices. These and many others, make this book excellent.
   
   The book is broken in 7 chapters.
   
   The 1st chapter explains the basics of HTML, the different standards and how the page is structured. Simple chapter, but it's important to understand the basics.
   
   The 2nd chapter, How CSS Works, is really a CSS 101. Basic stuff as well, but as in the first chapter, this is a fundamental knowledge.
   
   Chapter 3 is more of a reference guide on how to style fonts and text. Some very useful info.
   
   Chapter 4 is where the interesting stuff starts: positioning elements. An excellent overview of the box model and some good information about floating and clearing.
   
   Chapter 5 is the best chapter in the book. It goes over several ways to create page layouts. Want to create a 2-column layout? A simple example is shown. How about a 3-column layout? 3-column liquid layout? With the techniques presented by Charles, you can create any type of a layout and you will actually understand what's going on. Really neat stuff.
   
   In chapter 6, focus is on styling tables, forms, and menus. The author basically presents some techniques on how to style tables for tabular data, and explains the technique on how to create CSS menus. Good chapter to dive in when you're involved with these.
   
   Chapter 7 summarizes the overall process of building a real site.
   
   I learned several new techniques and tips from this book. I love how the book makes complicated things simple: this is my type of a book. Also, Charles has a good way of making sure these things come across and stay in your head. Not a simple thing to do, but he did a great job.



4. Stylin' with CSS: A Designer's Guide (2nd Edition) (Voices That Matter)RE: Wyke-Smith's CSS Book: I've come to appreciate this book so much that I don't know where to begin in recommending it. I had read (studied) several books on how to mark up and style web pages, but not until I began reading this one did lingering questions finally get answered at the very outset. For Example, Chapter 2 "How CSS Works" masterfully gives you such insight into concepts like inheritance, the cascade, sequences, precedence, specificity, etc. that it inspires new-found confidence you can implement web design with precision. The author rightfully states "Truly understanding just a few techniques can turn a struggling newbie into a competent CSS journeyman." (THESE INSIGHTS ARE A GREAT TROUBLESHOOTING AID.) He teaches you how to exploit the latest W3C Standards so you can produce sleek and powerful styling. In 300 pages he describes, and abundantly illustrates in color, a wide range of the latest techniques helpful to experts as well as to beginners.(Read back cover for range of topics.) I found it hard to put this book down, and carried it everywhere. Once, I spilled coffee on it in a restaurant, but the paper quality is so good a few hours exposure to the sun restored it like new. Try comparing this book with others and you will see why I recommend it enthusiastically.



5. Charles Wyke-Smith definitely has away with disarming technical issues and instilling you with a desire and determination to accomplish your coding goals. This book explain CSS in a straight forward and easy to understand way and this book will continue to serve you well as a handy reference.

5 comments about MySQL Cookbook.

1. 
   Visuals
   Good. Page numbers and section title can be found on the bottom of every page.
   
   Audience
   From the book: "This book should be useful for anybody who uses MySQL, ranging from individuals [...] to professional database and web developers."
   
   That is a pretty broad range, basically from introductory to advanced. Nevertheless I would have to say that the book meets this challenge well. This book should be of use to anybody who uses MySQL.
   
   Practicality:
   I have to say that I have fallen for Cookbook style books. While I still thoroughly enjoy more theory heavy books, cookbooks can really deliver in the immediate practicality department.
   
   The MySQL Cookbook is a good example of this. This book has dozens upon dozens of recipes that will likely have some measure of application in whatever MySQL dependent system you are working on.
   
   Each recipe contains a brief "Problem" scenario, followed by an often equally brief "Solution", and finally a more lengthy discussion that shows how to actually implement the solution.
   
   Overall
   I am very pleased with this book. Mr. DuBois and O'Reilly did a great job. For instance, one of the things I especially like is that often multiple solutions are offered. For example if you were to look up Section 6.6 "Extracting Parts of Dates or Times" you will find the solution lists 3 possible options. The discussion section contains 5 pages of examples of how you might use those options to extract the desired data.
   
   If you fit in to the intended audience of "anybody who uses MySQL", I would highly recommend this book.



2. While I'm very familiar with working with relational databases, my MySQL skills are weak. This book was exactly what I needed while building a new web application that uses MySQL. For every question I had, I found the answer in this book. Highly recommended.



3. This book is useful for anyone looking to find examples of MySQL 4 usage in multiple languages such as PHP, Perl, Java, and Python. It covers many areas that are used in real world applications and is great as a reference material. This book is structured in the Problem/Solution layout of the Oreilly cookbook series.



4. As indicated, this book is true to its title. It is a cookbook, by which I mean it contains a great number of (generally useful) recipes of varying complexity, but lacks detail and analysis that a more focused text would have.
   
   Mr. DuBois and O'Reilly publishing are clearly targeting a wide audience: the recipes range from frighteningly simple (e.g. 3.1, Specifying Which Columns to Select) to fairly sophisticated (e.g. 12.14, Performing a Join Between Tables in Different Databases). The recipes are typically clearly written, with ample supporting code examples and few typographical errors.
   
   I must also note that Mr. DuBois nicely avoids a pitfall many authors (the competence of whom I have to question) in this genre encounter: failure to weave security considerations into the text. While other books often mention security as an afterthought, or worse include code examples featuring disasters like non-escaped strings (hello, SQL injection!), DuBois explicitly points out the need to sanitize input and writes code examples that demonstrate the use of prepared statements in best-practices.
   
   Unfortunately, in other areas he is less thorough. For example, only passing mention is made of the (possible) dependence of FULLTEXT indexes on choice of storage engine. There is an entire chapter on handling duplicate rows, but the oft-needed (and non-obvious) process for removing pseudo-duplicate rows differing only by a primary key field is not directly addressed. Stored procedures, triggers, and other new additions to MySQL are among the least-well understood but most powerful features of the database engine, yet astonishingly little space is spent on them. (I could understand not discussing them in depth as there are other books available, but length did not seem to be a concern anywhere else in this book.)
   
   In summary, the book is an excellent resource for novices and experts alike - but only as a starting point. To return to the cooking analogy, the book at times feels like it is loaded down with recipes on how to add sugar to flour, but omits recipes on how to ice the cake.



5. This book is
   -a great resource for those looking to implement various mysql functions
   -a great resource for database programmers
   -a trove of information on powerful query and sort techniques
   
   Finding information about the topic you're looking for is a breeze in this book - the chapters are well-organized, and this book has anwered all questions I've posed to it....
   
   The cookbook is a powerful tool to those who know some mysql, and some dB design. I recommend that you use another book to learn basic mysql (or just an online tutorial), and another to learn database design (Navathe).

5 comments about Agile Web Development with Rails, 2nd Edition.

1. This is classics!
   I started reading it just to know what is Rails. I ended reading with absolutely involved and loving it!



2. It does not reflect the current state of Rails at this time. A new version is supposed to come out in October 2008 that covers 2.0. If you get this version you will need to switch to an older version of Rails, otherwise you'll only get about 68 pages in before the examples stop working.



3. I love the framework, the Agile philosophy and I love how the book is structured: straightforward, practical, easy to follow, programmer-oriented.
   I truly recommend it for anyone willing to begin in the Rails universe.



4. This book is a great intro to Rails, very readable and easy to understand. It also seems fairly comprehensive. The only downside to this book is that it's not Rails 2.0, so a number of the examples are outdated or don't work with the latest versions of Rails (there were significant changes). I was taking a class in Ruby on Rails, and since we were using Rails 2.0, we had to get "The Rails Way" which covers Rails 2.0 but sucks in comparison to this book. "The Rails Way" is a good book for learning Rails if you already know Rails.



5. Not only is there a great framework to this textbook will introduce you to, but this is written in the perfect balance of interesting style and serious technical content along with compelling example that I've ever seen in any book. I give this book my very highest recommendation and I give the rails framework five stars as well for being an excellent easy to use and very functional framework.
   
   This book seems to cover everything that I'm interested in and is able to adapt to different levels of knowledge that I'm able to arrive at in programming in Ruby language. The book does not insult the reader and while it challenges the reader doesn't over challenge or overwhelm any point. I can only recommend it for my particular demographic of rails newbies, but I think this book will work very well for anyone else who might be more familiar with Ruby and the rails framework.

5 comments about SQL Cookbook (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)).

1. This is a great product but some of the advanced features weren't available in SQL Server 2000. I really liked the windowing and hierarchical queries in this book but those features are not available in 2000. For the most part 2000 isn't used that often anymore but if you are one of the unfortunate to have to use it there will be some compatibility problems with the examples in this book.



2. I am completely satisfied with this book.
   Instead of inventing all the time "bicycle" I can use this book in my everyday work and concentrate on more important things in my projects.



3. I found this book to be very complete. Providing solutions for multiple DBMSs was greately appreciated. I have been in I.T. for a long time and I have read many many books on all types of subjects. I often (too often) am disappointed with books I purchase. However, sometimes I am pleasantly surprised... this is one of those time.
   
   I create numerous queries using all types of tools. As such, I sometimes insert the wrong syntax into a query. This book helps to quickly correct the error. In addition, it has given me some "tricks" that I was unaware of that have helped to simplify some of my queries.
   
   It would be very advantageous to have the info in this book on a searchable site or application
   
   Buy it, read it, and keep it close by to reference to.



4. I am a certified DB2 / Oracle DBA and a programmer. Even though, I can get through some of chapters very fast, I certainly have enjoyed reading it so far. One thing I like the most is to see how a problem is solved in many different databases including DB2, Oracle, MS-SQL, MySQL, and PostSQL!



5. Content is excellent, with good examples. I was able to solve a prloblem the very first time I used it. The issue I have is more with Amazon in that I ordered this book in a shipment of 4 others, so it was over a month before I cracked this one open. To my dismay, the binding is not glued on and the book is falling apart. Amazon customer service has not even responded to my three emails asking for resolution.

5 comments about Flash CS3 Professional for Windows and Macintosh (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. A major upgrade to the previous editions and a must for any serious web design professional.



2. Programming/scripting is not natural for me! It is hard work. This is the third book on AS 3.0 I've tried. The other books did not work for me. I need a book that will tell me what to do in a very elementary manner. I can then put it in context. For example:
   
   1. This is how you script interactivity in a button (code)
   2. This is what it is doing
   3. This is what the various segments of code mean
   etc.
   
   This is the way I learned HTML. I looked up the code to do a given item. Over time if morphed into a thorough understanding of what HTML is and how to do it. This book enables me to do something similar. It takes basic AS 3.0, shows you how to do it then gives the information so you can put it in context. I'm relieved and grateful to find a book that allows me to construct the learning in a way that best fits me. THANK YOU!



3. I love the Visual QuickStart Guides. This book has easy to follow lessons which are great for beginners. Professional refers to the more robust version of Flash not the skill level of the reader. I have combined this book with some video tutorials which is ideal for learning actionscript fast.



4. This book has taught me sooo much already! If you want to learn how to use flash, this is the book for you!



5. This is a great guide that will give you step by step instructions on how to use Adobe Flash CS3 professional. You'll learn how to make Flash animations to add great multimedia to your websites or just games for local use.