5 comments about Visual Basic 2005 How to Program (3rd Edition) (How to Program (Deitel)).

1. As a former IT Instructor, I give the thumbs up on this book. Its great, informative and very detailed. It takes a novice programmer to the intermediate level of programming.



2. I have been used this book for my teachings to my students. It is a very good book to teach them the concept of procedural and object-oriented programming. The book is well-organized and impressively, my students understood the OOP very well. TQ.



3. I'm taking a VB 2005 class in college and we are using this book. I am not a programmer, I am a Systems & Network Analyst and I read lots and lots of computer books and I have to say that his book reads horribly. I find myself confused at times and its very fast paced. Also, our instructor assigns us the exercises at the end of the chapters and the exercises are truly hard. The exercises want you to create something that was "supposedly" covered in the chapter. Not that it wasnt covered, its just that it did not go into depth as much as it should to do the exercise. Everytime I have to work an exercise I have to look else where to find a solution or sample code. I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you have taken and Intro VB class or read an Intro VB book.



4. This is the 3rd Deitel book that I've used for school. They are very easy to understand and the assignments in the text are challenging. Deitel has a way of blending humor, real world experience and concepts together to make an interesting read out of what normally is challenging. I'm not much of a book reviewer, but I would recommend this book to someone wishing to get a start with programming in VB.



5. I used this text in combination with Simply Visual Basic for my class. This book has more information, but less fun than SVB. Generally I found this text able to accomplish it's goal in introducing student to VB.
   
   Some negative things: I think it somewhat redundant to start every Deitel book with descriptions and overview od input, output, CPU etc. Usually, people who take this class already know these things. Another thing, is Deitel's font selection and organization. It is truly would benefit to rethink it. I can't say what exactly not appealing, but it takes time to get used to their font designations and tips, often in the middle of the text. (tips are better always on the sides). And, yes those bug pictures can get annoying. Sometimes it looks like page is somewhat broken because of those tips, and look disorganized. But this is general comment on the series.

5 comments about Higher-Order Perl: Transforming Programs with Programs.

1. I am NOT a SW guy - I am a perl autodidact HW engineer. I have written some pretty BIG "scripts" that get the job done - but a fringe "benefit" to me from the demise of the previous company I worked for is that I DON'T HAVE to maintain those scripts - a big bowl of spaghetti :(
   I tried several times to learn the OO side of Perl but this stuff was w-a-a-a-a-y out there for my scull :(
   
   HOP just made it for me! I wish it was available 5 years ago so I wouldn't waste my time writing the aforementioned spaghetti! Study it! It will twist your brains to the point of pain but stick with it - well worthed - you won't look at scripting/programming the same old way ever again!
   
   vess



2. In a book market awash with teach-yourself-in-x-time-units, cookbooks, and API tutorials, Higher-Order Perl is ambitious. It attempts to bring functional techniques to Perl, leaning heavily on two language features: closures, and functions as first-class entities. To enjoy this book you need to be completely comfortable with Perl's syntax, there's lots of code to read and digest, and if you can't follow it, you're going to get lost very quickly, because there are lots of new concepts going to be thrown your way. There's no outlandish symbol table hacking, almost no object orientation, not even much use of modules, but it is in a very different style to most of the Perl you're used to.
   
   If, like me, most of the programming languages you're familiar with are more closely related to C than Lisp, this is going to be a challenging read. It's going to take you a long time to get through this book, and it'll probably require re-reading (more than once) to fully get it all. This is a book bursting at the seams with ideas, beginning with recursion, and then onto caching, iterators, streams and currying. The last two chapters show how to apply these techniques to parsing and declarative programming, and they feel like mini books in themselves. Applications of the code range from classics like Tower of Hanoi, Fibonacci sequences and the Newton Raphson method, to more practical material including databases, tied files, and directory walking.
   
   Part of the reason I enjoyed this book so much may be because I have no formal training in Computer Science, and of course, the likes of SICP and The Little Schemer contain similar concepts. But for someone without functional programming experience it's great to have it in Perl. Lispniks, MLers and Haskellites may well be familiar with these ideas already, but they should consider this an enticing 'gateway book' for Perl programmers. And Introduction to Functional Programming using Haskell just isn't as well-written as HOP. There's no hiding from the fact that if you want to fully appreciate the material here, you're going to have to work hard at it, but Mark Jason Dominus does a great job at stopping things from feeling like a textbook, and knows how to inject some wit into the proceedings without being distracting. Full marks to Morgan Kaufmann for the layout and overall production quality, too.
   
   I keep The Camel, Perl Cookbook and Perl Best Practices on my desk when programming Perl. HOP is not going to be joining them (yet), it's not that sort of a book. Instead it's a very different intellectual pleasure and easily one of my favourite and most important Perl books (only PBP edges it out due to the latter's everyday practicality). If you're serious about Perl, you need to read this book. If you're serious about programming, ditto. Hell, this might just be a good enough reason to learn Perl if you don't already (admittedly, the chances of such a person reading this far are small).
   
   HOP has set the bar very high. Python and Ruby authors, please step up!



3. I had originally planned to read Higher Order Perl and write my review immediately. When it became clear that I wasn't going to read HOP straight through, I figured I'd write a review when I was done. More and more, it looks like my reading of the last two chapters is being indefinitely delayed. I'm going to write what I think so far, while it's still more or less fresh in my mind.
   
   Higher Order Perl was originally going to be given some fairly bland name, like "Handbook of Advancted Perl Techniques." This would have been a spot-on (but uninteresting) title. HOP provides the reader with explanation and demonstration of techniques for problem-solving that are often overlooked. The examples are complex and detailed, but not byzantine, and they're built up slowly, piece by piece, so that each line of code's meaning and significance are made clear.
   
   The title "Higher Order Perl" refers to the book's most central technique, functional programming. While many programmers understand how to abstract a specific solution into a more general one, Dominus helps the reader learn to push the envelope, abstracing generic solutions into extremely generalized solutions that can be applied to seemingly-unrelated problems. This is frequently done by the construction of functions that build functions that build functions -- and so on, functions all the way down. Instead of solving the problem in base, earthly Perl, the programmer produces Perl elements of a higher order which, operating in harmony, become all things to all people.Well, I'm hyperbolizing, but I think it would be hard for me to over-emphasize the value of techniques like closures, iterators, and currying. They are, in part, what make Lisp so powerful, and the marriage of Lisp's power and Perl's expressivity is a happy one.As for the writing, it is good. The language is clear and the material is well-presented. One should be cautioned, though, that the book is dense. Dominus is constantly pressing onward, explaining new techniques or new ways to apply already-explained techniques. I found myself reading each page carefully and deliberately, only to turn back to it a few pages later, to be sure that I understood how the new material was relying on the old. It made the book a challenge to read, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable challenge. I never felt so frustrated by a bizarre idea that I gave up or so bored with an over-explained one that I skipped ahead.
   
   Finally, while the techniques that Dominus presents are powerful and advanced, the required knowledge of Perl is not particularly great. Because he clearly explains the key Perl concepts that he uses (especially closures and associated scoping issues), any competent programmer with a working knowledge of Perl should be able to put the ideas in Higher Order Perl to work.
   
   For serious Perl programmers, Higher Order Perl is a must-read book.



4. Functional Programming is a programming paradigm that is very useful and must be part of the tool-arsenal of any software engineer and developer along with the well known Object Oriented Programming, the procedural programming approaches and the less known Aspect Oriented programming.
   
   HOP gives an easy access to Functional Programming for Perl developers. The book is written in a personal manner and is fun to read and sometimes even funny. It is definitely not a dry factoid book.
   
   The examples in the book are useful not only as they demonstrate nicely the need and power of functional programming but also due to their practicality for seasoned programmers.
   
   I felt the influence of books such as "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs" by Abelson and the Sussmans" on HOP, and it was very nice and helpful to read MJD's recommendations for other good readings on the subject.
   
   I got to reading HOP cover to cover, several times. I attempted to solve myself the problems raised in the book and found the process of doing that enjoying and rewarding. Reading on the commentary and approach suggested by MJD was in many ways enlightening. You can find some very amusing footnotes in the book that makes it yet more fun to read.
   
   MJD gives a refreshing view on Perl programming, and shows that tasks that can be very complicated and hard, or computationally intense can be turned "inside out" and handled in a functional programming approach that simplifies understanding, simplifies the solution and also simplifies the implementation.
   
   MJD presents a very useful introduction to functional programming using Perl using practical problems, and the nice thing is that even theoretical problems get practical usages when explained, which makes the reading fun, and worth the while for the non-theoretical people amongst the readers.
   
   Though the book sometimes goes into detail or length too much for my taste, it does do a good job in giving the new view of the capabilities of a Perl programmer and the Perl programming language and how to use them.
   
   I can testify that a lot of code that I got to see, write and maintain got a considerable "lift" and "upgrade" since me and other colleagues of mine read this book and used some of the wisdom that it offers.
   
   There are many good and useful follow-ups to this book in the form of Perl modules on CPAN, articles and posts on the web and some book chapters. Look them up!
   
   Also, if you feel that this functional programming approach is useful to you, you might want to probe further on this by reading Haskell, Lisp, Scheme (and other functional programming languages) literature. There are several "must read!" for these programming languages that will give you a very deep understanding and good skills in this programming paradigm. Also -- you will find, especially after reading HOP, that you now have the tools to easily and practically apply the functional programming principles that you learn in Functional Programming books to Perl and use it in your Perl code.
   
   A few words on MDJ himself: I read a lot of what he wrote for Perl and used some of his modules and code that is available on the web. I had the pleasure of hosting him on the first YAPC in Israel and attend a 3 day course that he gave. He is a very smart person, a very nice person and an excellent teacher and a very good writer. If you don't already know MJD, this book is a very good way of getting access to some of the wisdom that this gut has to offer.
   
   If you don't know which Perl books to buy and/or to read, know this: HOP is one of the books that you should read!
   
   (It is funny that almost 3 years after I read this book for the first time and after reading some of the material before editing, as MJD offered in his private mailing list, I only now get to write a review on it. But still, it surely deserves a book review and a good mark too.)



5. good book, for people with computer science background! otherwise a little hard to understand the algorithm.

5 comments about Beginning C# Objects: From Concepts to Code.

1. It's good book valuing to read and collect



2. The book seems nice at first but as you pass to chapter4 most of
   his example programs don't compile, I get errors. Also the explanations are getting confusing. You can't assimilate all those
   remarks for 1 line of code. The author surely try hard but
   all the pics and explanations totally confused me. I won't go to chapter 5. I purchased this book & Learning C# 2005 from Oreilly. Oreilly has less examples but at least the example are clear and they compile without any errors.



3. I just finished reading B.C#O.F.C.t.C and it is about the 5th C# book I've read as I try to restart my programming skills (VB5 last tool really used) with C# and .NET.
   
   This book is a very good starting place for those who are new to Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and who want to start developing a strong OOP mindset. Being that I had a sorta-OOP background with VB5, some of the stuff was a rehash, but I think a person totally unfamiliar with these concepts would find the introductory pace helpful and properly paced. Plus the authors strong bias towards how to design (and reconsider/redesign) your classes with business needs in mind and good OOP design methods will well serve such readers into their later experiences.
   
   The C# language introduction is acceptable as long as one understands you are giving up some in depth training (it is a beginning book after all) for the extra emphasis the authors put on OOP design (e.g. the cover UML diagrams while most other C# books barely touch on such design tools/notations).
   
   The example they build out throughout the book (a Student Class Registration program) I found completely uninteresting and that made me prone to skim the code examples, not really thinking them through as I think you need to do to learn from these types of books. I can see why the authors selected such an example when they are explicit about their intention for the book to be useful to college classes in computer science departments. I also see the pros for an example that is built upon bit by bit over the course of the book. But for me, the large structure interferred with my ability to focus on my areas of interest.
   
   In short, a very good book for those coming fresh to C# and OOP, but if you like me have exposure to either, you're probably better off with two books (e.g. Jesse Liberty's C# programming books from O'Reilly for C#, OOP + UML book for training on those items). I do agree with the authors that understanding how to take it from concept to code well means "thinking" OOP from the start. This books will probably help nurture many OOP neophytes into such expert OOP C# developers.



4. The preception of a books quality depends on what the reader wants and needs. For myself, I gave this this book 5 stars.
   
   Dont expect another coding tutorial. They have their place, of course, but this one is more about project design and implementation. Its not about how to make an object, but how to make objects work together.
   
   Its divided into three basic sections. The first part is an overview of C#. Its not for beginner but will be a good refresher for a mid level deveoper. The second part is application design, and the last part shows how to bring it all together. The examples little simplistic at times, but in the end to illustrate some rather abstract concepts
   
   I've worked as a programer for the past 8 years, and I admit I have been lazy in my professinal development. Im sure the noun/verb and UML diagraming can be found else where, but I found it here first. The information was enough to take me to the next level. I feel I now have a fundemental understanding of how OOP is suppose to work. I would recommed it for a mid level programer who is eyeing project management.



5. This is the best book for beginning objected oriented programming I have read. It explains clearly step by step how object are created and used. All of the OO buzz words are explained with clearly written examples that you can actually understand.
   
   The programming concepts to fully utilize OO programming is explained with examples that are understandable so that you can use the concepts for your own programming.
   
   Also explain C# language in terms of OO programming and methodology so that you learn the language while learning how to program OO. Buy This Book!

4 comments about Professional Web 2.0 Programming (Wrox Professional Guides).

1. As per the other reviewer, this book uses one chapter for each topic: eg. HTML/CSS, Javascript, Design Principles, and sometimes not even a whole chapter eg, Chapter 5 includes SVG, XSLT, XPATH, XFORMS, and the discussion about HTML 5 and XHTML 2.0.
   
   Each section only really makes sense if you are already familiar with the topic. If you are familiar with the topic, then the relevant section will only bore you. The areas where you are not so familiar will confuse you.
   
   It seems this book is an attempt to explain Web 2.0 technologies in a really short sharp fashion, from the beginning. Unfortunately, each topic is worthy of its own book. Shrinking 10+ books down to one doesn't work very well.
   
   However, I do think an advanced book that assumes knowledge of these technologies and explains how to integrate them together would be cool.



2. 
   Here we go again, another book from Wrox press written by multiple authors from multiple disciplines. Professional Web 2.0 Programming is another deception for me in that it only provides high level details about web 2.0 and the book contains several chapters of subjects already mentioned over and over again in other books already. Let's start with Chapter 2. Here we have an overview of HTML, CSS, XHTML and DOM. I mean, why is this mentioned here? Is this a WEB 2.0 book or Web 1.0 book? Chapter 3 is about JavaScript and Ajax. What a waste, I already have a JavaScript book no need for half a chapter on JavaScript undefined objects. The other half is about high level design philosophies about Ajax. If this is what is referred to as a professional book on programming I'm really disappointed. Chapter 5 is a rehash of XSL with a mix of SVG. Chapter 6 is a waste of time about rich client applications providing little value to the reader. Chapter 7 is a rehash of the HTTP protocol URI. Chapter 8 is a rehash of XML. Chapter 9 talks about Syndication. Ha! Finally 15 pages worth of WEB 2.0 information via a high level definition of the RSS format. Chapter 11 is about web services, a rehash of other books on the subject.



3. Basically this book will hardly teach you anything you don't already know. They assume prior knowledge about almost every single topic they cover. They say in the preface that this book is not about java-script DOM, XML, AJAX or any specific technology for that matter. This book is more like some overview of all the technoligies that are used in Web 2.0 sites but none of them are explained in a way that someone without prior knowledge would understand. This book may only be useful for you if you are an experienced web developer with thorough knowledge in both backend and frontend technologies and just looking for some better practices and tips.
   Unfortunately there aren't so many people that fit that description.



4. The problem with this book is that it jumps around a lot and I mean a lot. All the topics are in there, but not in a logical progression. If I had not needed this as a required text for a class I would not have bought it.

5 comments about Visual Basic 6 from the Ground Up.

1. This isn't a bad beginners book. Anyone who needs more 'basic' information than this book probably shouldn't be in the IT industry in the first place.

   The book has alot of typos, i.e. missing parantheses in code examples, missing function arguments etc. I've found it to be somewhat troublesome, but you should be able to go to msdn online to figure out the typo. For example on page 487 the move method requires 4 arguments when anyone of the optional 3 are there but he only includes 2. There is also a missing parantheses there as well.

   This book does not go into ADO in any kind of depth that is needed. The Murach book, 'VB6 beginner to database pro' does ADO much better. There does seem to be a complete lack of ADO books for VB6. I imagine there are alot for VB.net. If you want this book, you will need another book to learn ADO programming in VB6. Database manipulation is what many people use VB for. However this lack of ADO depth may be because the book went to press before MS finalized ADO (just a guess there).

   Don't get me wrong, I thought this book was very informative and helpful, the fact that ADO is not covered in depth is a definite drawback. Also the code examples don't include every example from the book, just the complete programs. There were many code snippets that you could put in blank vb6 project to illustrate something that were not in the downloadable code from osborne. I would have preferred a CD to downloading as well.

   8/20/2003 - I hadn't realized this before becuse the book does not cover it at all, but there is a complete lack of coverage of interface classes. I had to go to a new riders book MCSD TRAINING GUIDE: VISUAL BASIC 6 EXAMS for a good discussion of this. Even the mspress book is somewhat confusing on this topic. If you can get this book used than do that. Don't pay full price though, especially since the binding seems to come apart after alot of use.




2. I should like to point out that the comment above regarding typos is not correct. True the example is missing a parenthesis (which the reviewer misspelled), however the move method DOES NOT require 4 arguments when anyone of the optional 3 are there. The arguments are left, top, width and height. You must specify all arguments that appear in the syntax before the argument you want to specify. For example, you can't specify width without specifying left and top. Any trailing arguments that are unspecified remain unchanged.



3. Two cents from a rank amateur/beginning programmer. At the moment, I'm on page 179 of this book and the main problem I have so far is with the way the information is communicated. Personally, I now know that I should have picked up a book that taught VB concepts via small projects and tasks. A "in chapter 1 we'll build a simple tool to get familiar w/ the IDE. In chapter 2 we'll improve our skillset by building a slightly advanced tool to learn about declaring variables, etc." approach would work better for me. Unfortunately, this book doesn't really do that. The concepts here are explained mostly with bits of standalone code. Hopefully, perhaps by page 200, we'll commence with some "learning by doing." Yes, hopefully. In the meantime, I'll grit my teeth and continue with the book, but right now it simply isn't working for me.



4. Perhaps this book would prove useful to an experienced programmer, but for a novice it is not a good choice. Cornell "assumes no previous programming experience", then goes on to write in huge, sweeping generalities without adequate explanations. Also, the code in the book is often written so the reader cannot fathom the type of event the code is associated with, and no explanations are forthcoming in the body of the text.
   There really is a lot covered in this book, but unless you do indeed have "previous programming experience", not worth the cash.



5. I bought this book in Year 11 (2000), after reading reviews of it. I was a beginner to programming - not only did this book introduce me to programming, it goes into VB6 in detail. The examples are all useful - not just toy examples. I have created many useful VB6 projects - this is the ONLY VB6 book you need.

1 comments about An Object-Oriented Approach to Programming Logic and Design, Second Edition.

1. This author is imprecise in her use of terminology. She switches between similar terms for the same thing without signaling. She uses the same term for different things without signaling. She even uses incorrect terms.
   
   The author tends to use a concept in a discussion and then, later, she introduces the concept formally to the reader. Sometimes she never introduces the concept, and youstruggle with the text before you realize that a new concept is involved and you must set about untangling the spaghetti on your own.
   
   On a positive note, the author makes good use of analogies to illustrate abstract programming concepts. Overall, however, this text is a monument to mediocrity.

5 comments about Maximum Lego NXT: Building Robots with Java Brains.

1. Got this book for our 12-year-old. Too difficult. Good for those who have studied computer programming.



2. This NXT Java book was useless starting from page 3 on. SEVERAL issues with inaccurate LEJOS directions (installations and even programs). I have a good background in Java (BCIS) and that helps me a ton. Look at variant press and see the errata for this book!!! It is so small that PROVES the author is the only one to blame for this P.O.S. book. You would serve better to simply go to some online sites (.edu) and get the real directions for installing LeJos on your NXT and then look at the sample programs found in the LeJos API documentation (the API sux too but the sample programs are mostly bug free).
   
   
   And the building instructions are almost illegible due to poor print quality. I have used NXT's for about 3 years and it took me quite a bit of time to figure out what parts this guy was using. At least one of his labs are proof of his inability (think it was later in the book) when he mentions something about the project he is proposing doesnt work but maybe you can get it to.
   
   
   Brian B. You need to be a weather man, you are about as reliable!
   
   Bottom line...dont waste your money, Id give you mine for free if it werent in the garbage.



3. Despite the nasty reviews surrounding this book, I strongly dis-agree. I thought this book was extremely helpful. I am a java programmer but my work is in the data integration area. This book really helped me to step out of the box and start programming movement between motors,sensors,etc. I enjoy all of Brian's writings, blogs, books, etc. You won't find a better book about programming NXT bricks with Java. And who expects a 12 year old to pick up this book and understand? It's a book most suitable for experienced java programmers.



4. If you are one of those Java guys, hands on, and a mechanical control lover, this is a book you don't want to miss.
   
   From programming point of view, some very useful topics are Bluetooth setup (both Window and Linux), Serial Communication setup, Vision detection, and Voice Control. You will be amazed of how you can realize those technologies into controlling an NXT.
   
   There are still many other interesting subjects from machanical/control point of view. This includes using GPS receiver(where you can learn NMEA Data format). It also shows you a NXT versioned Rocker-Bogie for rough terrain (I was really amaized how it works once I built a prototype). There is one special section to show you how to build a differencial gear using standard NXT parts. This really comes handy for a new Lego user who do not have an old differencial gear.
   
   This book also includes quite some attractive design like R2me2 (resemble R2D2), Moon Buggy, Beckhambot, Mapping Robot, and number 0.5 (resembles number 5). I do like their 'abstract' concept of the design.
   
   However, there are also negative part about this book.
   1. Some photo pictures is not very clear to follow. Either too small or too dark to see the details.
   2. Some mechanical design does not make it turn well (like Mapping Robot). But I guess this is due to lack of proper parts (such as differencial gear which was not included in the NXT package).



5. Although the book sounds otherwise, it is in fact a good start for advanced programmers. A lot of the code does not work right out of the box, but provides a good starting point for advanced programmers to build on. If you are a beginning java programmer, this book probably is not for you because it deals with concepts that are incomplete as described in the book, but an intermediate-to-advanced programmer can take these concepts and modify them as need be and quickly make easy projects more advanced. Overall, I think this is an excellent book but should be used by individuals with experience in programming in contemporary languages.

5 comments about Introduction to Languages and the Theory of Computation.

1. I normally don't write reviews. Couple of not very positive reviews could not stop me writing one for this title. In my opinion, this book really presents a breadth of information
   on the subject. If one is considering to buy this book, one should have due background in Discrete Mathematics.



2. During the course this book has been anything but helpful. The introductory part is a laugh as it takes for given you as a reader is very deep into mathematical lingo and proofs. Indeed the poofs are some of the worst written, many of them using statements as "Clearly it is..." and "It is now easy to see...", well, no, it isn't easy and mostly seems like a shortcut from the author to excuse himself from actual explanations.

   Even worse is the examples where solutions reference something form an excercise, here's a hint to Mr Martin, students don't solve all the extremly many excercises unless asked to, so saying something will be clear after a certain excercise doesn't work, how will we ever know if we're right or wrong?

   The educational value is very low due to the authors way of writing, never really getting the point across and always assuming the reader knows exactly what's going on. This is certainly not the way to teach people rather complex things. All in all anyone should look elsewhere to have a chance.




3. As far as basic ideas of automata goes, this book will do. It's not phenomenal, and it's not awful. It is merely sufficient. The main problem is that it lacks elegance in a number of places. In many places, it feels sloppy. Definitions are almost arbitrary, and often lack rigor. Techniques are long, tedious, and not very interesting. (This is nowhere more evident that the finite automaton -> regular expression conversion from Ch. 4, which has a really neat solution that this book does NOT give.) Yet, despite all this, it conveys the important ideas nevertheless.
   
   As far as developing skills for more advanced concepts of theory of computation, things don't look so good. This book's approach can be described as attempting, by sheer force, to make automata problems fit into rather vanilla proof techniques that readers will probably have already learned. The result is likely to do little more than convince readers that the subject is hard.



4. i am currently part of an online course, there is no teacher and all we have to learn from besides this text (which was assigned) is maybe 2 or 3 examples posted on a website for each chapter - almost all of which are entirely too simple to offer any real help. if you have to teach yourself this course this is definitely NOT a good book.
   ..
   -there are no solutions to the problems
   -the writing is not on an introductory level &
   -the questions escalate in difficulty way too fast from the examples
   -the examples are circular
   -the examples actually say "at this point its obvious that"
   -the examples offer little to no help for complicated problems like any of the one's we get on homeworks & tests
   ..
   i think the worst part of this book is the fact that generally after i do a problem i look back just to check if i got the right answer .. since i can't do this i have no real security of whether or not i'm doing anything right. then when i look back through the chapter when i need help i realize that the examples skip the steps that i need and the writing frustrates me more than it teaches me.
   ..
   it's kinda like trying to learn calculus and the very first problem you ever see asks you to prove green's theorem.



5. The material covered in this book, if you expected to prove what you are doing is correct, is challenging. There were several times in this book, where the explanation from the book was not enough for me to grasp the concept. I am not talking about cramming for the test, I am talking about repeatedly reviewing the concept in the book over several days before giving up and going for extra help.
   
   This is surprising, not because of my shear genius, but because the concepts in the book are not all that hard to grasp after the fact. For this reason, I think the book could be better written, by either including examples of more of the concepts or clearer language explaining the concepts.

5 comments about CSS, DHTML, and Ajax, Fourth Edition (Visual QuickStart Guide).

1. I was looking for a book to get better acquainted with CSS and Ajax. I picked up "Visual Quick start Guide. CSS, DHTML & Ajax." From Peachpit Press. The book is a quick read and it efficiently provides a quick start guide as promised. I particularly liked the example based introductions for all topics covered. Also, I enjoyed the brief introduction the book provides on Web 2.0 and the way the authors define it.
   After going through it once you will probably keep it as a quick reference guide, although it is never too hard to find information on web technologies on the web. Overall I could recommend the book if you are not a client side developer and are in need of a brief and comprehensive look at CSS and DHTML. I cannot imagine client side developers being too impressed with the book though.



2. I looked through this book at a bookstore before buying and I was impressed with the idea of working through with visual examples about what could be done with different manipulations of code (something that is hard to quickly get on the web with many many clicks).
   
   In using this guide, I have though become frequently exasperated by the execution because of confusing examples, what I believe to be mistakes in the code examples in the text, etc...



3. A great book for beginners as well as a good reference tool for programmers as well. I bought this book for my 14 year old son who used it to teach himself. He said it was well laid out and has used it quite often.



4. This is a great book for learning CSS, DHTML & AJAX. I needed something quick to pick up this language and the book worked perfect.



5. While this book (Fourth Edition) appears to be another quality release from Peachpit, it is unfortunately plagued by typos (rather unusual for this publisher). Code simply will not run properly due to occasional errors (often replicated in both the inline code and the illustrative tables/diagrams) and filenames are frequently incorrect. In addition, the auxillary red spot color is a nice visual break from the typical black text at first but isn't always implemented properly and eventually feels distracting. However, the major concepts and methods are addressed and presented well in the text.
   
   Overall, probably not the best book to start off with from unless you also enjoy debugging the author's code as you go along. I'd wait until a 5th edition corrects all the typographical errors.

5 comments about Professional ASP.NET 2.0 XML (Programmer to Programmer).

1. I would recommend this book to anyone working on ASP.NET 2.0. XML is the integral part of .NET framework and used widely on all projects.
   Book explains XML classes, Data Validation, XML transformation, XML and ADO.NET, Web Services and use of XML in Web.Config and Configuration files.



2. This book was very useful. It covered a wide variety of topics and explained most topics very well. I would have liked the book to get into some more subjects a little more in depth, but when you are covering so many topics that is a little difficult to do. This book did cover a lot of the new XML classes in the 2.0 framework. I would have liked some more info on the sql server 2005 xml stuff, particulary xquery. The book talked about OPENXML and even made the statement that you should use .nodes for these types of queries now. But it made no mention of how to do so. Overall, this was a very useful text.



3. This is an excellent book covering the XML features of ASP.NET. It is very professional but, not for any beginner. It has the first 2 chapters which pretty much cover the basics but, throughout the rest of the book you need to know what you are doing. It is very detailed but is not really "step-by-step" like 1-2-3...It will walk you through how to do something through reading; so if your not one of those people who don't like to read, I wouldnt fully recommend this book to you. It shows a many screenshots in there so it makes it fairly simple to follow along. The book has almost 500 pages that are completely dedicated to the XML features of ASP.NET. If you are willing to take out the reading glasses and read a little bit. Overall, its an outstanding book!



4. Thiru Thangarathinam is one of the few authors out there who truly know how to teach and convey the knowledge they are presenting. The manner in which he approaches and expounds a topic should be formulated and used in all books. Most books these days simply show how to do the simplest of tasks and never provide real world scenarios. But guess what, in the real world your tasks are never that simple.
   
   Thiru does a great job in not only showing "how to" but also provides best practice tips so that you know "when to", "when not to", "when you do be sure to". These are the things I need to know in the real world. Without a doubt this was one of the best technical books I have read in a while. I will definitely buy any future books that he authors. Glad to see he's a fellow Phoenician also!



5. This is an excelent book. The section about MsSQL server and XML is excelent. I highly recommended