5 comments about Core Web Application Development with PHP and MySQL (Core Series).

1. For a recent project that I needed to build I had to dive into PHP and MySQL. I have purchased quite a few books on the subject matter. A books real value to me is how much the book is used after you finish reading it. This is one of those books that has just enough to get you going on most PHP topics. With the help of this book and a couple of others I have been able to build a complex CMS system. This is the best of the bunch.



2. I don't write reviews unless I feel very strongly about the book. This is indeed the first time I wrote in amazon.com.
   I feel this is the one book you must have for web application development using PHP and mySQL, although frankly there are many good ones around too. I have seen many books and I strongly recommend this.
   It has a comprehensive coverage. Many reviews have mentioned it so I am not going to repeat. I find that I learned something not covered in other books - about building robust, secured, and efficient codes. I have not seen people write that kind of codes for PHP. Marc has been most generous in shraring these with the readers. The 3 last projects were superb. It is well suited for the techie.



3. I looked in several books regarding this subject and think this is the best book about PHP/Mysql. I just read the first chapter because I am presently too busy with adobe Actionscript. Hope have time soon to continue it.



4. I have had bad luck with the core series of books in the past, they are in desperate need of both a copywriter/spellchecker, and technical fact checker. However this was a very pleasant surprise - it suffered from neither of the above mentioned problems . the author covered topics most other books cover i.e., Unicode handling, Security, and his explanation of OOP in PHP is the best I have ever read.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone planning to write PHP.



5. As an experience programmer from ASP.Net, I can say that this is a good book for getting into PHP. The book paces pretty well, making sure you get the necessary basics but not bore you with overstuffed material.
   
   The only thing that annoys me, is the amount of typos on the samples and sample codes. If you are a seasoned programmer like me, you will pick them up with no problem before testing them. But for the novice, it could give them extra time debugging.
   
   Still I recommend this book.

5 comments about Beginning Visual Basic 2005 Databases (Programmer to Programmer).

1. This book starts you out using MS Access and takes you into n-tier stuff and SQL Server. It written in a straight forward manner, and the author stops along the way to fully explain what it going on behind the scenes. There are many "try it out" sections and you build the time tracker application that in all it's parts shows you what you need to know to expand from there and become a much better VB database programmer.



2. I got this book to develop a VB data base using SQL express that now is part of VB 2005. The book is an absolute mess mixing SQL ORACLE and Access concepts all at the same time and chapters. Then there are a few chapters with more emphasis in Access, but then updates all these Access examples to SQL and Oracle using the code that has being explained in these previous chapters but is not shown again. So to do a simple connection and SQL Select to a database, you have to read half of the book including the access chapters and Oracle concepts that are really, really, really annoyingly mixed with the MS SQL stuff. There is not even a clear full example of how to create a database from start to end using just Access, MS SQL, or Oracle, just mixed small pieces here and there.
   To make it nicer, beyond my comprehension, 10% of the book wastes pages and pages to tell you how to build VB forms from scratch using sentences. Imagine pages and pages telling you...
   1 Move your mouse to the tool box and drag a Button Control to the form.
   2 Set the following properties:
   Set Name to btnSave
   Set FlatSttyle to Flat
   Set Location... and gives coordinates, and then the size...and the color (no kidding)... and follow pages and pages.
   
   Really if you are able to decrypt the mix of languages and code in this book, you should be able to write the forms using assembly language right in binary, so such creating forms for Idiots approach is out of place.
   
   There are several free examples in the net where you may achieve better and faster results, save your time and money! If you need a deeper learning, get a book focused in what you need avoid this multiple language mess.
   
   Certainly, I also agree the book writers and family should not be allowed to give five stars reviews.



3. I purchased this to create a total database program. Not only is the structure all over the place, many of the code samples are incorrect and don't work, or are so completely baffling as to why he chose that method that I gave up, and bought another book.



4. Chapters 1-5 involves writing little applications in vb and testing them out. This is extremely helpful and I learned a lot. However in chapter 6 the fun ends. Now you begin to insert code into a monolithic pre-constructed application. Sure, you'll understand the snippets of code you insert, but how it interacts with all the content in the forms is beyond me. The title would be best changed to "Beginning VB 2005 Databases for VB Developers". I'm fairly confident that if you know VB like the back of your hand then this book would be great. If you're like me where developing VB applications is an ancillary task, then steer clear as there must be a better solution out there.



5. Having just read "Beginning Visual Basic 2005" from the same publisher and author (which I feel was a decent book to get started using VB), I moved onto this title and was very disappointed with it. The book forces you to begin your database programming using MS ACCESS, which I had no interest in doing. So, just skip those chapters right? Wrong. It really does force you down this path due to later projects in the book relying on you completing the earlier chapters. I even tried cheating by just downloading the code from the Access chapters so I could just jump into the SQL server sections. While this allowed me to continue, the book continues to make references to things I should have learned in the first 4 chapters. While, I understand the reasoning for trying to cover many different Database platforms, having Access, SQL Server, and Oracle all in the same book just leads to confusion and frustration. The "Do this for SQL server, Or do this for Oracle" examples were just a pain.

5 comments about The Art of Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly)).

1. The subject of my review pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. After the first 100 pages, I thought to myself "I've gotten a handful of gems and a few good visuals, but did I need 100 pages to accomplish that?"
   
   Seriously, that sums up my impression of the entire book. There is a LOT to be desired in terms of organization and it really feels like there's a lot of good information, but so poorly organized that it's hard to connect ideas. Several times per chapter, I find myself seeing references to how something will be better dealt with in further chapters. I have to ask myself why that happens constantly, and whether or not it says something about the organization of the book.
   
   There also seems to be a tendency to wander away from central topics into tangents or only loosely related ideas. Very rarely does the author tie his thoughts back to what each particular chapter is about, or to a central idea. I have a hard time learning from books that are written this way. I have constantly found myself reading a paragraph in this book and thinking "Okay, but what does this have to do with the aspect of project management that this chapter is supposed to be about?" I tried very hard not to fall into that trap, but it kept happening.
   
   I am an avid reading and an academic, so I know dry reading and I'm not saying that this is dry or anything like that. Quite the opposite, it's witty and fun to read in places. The thing that gets me so much is that it's poorly organized and poorly optimized. I find the author spends way too much time trying to say things and not nearly enough time relating them back to his main ideas.
   
   I have read the authors second book, on Myths of Innovation, and I have to say that I was disappointed by going back to his first book (this one) on project management. I think his second book is excellent and vastly improved upon. It is much shorter than this project management book and MUCH better written, largely in part because of the organization but also because of how concise it is. In retrospect, perhaps he has since improved his craft, but his first outing (this project management book) is definitely tricky.
   
   I see all the positive comments and I believe those people are being genuine about the content of the book. On the other hand, I do believe they have neglected to mention the issues I'm pointing out here. Don't get me wrong, there is useful information here, and lots of it. I have really enjoyed the nuggets that I've found in several chapters, but I lament the page count I had to forge through to get to them.
   
   Again, the content is good here, but the presentation leaves a LOT to be desired. If you have issues with reading books where the author wanders away from central ideas and loses himself in tangents, and where you can easily forget what you're reading about in a particular chapter, you may have difficulties here. If you're just after the book for some good ideas about project management and plan to skim it, you should be okay. Anyone planning to read this from cover to cover is in for some real disappointment.



2. If you're looking to figure out why you're having problems getting your ideas heard or your projects wrapped up on time, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NOT THE PM, this is a great book! Almost any software or system project with companies of any size require "project management" skills from anyone interested in getting things done.
   
   Scott will show you how to better estimate time, see the phases a project goes through, and give you some new perspectives and ways you can improve your product. Easy to read and enough ideas to get you thinking. Right now I'm thinking how much better my professional career would have been if I understood this a decade ago.
   
   Good book, read it!



3. I'm a rookie, so a playbook that organizes my thinking and allows me to execute the plays each day is perfect for what I need. I was surprised at how much of the role of project manager I do right now, and how much of the work is accessible if not desirable to me. The general feeling upon conclusion of the book is that I was just short of an epiphany in thinking, but it helped solidify my suspicions about project management:
   -it is about getting things done through others;
   -it requires a disciplined mind and organizational ability;
   -it can be learned;
   -it can be more rewarding than being an individual contributor.
   
   Mr. Berkun has a lot of commercial software development background, so you'll need to map his model onto yours, but this isn't difficult. The processes for new projects are identical to maintenance work, only you have a smaller timeline and a more focused objective. Really, the ideas and practices scale very well.
   
   Where I was put off, somewhat was in how the footnotes were organized, and how his anecdotes tended to end. Footnotes go at the bottom of the page or, much less ideally, at the end of the chapter. Putting them at the back of the book is the least helpful of the options. I'd have rather seen long parenthetical ramblings than a collection of now-contextless footnotes to read.
   
   The anecdotes were illustrative, but lacked some kind of conclusion or resolution almost every time. "We had a problem, I discovered 'x', and we applied it." So how did it turn out? There's no reflection upon the efficacy of his examples in many cases, and it's an annoying method of storytelling.
   
   Overall, I'm pleased that I found the book, and plan to use it in my expanded role at work. Once I develop some mastery of daily/ weekly/ monthly planning and execution, I'm sure I'll be able to move onto more advanced study, but I'm not ready, and this book is clearly for rookies with some self-awareness.
   
   -C



4. I'm the author and wanted to make sure you were informed there is a new, updated edition of this book, and its now called Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management. It has been revised, polished, and enhanced, with 120+ new exercises, a discussion guide, improved footnotes, and much more.
   
   Since the old edition listed on this page is out of print and hard to find, it's selling for twice the list price of the new edition, and, if you care, I get no royalties from used book purchases. If you really really want it for some reason, go for it, but I wanted to make sure you knew there's a better, and likely cheaper edition available.
   
   Cheers and happy reading.



5. This is based on Scott's experience and it will give you good ideas, techniques and advices for project management. But if you're thinking in PMP book this isn't that kind of book.
   I red it three times and each time I learn something new. I strongly recommend read this other book "Applied Software Project Management" from Theory In Practice O'Reilly series.

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.

3 comments about AppleScript: The Comprehensive Guide to Scripting and Automation on Mac OS X, Second Edition.

1. Tue 4/24/2007 3:27 pm. I haven't finished the book but, for instance, there were two wrong captions in the first 32 pages. Numerous other errors in the text. I feel Rosenthal gives a good feel for how AppleScript works, not sugar-coated, and I didn't have much trouble with the errors, but someone new to programming might (I am a programmer without AppleScript -- or Apple for that matter -- experience).



2. Bought this book after having read the reviews for the first edition and have finally finished it after having given up a number of times in exasperation at the vast amount of errors in the text and the code (both in the book and downloadable). The author no doubt knows his subject and covers what you need to know to become proficient in AppleScript, but I am not sure who this book is aimed at. It is not suitable for anyone new to programming as concepts are introduced early but only explained later on in the text, the mistakes in the examples create confusion (AppleScript even being referred to as ActionScript), and the inane Dummies style humour and prose with "cool" and even "ultracool" examples insulting to the mature reader. To add to my dissatisfaction the binding started to fall apart after only 250 pages. This is both the first and last Apress book that will be in my library.
   
   During my way through this I bought both Danny Goodman's book from SpiderWorks and Matt Neuberg's "Definitive Guide". My recommendation to anyone else looking to learn AppleScript would be to start with Goodman, and if you know a programming language to go straight to Neuberg. Both highly recommended.



3. It looks somewhat like a tome, but leaves nothing out. Other books slightly miss the point, assuming too much. If you really need to get a deep understanding of Applescript then this is the book for you!

5 comments about The Rational Unified Process: An Introduction (3rd Edition) (Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series).

1. Target Audience
   IT professionals who need to learn about the Rational Unified Process (RUP)

   Contents
   This book is a relatively high-level overview of the entire RUP process.

   The book is divided into the following chapters: Software Development Best Practices; The Rational Unified Process; Static Structure: Process Description; Dynamic Structure: Iterative Development; An Architecture-Centric Process; A Use-Case-Driven Process; The Project Management Discipline; The Business Modeling Discipline; The Requirements Discipline; The Analysis and Design Discipline; The Implementation Discipline; The Test Discipline; The Configuration and Change Management Discipline; The Environment Discipline; The Deployment Discipline; Typical Iteration Plans; Implementing the Rational Unified Process; Summary of Roles; Summary of Artifacts; Acronyms; Glossary; Bibliography; Index

   Review
   The Rational Unified Process, or RUP, is a software engineering methodology that attempts to map out and document all parts of a software development project. It's extremely comprehensive, but it's also adaptable to whatever level of effort is appropriate for your situation. This book, The Rational Unified Process - An Introduction, is a good start to begin your understanding of RUP.

   First off, let me say this is not an easy read. It's a good book with all the information you need to know to start using RUP, but the information is dense and highly detail oriented. Like most developers, I'm more oriented towards coding and testing. But realistically, you need to know what the system should do before you get to the coding piece. RUP helps to put all that into a formal framework so that the necessary things will get done in the proper order.

   While the entire RUP framework might feel overwhelming, the author makes sure to let you know that you can adapt the RUP to meet your situation. If you are adding a function to an existing system, you will be more focused on use cases, development, and deployment processes. The author does a good job in segmenting the information so that you can more easily focus on your needs.

   You should also not consider this the end-all volume on RUP that you will ever need. Kruchten doesn't try to detail specific techniques like use cases or UML. You will learn where they fit in to RUP, but you will need additional information on how to implement use cases or UML diagrams. Consider this the volume that allows you to place everything in a mental framework so that you can figure out what you will need to know going forward.

   Conclusion
   If you are considering or in the process of implementing RUP, this is a book you should be studying. It's not an easy read, but it will give you the overview you need to understand the process and concepts.




2. This book introduces the logic behind Rational Unified Process (RUP). RUP is a novel idea. It puts several good practices in a consolidated package. What makes RUP useful is the fact that Rational provides all the necessary software tools to support this. This book does an average job in explaining the RUP. It over stresses obvious and well accepted concepts like "iterative development"; which makes the first half (6 chapters) of this book a bit boring. For a professional with software development and management experience, I found the first sixe chapters are best read at a cursory glance. The second half of the book introduces the workflows - and it is this half that I found more interesting. I finished this book as bed time readoing over the weekend - so this book is an easy reading. However this book is not about teaching how to use Rational Products. This book only gives an overview of the basis of origination of RUP. You would need another book to become an expert in using RUP.



3. It's an introduction, all right. The trouble is, it's such a high level introduction that there's almost no useful information whatsoever. The entire time I was reading, I was waiting for the author to get to the meat, only to discover at the end that there was none. It was like ordering a double cheeseburger, and getting two buns with ketchup and a pickle, and no beef patties.
   
   I can only assume that Rational paid the author for his time in the hopes that people, after reading this book, would purchase their entire software suite just to find out what the RUP actually involves.
   
   Despite my severe disappointment (and relief that I didn't have to pay for it myself), I can't rate it any lower than two stars. It's well written, and it could quite possibly be useful to managers and other business types who have no idea how software development works. The second star is for Rational's sheer chutzpah in getting a respected publisher to put out a $30 marketing pamphlet for them.



4. "The Rational Unified Process, An Introduction" offers readers a concise and strong introduction to the topic of the Rational Unified Process (RUP). Stressing the role of RUP in unifying the entire software development process, this book underscores the importance of efficient and effective software development.
   
   The book is structured in a logical and easy-to-follow manner and makes good use of descriptive graphics. For those with an interest in optimizing their software development processes, this is a good addition to your library.



5. After starting a few books in this series, this is the one I ended up finishing because of its readability. As an introduction to RUP, this book did its job. My only reservation is that it might be a bit too formal for those unfamiliar with the RUP jargon.

No comments about ASP.NET MVC Framework Preview (Firstpress).

5 comments about Visual Basic 2005 in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly)).

1. I've always missed the printed help manuals that used to come with development tools. I used to carry them around with me and browse through them whenever I had a bit of time. So I was happy to read this book, which has a nice big PRINTED reference section. There are several sections that cover various topics such as object orientation, data types, delegates & events, operators, and so on. The book also covers the new features of Visual Basic 2005, such as operator overloading and generics. My favorite part is the section on the My namespace. Cool stuff.
   
   This is mainly a reference book. The authors did a very good job of also making this a readable book. That's a rare feat.
   
   Bottom line: this book is a keeper, and will be sitting on my bookshelf at work.



2. This is a fantastic reference book for VB prorgrammers. The examples are great. They aren't too long and get right to the point of what they are trying to illustrate. The organization is perfect and the writing is crisp.
   
   It's hard to compete with the convenience of the MSDN. But sometimes the MSDN is tough to navigate and it's just easier to pick up a book and find what you are looking for. And the book you pick up should be this book.



3. Visual Basic 2005 In A Nutshell is a wonderful companion reference for any and all VB developers. With the new features in the 2005 version of VB, this guide is a great book to have by your side when you are working on your latest Visual Basic application.
   
   Packed with nearly 750 pages of reference material, this is a great books that is written well, without too much bloat (just the way I like it). The first 150 pages cover the basics of using the VB language, the next 300 is reference for keywords, classes, functions, etc, and the 300 page or so covers the 'My' reference (VERY IMPORTANT) and other odds and ends of the language.
   
   I love the Nutshell books because they cut through the muck and get right to the point. The size of the books make them perfect for keeping by your side, and that familiar brown coloring scheme makes them easy to see on your shelf.
   
   If you program VB, pick this book up, it will truly make your life easier!
   
   ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED



4. Despite the perception that Visual Basic should be something to learn out of a book, despite the perception that this book gives (inasmuch as it states that the book is designed for someone who wants to learn Visual Basic .net as their first language) this hardly deals with the practical applications of the program and deals more with syntax.
   
   If I had to compare it with something, I'd say it was like being handed all of the components of a car-- new, shiny, efficient, and much assembly required. The book was a real let-down in the sense I thought I'd be buying a tutorial and ended up with a paperweight. It gets two stars because it frankly IS a good desk reference if you have the program and several other tutorial books which do what this book had initially promised.



5. This book is a really good reference. It has made me much more efficient. It has good information of the new features of VB 2005. It has several chapters on the basics of VB as well as advanced features such as generics and attributes. I would definitely recommend buying it if you are already familiar with VB and want a good reference book for VB 2005. I try not to program without it within arms reach

5 comments about Expert C# 2005 Business Objects, Second Edition (Expert).

1. This is an exceptional book. It provides both the examples of how-to use the framework and how it is built. This internal view of the framework provides invaluable insight into the internal workings of reflection and gives real world perspectives to using objects consistently in a distributed architechture. I like the book!



2. This book has a very good discussion of frameworks and includes the details of the CSLA (Component Scalable Logical Architecture) framework. However, I don't believe the book is worthwhile for the discussion of frameworks alone. If you're required to use CSLA, then this is the book for you.
   
   I give the book three stars because its contents can't be separated from the design of CSLA. The problem with CSLA is the layers. The use of "fat", fully encapsulated business objects has fallen out of favor recently and is not the best architecture for enterprise applications. Despite what the author says, I don't believe CSLA is truly a layered architecture, either.
   
   The book lacks a discussion of when CSLA is a good choice and when another architecture is better. Choosing to use CSLA pre-determines your architecture (the "A" stands for "Architecture", after all). You should always choose your architecture based on your requirements and never select an architecture in advance.
   
   That said, CSLA can be a good architecture for smaller projects. New developers often have issues understanding true multi-tiered architectures. Because CSLA uses an encapsulated architecture that's similar to the OOP training they had in school, those developers may find CSLA a good choice because it's easier for them to understand.



3. Author spends too much time in theory and less time showing real examples. Author wants you to down load code and spends time discussing bits and pieces of each section. Very, very, very steep learning curve. Not a good investment - wish I could find a CSLA book that teaches you step by step....



4. The book itself is somehow disappointing. Sounds like the old vb6 bo book, rather outdated.
   The main concept involved as a guideline on design is the fat table module object arbitrarily called business objects by the author, when the market is more oriented to model domains. Why should we choose fat objects instead of other solutions? It is not discussed on the book.
   A big issue is the way the book is written. He assumes you are a vb6 person. The author is not fully aware of the asp.net architecture. Look at this paragraph about keeping state on the page:
   "There's no automatic
   mechanism that puts all state data into each page; you must do that by hand. Often this means creating
   hidden fields on each page in which you can store state data that's required, but which the user
   shouldn't see. The pages can quickly become very complex as you add these extra fields.
   This can also be a security problem. When state data is sent to the client, that data becomes
   potentially available to the end user."
   
   So he's completely unaware of viewstate object which address all these issues. I think asp.net has gone a long way now and this guy don't even know one of the basic revolutionary concepts brought up by as.net.
   I have constantly the sensation that he is addressing a vb6 developer, but vb6 is long gone.



5. A good written book, it's a step by step trip in the author's mind: from idea through design to coding of his framework. You may not agree with all choices (such as heavy reflection use) but you always know why he did. A good start point to build your own businnes objects and a rich bag for your developer's toolbox.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself the C# Language in 21 Days (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. This book is just fantastic. You can really learn a lot from it. I am only 14 and already know how to create a simple program. I'm looking to get into the gaming industry and this book will definently help me get there. I recommend it to everyone who wants to learn C# without the hassle of using up a lot of time. 5 Stars.



2. This book was awesome! I just finished reading it today and I am amazed of how much I learned.
   
   I disagree with the comment that rates it bad for not talking enough about Visual Studio.... There are good books about "Visual C#" which target this audience, however the best developers are those who learn how to build software from scratch without fancy tools.
   
   Trust me, before this, I had no idea what was all the code Visual Studio (and even SharpDevelop) generated by default.
   
   Recommended path:
   I read 1 chapter a day; then took the chapter quiz, and did all the exercises.
   
   Also play with the "Type and Run's", they are a lot of fun!
   
   I am now writing my own C# applications (Console, Windows-based, Web, and even for my Pocket PC).
   
   Excellent book, great job Brad Jones!



3. Could not put it away until finished reading it.
   Book is very well written, with detailed explanation of every topic and has very good examples, I also liked excersizes and questions at the end of each chapter. I am not afraid now to program on C# and hopefully will find job using C#!



4. This book is a great book for beginners. If you happen to be a programmer the first couple of chapters are a review but the later chapters make up for this. I would have preferred a little more about creating windows applications but this is still a great book. I recommend this book.



5. It is important to realise that this is a book for beginners. If you are an experienced developer wanting to cross-train from C++, Java, VB.Net etc then this is not the book for you. I pretty much speed-read the book in three days (I would have been quicker but I had other things to do as well), typing in code when it looked like it might be a useful exercise. As C# is largely an amalgam of bits from other popular languages it is easy to plough through this book at speed if you do know other object-oriented languages. If you are a complete beginner then I suspect this book is probably at about the right level and for complete beginners 21 days could be about right.
   
   As well as the language itself, the book gives the basics of console input/output, file handling, windows forms, database access and some web stuff. As the author says a number of times, the libraries used for .Net programming are so large, you couldn't do more than skim the surface even in a book of this size.
   
   A few other things to note about this book...
   
   This book does not teach you about the Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE), or about the code generated by the IDE. Instead it works from first principles - no use of a forms editor here, this is typing in instructions to add a control, position the control, set the control colour, handle the related events etc, rather than having the basis of that automatically generated. Useful to know how to do it manually, but I suspect most people would rather take the IDE route. Personally, I do like to know both, so it is good for me the way it is.
   
   There are a number of typographical errors in the text, most of which are unimportant, but they have also crept into at least one source listing, although that was easy enough to spot.
   
   The errata on the author's web-site is incomplete and hasn't been updated recently. The errata on the publisher's web-site is, well, missing. Just to repeat that bit - it isn't there (or not anywhere that I could find it). Don't bother registering on the publisher's web-site - registering doesn't suddenly provide access to the errata. Thankfully none of the errors that I spotted in the text were serious.
   
   The example code at the end of "Week 2" is a blackjack game. Nothing too bad about that, other than it fails to use the most interesting bits from week 2. It also mixes naming conventions throughout the code, which is really annoying when you are typing the code in. Use camel notation, use all lower-case, use Hungarian - it doesn't matter, but it would make life easier if the author was consistent. The whole example was poor and could have been replaced with something more relevant to the week's work.
   
   All in all, quite a good book for beginners, with the caveats that it doesn't teach you about the Visual Studio IDE and that the chapters on web-development might assume too much knowledge for a complete beginner. Not the right book for an experienced developer cross-training from another object-oriented language.