5 comments about Systems Analysis and Design with UML Version 2.0: An Object-Oriented Approach.

1. Item recived as presented



2. The UML writing style of this book is very easy to follow, and a great way to gradually introduce the whole concept of object-oriented analysis and design methodologies to the readers, especially the beginners. The authors did a great job illustrating the entire system development life cycle with a coherent and realistic example using the latest UML notations, practical methodologies, and various analytical artifacts. The only criticism I have is that sometimes the description of a particular topic spans over multiple pages without sub-leveling or sub-topics or highlights, making it very difficult for user to go back and perhaps mine certain important concepts embedded in the discussion. Perhaps more generalization relationship and diagrams can be helpful. Overall, it is a very good source of reference for object-oriented design in layman's term. I will strongly recommend it to my colleagues.



3. This book is just majorly confusing and really for the major eggheads. I'm using it because I have to for class but I'd rather go to another approach for learning this stuff. I'm using Learn to Program with C# by Smiley and it discusses some of the topics, from the early stages in the reading, as to the phases of development and because of that it helped me to understand this better. However, this stuff is really hard to grasp without the egghead mentality.



4. After reading a couple of 'classic' system analysis texts I felt I needed to read about system analysis and UML. This title had some good reviews so I purchased a copy.
   
   This book did cover both system analysis and UML, but I felt that it did not cover either well. I had a hard time engaging with the content and linking it with my existing knowledge of UML and systems analysis.
   
   If you are interested in UML and systems analysis I would recommend reading "Modern Structured Analysis" (Yourdon Press Computing Series) by Edward Yourdon, and finding a good UML 2 text (I'm lookging for one now).
   
   For the price, I was expecting a much better book.



5. The book is serivicable...professor loved certain sections but hated others. There is no perfect textbook on this topic.

5 comments about Deploying .NET Applications: Learning MSBuild and ClickOnce (Expert's Voice in .Net).

1. This book explains how to use ClickOnce in Real-World Scenarios. It does not only explain what you need to do to get ClickOnce running with your app, but also how things work behind the scenes, and why MS built ClickOnce the way they did. First we were a bit shy to use ClickOnce, because we thought it might be just another bloated MS Technology. Thanks to Sayeds Book, however, we spared the work to write our own solution, and we are confident to have the right solution for our needs. Thanks, Sayed!



2. This is just an overview summary of MSBuild. Lots of properties are mentioned but no indication of how to use them and what the parameters are. However, it seems to be the only book on the market. Read this book first then you must go to MSDN to get the details. MSBuild in general is not very well documented. These authors do not give any practical examples unfortunately.



3. I like the way this book is laid out and I like the examples. It is particularly useful to be able to download the examples and look at the code firsthand. This author actually reads his email and was willing to explain an item in more detail for me. I'm sure this book would be helpful to anyone needing to learn more about deployment using these methods.



4. The author is apparently quite knowledgeable in MSBuild & ClickOnce, and shared some of the insights in this book, such as how to customize your build. The main negative is that, he sometimes just jumps into a topic or use a term without properly explaining the the fundamentals. For example, incremental build is a big topic that's not properly explained.
   
   It's would have been much better to give a clear "problem statement" about the fundamental problem that incremental build is supposed to solve, then describe how this can be done logically, then show how the specific technology (ie msbuild) does this; but he tends to belabor the technologies used instead.
   
   Another problem is that the author didnt do his homework well and incorrectly described several terms: e.g he said SCM stands for "Source Control Management", which we all know should be Software Configuration Management. He said BITS is Binary Intelligent Transfer Service (when it should be Background ...). This sort of things tend to undermine his credibility.



5. If you are new to using MSBuild or TeamBuild, don't waste your time trying to read instructions on Micosoft's site. Buy this book first and then go back to MS site later to get more information. Hashimi did a good job presenting an intro to MSBuild.
   
   I only read the first 5 chapters because the other chapters don't apply to me yet, and I thought they were straight forward and easy to understand.
   
   If you are familiar with MSBuild, unless you are trying to get info on Click once, using Microsoft's website will be the way to go to get more in depth info on MSBuild.

5 comments about Photoshop Blending Modes Cookbook for Digital Photographers : 49 Easy-to-Follow Recipes to Fix Problem Photos and Create Amazing Effects (Cookbooks (O'Reilly)).

1. Of all the wonderful Photoshop books by the O'Reilly Studio, this one rocks solid and gave me things about Blending Modes I never knew were possible. I am still playing around with all the possibilities. They have great internet access to images that go with the 'recipes', and a terrific index with examples of all the different combinations they offer so if you need a type of effect, all you have to do is go to the visual index and pick what you are looking for and there it will be. All have the same single image, so it is easy to find the effect you want. I highly reccommend this book to any level Photoshop lover who likes to get artistic with their photos.



2. I guess it depends on how you learn. This book has recipes for various looks using Photoshop's Blending Modes. The examples generally include several different kinds of photos. The result is that you get to see what happens to photos of things, people, landscapes, etc. using the same or similar recipes. The author also tells you when he did things a little differently for one or two kinds of photos, and why.
   
   I've seen a lot of this stuff before, but found that I learned a lot from how this book is laid out. It should also make it a lot easier to find, and use, a specific technique for a specific problem.
   
   Because I am a digital scrapbooker, I might find all of this a lot more useful than some other people who use Photoshop. I'm not only manipulating photos when I scrapbook, I am also making and manipulating digital papers and elements. These techniques would be extremely useful for scrapbooking.



3. This is not a book for beginners. Shows blending techniques and effects in a very focused way. Should only be considered by those who are indeed interested in these fields.



4. More for the advanced beginner, I have learned a lot about blending modes from this but I learned my Scott Kelby basics first.



5. Outstanding contant the best of it's type. Easy to read and follow. A major contribution.

5 comments about Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas.

1. I had found myself moderately successful at introducing new ideas and influencing change in my organizations, but never knew why, or how to improve my ability to influence and sustain the change effort. The lightbulb was illuminated immediately upon getting a few patterns into this book- I had been, in one way or another, using some of these patterns without realizing it. Opportunities I had failed to take advantage of in the past became obvious as well in many patterns that were new to me, and in the past went unrecognized (next time, they will either be easy to spot or part of the plan in the first place!)
   
   Once you are able to recognize techniques as patterns, influence becomes something much more controllable. This is a powerful, easy-to-use (and reuse) toolkit for introducing ideas and influencing change. I believe that those experienced in influencing change will find a well thought out set of techniques and those unsure of even how to start will have a great roadmap and set of practices to start with and to invoke as-needed as their change efforts evolve.



2. Change is hard. I've been part of companies that merged, were acquired, acquired others, downsized drastically, changed the CEO, moved corporate headquarters to another state and completely changed their target market. The change was difficult in each of these circumstances. That's not particularly surprising. What is surprising is that change is also difficult when doing something as seemingly simple as changing the company health plan. I wish I'd read this book before going through those changes.
   
   A large part of my current work is in helping companies manage the transition from how they currently develop software to developing software with an "agile process." The book codified some of the things I've done for years without thinking about why but more importantly it also presented ideas I hadn't thought of. For example, the "Champion Skeptic" pattern says to designate a skeptical, strong opinion leader to be the "official skeptic." I've always made a point of involving these skeptics because they can become your best advocates if you convert them. However, I've experimented with the idea as presented here and it works well.
   
   Change will remain hard, even after reading this book. But, you'll be much better prepared and you should find many of the patterns here very helpful.



3. Just like all books on patterns, this gives you the feeling of 'oh, this is soooo obvious' the first reading it. The fact is that a second after reading it you start thinking and talking about brown bags, angles and evangelists and refer to the book all the time. Linda and Mary Lynn give us an idiom, a very very useful idiom.
   
   Also, the book is funny. Must read.



4. Another patterns book -- it certainly is a popular type of book these days. I got about half-way through this one before someone else wanted to read it. What can I say? Not bad. Recommended reading if you're trying to introduce a change in the way people work. The stories or case studies are pretty readable. But I'm not sure how much it helps to give little (pattern) names in brackets inside every other sentence. Pick up any book about industrial success like Marriot or The HP Way and you'd probably do just as well. The important thing is to read about others' similar successes and how they did it, and always to get help from lots of other people.



5. Fearless Change is a catalogue of patterns for introducing change in a company. Personally I've been in the role of change agent for years and this book provided me many "ah-hah"s which you get from reading good patterns. Most of the patterns I've applied in the past. Now I realized it and I got a name for them, which makes me more able to reuse the patterns. Some of the patterns were new to me and I've applied them immediately in my work.
   
   The book is organized in three parts. The first part tells short stories on the different phases of change. These stories already made me understand the basics of the patterns and how they were related. The second part has a couple of case studies. Personally I found this part rather boring, but it was very short. The third part of the book is the actual pattern catalogue which provided the needed details.
   
   The book was easy to read and, except for the case studies, didn't make me feel bored at any time. I've learned an awful lot from the book and it gave me some new tools in my toolbox when trying to introduce change.
   
   I've rated this book 4 stars, which should have been 4.5 starts, but I don't have that option. I wouldn't want to give it 5 stars for the small boring parts and since I wouldn't call it perfect yet, but close! The books is an absolute must for anyone introducing change in an organization though!

2 comments about CNC Programming Techniques: An Insider's Guide to Effective Methods and Applications.

1. Technical readers who are familiar with the CNC Programming Handbook by Peter Smid will, without doubt, also react favourably to this book. The format is similar and there are hundreds of excellent illustrations and programming examples. While the previous book dealt mainly with theory and concepts, this work moves on to real life applications of these concepts. Examples include the use of tapered endmills in programming, multiaxis lathes, custom cycles, knurling, and other tips and tricks.



2. This handbook by Smid on the subject of CNC programming tackles the subject from a different angle than his bestselling "CNC Programming Handbook". That book is a more basic one aimed at beginners. This book is more advanced and contains several programming subjects that are very difficult to find either in other books or on the web. Even where there is overlap with the author's "CNC Programming Guide", this book provides much more depth of coverage on various subjects than that book does. As is standard with this author, this book includes many clear detailed drawings that greatly assist in visualizing the procedures covered. Whenever applicable, a complete programming example is provided. Equations and all tools used in each example are boxed and clearly labeled. As always, this author's instructions and explanations are clear and detailed. I show the table of contents next as the best way of explaining the book's contents:
   1. Part Program Development
   2. Calculating Contour Points
   3. Formulas for Contouring
   4. Using Cutter Radius Offset
   5. Part Reversal in Milling
   6. Using Tapered End Mills
   7. Special Purpose G-COdes
   8. Tool Length Offset Change
   9. Block Skip Applications
   10. Standard and Rigid Tapping
   11. Polar Coordinates
   12. Subprogram Development
   13. Turning and Boring in Depth
   14. Programming Tapers
   15. Techniques for Grooving
   16. Techniques for Threading
   17. Restrictions in Threading
   18. Practical Thread Milling
   19. Knurling on CNC Lathes
   20. Four-Axis Lthes
   21. Pallet Changers
   22. Working With Planes
   23. Programming CAMs
   24. Introduction to Macros
   25. Did You Know That?
   26. References and Resources

4 comments about Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 4,The: Generating All Trees--History of Combinatorial Generation (Art of Computer Programming).

1. This fascicle can perhaps best be read as a sequel to Knuth's Volume 3, on sorting and searching, where he discusses trees. The fascicle extends that into how does one generate every tree. Of the four fascicles thus published, this might be the skimpiest in terms of current mathematical knowledge. Though to a practising programmer, trees are a vital construct and the book could well have germane analysis. And, as with his other books in this series, there is a tough set problems that can be just as instructive and interesting as the text.
   
   Still, to perhaps compensate for the thin length, the book contains a distinctive section on the history of combinatorial generation. Knuth delves into this subject while giving a deeper treatment of the maths than one would likely encounter in a popular text directed at a general audience. He cites the I Ching, as well as ancient Indian and Arab manuscripts. The I Ching is notable as it is still in print and likely to be familiar to many.
   
   With the publication of this fascicle, the collective set of four would make a respectable book in its own right. However, Knuth is scarcely done yet. We can expect more fascicles, and soon, one might hope. And eventually, a hardcover.



2. The fourth volume in the classic ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: GENERATING ALL TREES: HISTORY OF COMBINATORIAL GENERATION add to and expands upon a multi-volume work on the analysis of algorithms in classical programming, updating sections of the set using a series of small fascicle books. This covers the generatio of all trees, a topic covered in the first three volumes of ART OF COMPUTER PROGRAMMING, and provides over a hundred new exercises to programmers.



3. I've known about The Art of Computer Programming volumes by Donald E. Knuth for some time, but I've always avoided reviewing them for fear of not being able to do them justice. But after being contacted specifically by the publisher asking if I was interested in the latest - The Art of Computer Programming, Volume 4, Fascicle 4 : Generating All Trees--History of Combinatorial Generation - I decided to give it a try. For the right audience, this is really good stuff. But I can tell you that I'm not it...
   
   Content:
   Chapter 7 - Combinatorial Searching: 7.2 - Generating All Possibilities; 7.2.1 - Generating Basic Combinatorial Patterns; 7.2.1.1 - Generating all n-tuples; 7.2.1.2 - Generating all permutations; 7.2.1.3 - Generating all combinations; 7.2.1.4 - Generating all partitions; 7.2.1.5 - Generating all set partitions; 7.2.1.6 - Generating all trees; 7.2.1.7 - History and further references; Answers to Exercises; Index and Glossary
   
   Don't refresh your browser thinking the Content section didn't load properly. There's just chapter 7... For those who don't understand the "fascicle" concept (like I didn't before getting this volume), it's a small book (120 pages) of material that either updates writings in previous volumes or a "preview" of material that will eventually be rolled into a single volume (in this case, volume 4). Knuth has a lot of information he wants to convey, and by using fascicles, the public can get a steady flow of information and help shape the continuing evolution of the series. Interesting concept, and one I can appreciate. Another review stated that this was probably one of the "skimpiest" volumes in terms of mathematical knowledge. If true, then I fear what will await me with future installments. To get the most of out Knuth's work, you really do need to be well-grounded in computer science and mathematical theory. Every page is populated with numerous formulas to prove the subject matter, and I'll admit to being completely lost in most of it. That doesn't mean the book isn't good. It *is* excellent work, but I'm definitely not the target audience. I don't come from a formal computer science and mathematics background, so I'd have to really slog through everything from page 1 with supporting texts in order to fully benefit from it.
   
   It wasn't a total loss for me, though... I enjoyed the History and Further References chapter, where he shows the tree theory and how it affected such things as literature and culture through the ages. Whether the ancient Chinese had all this in mind when developing the I Ching is open to debate, but the theory and underpinnings of trees is definitely there. And for those readers who really want to work through and apply the material, there are exercises galore at the end (with answers graciously provided for those who get stuck). You could likely set up a college level course based on this (and associated) book, and it would be foundational to a computer science degree.
   
   So, for the right audience, this is the type of book that will allow for weeks of thought and learning. But if you're more like me, someone who deals more with business systems and development (without a comp sci degree to back it up), you'll likely miss most of the value here.



4. The books are very detailed and take a lot of analysis... they are not written in a current Object Oriented Language... that was a disappointment but otherwise it is very good... just uses old "spaghetti code"

5 comments about The Data Model Resource Book, Vol. 2: A Library of Data Models for Specific Industries.

1. This book provides an extremely comprehensive and useful set of industry data models. They have been a tremendous value to us by allowing us to reference best-practice designs on our projects as well as being able to save a great deal of time by not having to re-invent the wheel for standard data modeling structures. The models are extremely well thought out and offer insight into both effective ways of modeling as well as pitfalls to be careful of. The author shows extensive knowledge and expertise in the various industries that are provided. We have used many of the models from the health care, insurance, professional services and e-commerce models to give us a kick-start on data modeling projects as well as to double check our designs and make sure we didn't overlook anything important and we did end up modifying and improving many of our data models based upon ideas from this book.

   The books offers an optional electronic download of the SQL for each industry for $400 but this is not at all necessary to benefit from the templates offered in the book because the book provides detailed data model constructs showing everything necessary to implement the models including primary and foreign key structures, attributes, relationship and attribute optionality, cardinalities of relationships, full explanations of the rationale behind each model, and even data examples for most of the models and attributes. We licensed the electronic download also and it saved us some time instead of having to manually enter the models from the book, however, the book without the electronic downloads is complete in and of itself, and it is amazing that one can buy an extensive library of industry data models for the cost of this book!




2. The industry models defined in volume 2 have greatly accelerated our data warehouse/mart projects. We have used many of the pre-defined industry models for both internal and external projects. Again, a great time saver allowing us to "jump-start" our data projects.



3. Yes, it is. Because the other chapters have all sorts of useful content as well. This book covers Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Health Care, Insurance, Financial Services, Professional Services, Travel, and e-Commerce. Most companies, even if they aren't in those sectors, use the services of companies that are (or may do a little bit of them - offer insurance on their products, for example), and if you need to include these areas in your model, in more detail than was covered in volume 1 (the core Universal Data Model book), then this is the place to start. If you are in one of these areas, then the specific chapter has a lot of useful stuff (I have worked in Travel, Telecommunications and Professional Services), but it is well worth checking out the other models for ideas that can be re-used in your area.



4. If you will got this book, you will got perfect template model.



5. If you are interested in database development, you hit the jackpot. The author does a phenomenal job of presenting the material in a easy to interpret fashion and provides excellent examples of usable data models but unfortunately does not provide the templates which was a little bit of a let down (should have read the other reviews first). This book has been a valuable resource for me and would recommend this book to anyone interested in database development. After reviewing this text, my understanding of data modeling was enriched and worth the time. Some other books I have read provide a lot of fluff but this one gives you the goodies up front. <:)

4 comments about Beginning ASP.NET 2.0 Databases: From Novice to Professional (Beginning: From Novice to Professional).

1. Almost every book with ASP.NET 2.0 in the title will tell you something about the Grid View, Detail View, Form View, SQLDatasource and the SQL 'Select' statement; this one will too. While the other books provide a rudimentary overview of these topics then move on, "Begining ASP.NET 2.0 Databases: From Novice to Professional" takes you way beyond the SQLDatasource and the 'Select' statement, delving deep into ADO.NET.
   
   Just as bread & butter go together ASP.NET and databases go together; and there is a lot more to the database side of the equation than is brought out in most ASP.NET books, which tend to limit themselves to the use of the controls, getting into databases only enough to have something to show in the controls. with this book it is the other way around; the reason for the controls is to display and maninpulate data in a database, and there are several ways to access and manipulate databases with ADO.NET besides the SQLDatasource. Along the way you will learn to use the controls with all the different data access formats and how to use the controls and their events to manipulate the data, which is what it's really all about.
   
   If DataReader, Command Object, DataSet, OLEDBDatasource and ODBCDatasource are not familiar terms to you, and you want to develop ASP.NET web sites you need this book. If you don't know when not to use the SQLDatasource (there are some definite situations when it won't work), or don't know how to create a server side data cache and why you would want to, you need this book.
   
   The book is easy to read and has numerous small exercises titled "Try It Out", after each exercise is a "How It Works" section where the code in the previous exercise is explained, line by line in most cases. Not only does Damien take you through DataReader, Datasets and Commands he also covers stored procedures, which you will want to use rather than queries in code shown in most of the other books.
   
   While the book primarily uses SQL Server 2005, MYSQL 5.0 is also covered at the same time, everything from installing and configuring to using with stored procedures, parameters and transactions.
   
   If you want to build ASP.NET web sites you will work with databases, if you are not intimately familiar with ADO.NET this book should be on your bookshelf readily available.



2. I really liked this book because it shows step-by-step how to do things and then has a "How does it work?" section. Great book! Well written and seems quite comprehensive.



3. This book does a good job explaining how to work with databases. The one thing I didn't realize is the only language used for examples is C#. It would be nice if VB examples were also included.



4. I bought this book knowing a good bit about regular ASP and how to communicate with databases, hoping to learn how to do the same thing with ASP.NET. I was not disappointed. The book walks you through step-by-step in creating database connections, command objects, stored procedures, etc... It doesn't dwell too long on topics that it shouldn't be covering (like database design, and web site design). The instructions within the book identify software that is free, so there are no unpleasant surprises. This book will be a great reference and has really helped me make the jump from ASP to ASP.NET.

5 comments about VBScript Programmer's Reference.

1. The 2nd Edition of the VBScript Programmer's Reference is a total rewrite of the first edition. Unfortunately, a lot of people are confused because both the first and second editions are for sale, and it can be hard to tell which one you are buying. Do not buy the old first edition! The new second edition is a much better book. I am a co-author of both editions, so I can say that with confidence.
   
   Please check the page you are on and make sure you are purchasing the Second Edition. You can identify the Second Edition because the cover has three faces on it, and because there are only three authors, not a dozen. The Second Edition of the VBScript Programmer's Reference is the best VBScript book available. You won't be disappointed!



2. This is an outstanding book. At first I was confused by some of the older reviews, until I realized that Amazon is still selling the old 1st edition, and many folks are buying that one instead of the newer, much better Second Edition.
   
   Be sure you're buying the Second Edition! That book's ISBN is 0764559931. It's the one with the picture of three authors on the cover.



3. I bought this book, as I wanted to write some simple VBScripts to help automating some laborious manual process for my job. This book is so easy to browse through and as I already have some knowledge of VB Programming and so I can easily browse through the chapters. Even for a beginner this is a good book to start with. I could start writing the scripts I wanted for my job and I like this book so far.



4. I owned the first edition of this book, and although somewhat confusing, I was able to learn VBScript from it with some time and patience. Thus, I just expected the second edition to be an update of the first. I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the second edition had been greatly improved. There are clearer and more frequent examples, the text is an easier read, and there are frequent and illuminating illustrations.
   
   Chapter 1 covers the basics of VBScript and is also a crash course in programming basics, since the authors realize that nonprogrammers such as network administrators and web designers might need to work with VBScript. Chapter 2 talks specifically about what VBScript can and cannot do, and points out that VBScript is part of a bigger programming world - that of Visual Basic. It points out what can be done with VBScript in the world of both client-side and server-side web scripting. The next seven chapters are a detailed tutorial on all aspects of the VBScript language - data types, variables and procedures, flow control, error handling, objects, classes, and regular expressions.
   
   The application section of the book begins in Chapter 10 with client-side web scripting by showing how Internet Explorer and VBScript can be combined on the client-side to create interesting HTML pages for website visitors. The book goes as far as introducing scriptlets, behaviors, and HTML components. However, since these subjects are broad and deep the book focuses on small examples and covers only the major techniques. Internet Explorer does not allow a script to interact with the local computer unless the user explicitly sets these permissions, and by doing so, enables enormous security risks. Thus, Windows Script Host is discussed next with illustrations as to how it gives VBScript more power without the security risks. The authors show how Windows Script Host is used to provide Windows platforms with a powerful scripting platform that can be accessed from the Windows GUI and the command prompt. Next, the book explains Windows Script Components, which are XML-based files that contain script code. Within these files you can use any of several scripting languages, including VBScript. The script components are interpreted at runtime, so that they appear as compiled COM components to the calling application.
   
   The next major topic covered is remote scripting, which makes Web applications more closely resemble client/server applications developed in high level languages such as C++. Thus, remote scripting enables a client page to execute a method on an ASP page without navigating away from the current page. Server-side web scripting is the final major topic covered, showing how your applications can become very powerful and reusable modules within the enterprise. To this end, the chapter first discusses the HTTP protocol, followed by a tutorial on Active Server Pages.
   
   In summary, I highly recommend this book both as a reference and a tutorial for the VBScript language as well as a practical guide on its application.



5. I've been using this as my "go to" source for all things VBScript since the 1st edition came out - it is clear, well organized, and concise. Unlike other VBScript books (of which I have the misfortune to own several), it is focused on VBScript as a programming language. When I can pack only one source book to take with me, this is the one!

5 comments about Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date (Up-To-Date).

1. I totaly disliked the book format and the continuous updates approach. When I paid for this book nobody mentioned such a format. In fact, I would be more willing to wait until the final version was out, if I knew about it. I feel that either O'Reilly or the authors took an initiative with my money without asking me about it. I would suggest you to wait until the final version of the book comes out.



2. The book seemed to cover the general concepts of Silverlight 2.0 and its new features (.NET CLR, new controls, etc). I would have liked to see more code examples, opposed to 'this is what Silverlight 2 is'
   
   If you know nothing about Silverlight 2 and played with Silverlight 1, it might be a good book for you. If you're more on the 'get your hands dirty' kind of person, then this book is a poor choice.



3. Overall the book was good even though most of the material could easily be found on MSDN or the Silverlight sites, however, I still prefer having it in a book that I can put stickies in and write on. I had hoped it would be more of a reference book like the Nutshell books, maybe they will dedicate a substantial portion of the blank pages to that (hmmm, no reason someone other then the author couldn't write a quick reference and share it on the internet to be inserted into the book). The blank pages are of course the Up-to-date pages that you print updates to. I like the idea except it looks like it's a push model where they email you the link to download the updates, what if your email address changes? Another thing that needs changed is the studs that hold the binding together don't allow you to lay the book open, a notebook ring binder would have been nicer.



4. This book is a total waste of time and money if you have done anything with Silverlight 1.0. Most of the content is about basics or JavaScript which is very likely NOT the reason why you are interested in Silverlight 2.0. Half of the book constists of blank pages ;-((



5. I don't think there's any pretense made about this book not being an introductory book, and as such, I think it does a great job from the ground up.
   
   The add-in sections idea is a clever concept for a technology that's not fully baked yet. How do you get material out the to people clamoring for it on something that is still in beta release?
   
   In my opinion, there's never too much introductory material because everyone learns different ways. There will be plenty of advanced books to go around I'm sure, as soon as Silverlight 2 is fully released. Until then, we're all playing a game of watching and waiting.
   
   What better way to wait than to have something on-target now that will also be on-target later with the pages you either print or purchase and insert yourself.
   
   What I do -- pull out the sections you're reading to take with you to avoid dragging a large book around -- I like it!
   
   -Dave