5 comments about Pro InfoPath 2007 (Expert's Voice).

1. This book is just great. Good coverage in around 300 pages. I totally dislike huge development books that just harp around. This book covers all the necessary topics with examples... A++++++++++++++++ for Philo Janus



2. This tiny book, in comparison with other technical manuals, is a fantastic way to get up to speed with InfoPath in a very short time. I'd never had the opportunity to work with InfoPath before, until my company decided to implement MOSS 2007 with InfoPath Forms services. I bought this book and in a few short days we were churning out InfoPath business solutions.
   This book is an easy weekend read and then you are ready to go!



3. Microsoft writes a lot of sales hype about how terrific a product is but rarely explains what a product can and cant do. After days of asking I have yet to find out what Infopath exactly does and what it is capable of. We have documents in our office. It would be a blessing if people could go to our website fill out a form and then email the data to us so that we could then merge that data into a word document. Simply recieve an email in outlook after a client has input data on our website and then merge the data into word.
   
   It looks as if Infopath might do that function but most people have never even heard of the product although it has existed since 2003.
   
   After days on the internet I have yet to discover if this product can do that or exactly what product could do that. Infopath is not a popular product because of just that reason it is a mystery full of mis-information. Why is it we have to buy a book or buy a product to determine whether or not we need it??? I wish that the author (and Micro soft) would explain exactly what Infopath does and what we would be taught. I wont buy the product or read the book if you cant determine what I am about to learn, what it offers or why I need it.



4. There are all too many technical books that are heavy on theory and light on "how to", or start out in an introductory fashion and then suddenly venture into highly technical territory without including the necessary background information needed to understand the content.
   
   In "Pro InfoPath 2007", Philo Janus neatly avoids these pitfalls. Since he's writing about a product with whom most readers may not be familiar, he first answers the vital question, "What IS InfoPath?" with a comprehensive introduction to the product. Then Janus carefully outlines the capabilities of InfoPath and walks the reader through the steps necessary to create InfoPath forms in all kinds of environments; how to meet business needs in a myriad of situations; and most importantly, includes possible issues and limitations that one might encounter when using InfoPath and provides the necessary workarounds.
   
   My own company has InfoPath installed but despite an enterprise-wide need for exactly what InfoPath does, is resistant to its use because of a fundamental lack of understanding of the software and how to best deploy it. A read of this book would convince them that they have a good product sitting on the shelf that would meet their needs and interface neatly with Sharepoint and other applications already in use.
   
   Thumbs up to Philo Janus for a job well done.



5. I wanted to learn InfoPath, I am having to learn alot about computer languages and formats. I thought this would help, yeah, no so much.

5 comments about Introducing ZBrush.

1. This book really helped to open me up to all that ZBrush has to offer. Iv'e been working in motion graphics, and now gaming for the last few years, and really only came into contact with ZBrush as a sort of
   appendage to Maya. Not really realizing how much it stood on it's own two feet. I really didn't bother to learn much past what it could do for my Maya models, so I'm really glad I picked up this book. Because I only knew a very narrow vision of Zbrush, it was interesting and informative right from the get go. The first tutorial alone touching on aspects I hadn't ever dealt with. I must asume it would be great for beginners as well, as the tutorial are very detailed, and progressively build on each other. Anyhow, it's a great investment for someone who wants to learn ZBrush, and has never used it. Or for someone who uses it as a "plug in", but has never really gotten to know it. It's also worth the price just to get your hands on the great harryhausen Medusa head that's on the DVD. Oh, that's another thing, the DVD is more then a bunch of Zbrush scenes saved at various stages. There are movie files that actually show the sculpting process, macros that play back within ZBrush, as well as a trial version of Zbrush.



2. I've been wanting to get into Zbrush for a very long time. I even downloaded the trial version and surfed the web for tutorials. However, the lack of results were frustrating. Not only this book has helped me with the learning curve but also opened my eyes to zbrush REAL potential... it's very exciting. Now I can enjoy this wonderful piece of software.



3. This is a solid book for anyone using Zbrush. I'm an intermediate user mainly bringing in models from another program and exporting them back out. I've rarely had a chance to play with the 2.5D or a lot of Zbrush's little nuances. Eric has written a book that gets down to the basics is and simple to understand. It's setup in a linear fashion but is still very easy to look up what you are having trouble with and get right to the info you want. I've found that it's a much better source than looking for help or using the Zbrush help. This book is essential for beginners. Straight forward, easy to read and well worth the money no matter what skill level you are with Zbrush, Introducing Zbrush is a worthy choice.



4. First of all this book is so boringly non-visual. Black and White except for the small insert in the middle. The projects need a better step-by-step approach. I found myself having to reread the wordy steps most of the time to find the "key" word I was missing to complete a step. It didn't help that the first tutorial was so incredible boaring and goes on for 139 pages. By the time it was over I lost most interest in continuing. Shorter projects to the point please. YAWN...wake me when this is over. It was nice to have something written down for a change but that was its only benefit for me. I am looking for a book to tell me where things area and what they do period. A Zbrush manual needs to happen.



5. This book is a great reference book even for someone that is familiar to Z brush. There are so many features in the program that his book goes into detail describing. The step by step tutorials will help you get started with Z brush. It also touches on the 2D capabilities of the program, something that is often over looked.

5 comments about Smart and Gets Things Done: Joel Spolsky's Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent.

1. As ever, Joel Spolsky has good insight into software engineering and this book for technical talent-finding continues that trend. Many ideas are applicable for anyone seeking technical hiring advice and ideas but some are more applicable to certain domains. This caveat, however, does not diminish the value of the book.



2. The book is a quick read at 169 small pages and engaging. The book meets its intended goal of finding the best rock star technical talent for product development. He acknowledges that rock stars are not needed for many types of development (page 16).
   
   Knowing that he was concentrating on rock stars, I bought the book anyway, looking for tips that I translate to my world where my customers are late adopters of technology and development is usually mixed in with O&M.
   
   I did find some tips. Some just confirmed what I already believed to be true. The most useful chapters for me were Chapter 4 - Sorting Resumes (3 of my 6 dog-eared pages are in this chapter), and Chapter 7 - Fixing Suboptimal Teams.



3. Overall I think the book is worth the read but I feel that the author does take some things a bit too far (pick interviewees up in a limo!?). The book has enough good points to outweigh the bad. Nice short read that can be read in a day and worth the $10.



4. When I got this book, I was quite surprised how small it is. But there is a lot of useful information in it and it's fun to read (as You can expect from Joel). It's well worth its 12 bucks. I wish more people, who are hiring or managing people, would read this book and follow at least some of ideas in it.
   
   It was fun to find out that Joel mentions Estonia (on page 75), a little beautiful country in Eastern Europe, where I'm living.



5. Confession: I'm a long time fan of Joel Spolsky and his writing, and this book is no exception.
   
   In usual Joel style, it's a very easy, witty and insightful read. He tell you to set the hiring bar high and shows some simple ways of separating the potentially high performing from those less capable.
   
   Contents:
   - Hitting the High Notes
   - Finding Great Developers
   - A Field Guide to Developers
   - Sorting Resumes
   - The Phone Screen
   - The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing
   - Fixing Suboptimal Teams
   - The Joel Test
   
   This book can easily be related to all recruitment and not just those in the technical fields.
   
   In an age where finding talented people is becoming increasingly difficult, this book is a certain must read.

5 comments about Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Flash CS3 Professional in 24 Hours (Sams Teach Yourself).

1. I e-mailed Phillip Kerman after reading his Sam's Flash 8 Professional book, and he wrote back and answered me right away. Afterwards, I went away from Flash to study Maya, and did not read Flash books anymore. After abandoning Maya (Did I say what a sucky business the movie business is? Not to mention the cost of keeping up with the hardware and software requirements as a lowly student before you even get to your first paying job - better have a rich uncle!), I am back at it with a vengeance, this time with a new version of Flash and ActionScript to learn, and with Phillip Kerman's Flash CS3 book planted firmly by my side.
   
   
   It would be great if all computer books were situational. For example, "I'm trying to do this and that, here's what I've done so far, and where I'm getting stuck. Now what?" Well, gee, we've anticipated this exact problem, and the answer is printed right there on page 187 - that exact problem you're having! Would that it be so, but as far as I know, they are not currently printing books on psychic paper as of yet.
   
   
   The next best thing? Really good examples of exercises and code that are useful, and not just learning for the sake of learning pedagogery, but something really practical. I mean, it might be nice to know how to capture an integer in ActionScript, return it to a parameter, and then spit it out in a trace statement, but how's that gonna help me show off my skills to a potential employer? Employers aren't impressed with manipulating integers as a rule.
   
   
   After I'd had enough of the online training, and read enough of the other Flash CS3 books, I decided to create my first major Flash project. I had problems making a link from one of my buttons, and also testing my pages on my hard drive before uploading them. Not only does Phillip's book come to the rescue solving these basic problems, but it is also so easy to look up direct solutions using the book's index.
   
   
   Also, his exercises are small, self-contained, easy ones to complete. As I began working on my Flash project and things started not to work, I went back to the approach of just getting one thing at a time right (as he shows in his book), and then to try integrating it into the larger project. It is much easier and less frustrating to get one thing to work properly, than to have to watch an entire Flash movie each time through just to see if last little part you added works or not. And if it doesn't, then what? Chunkify it, my friends, chunkify it! Put it into small chunks and get them to work right away. Worry about integrating them all later, when you know more about what you're doing.
   
   
   Of the other major Flash CS3 books on the market, and there really aren't that many right now (Classroom in a Book, Flash CS3 Professional on Demand, and the two Visual Quickstart Guide titles) I find Phillip Kerman's book the hands-down winner, based purely on his practical approach.
   
   
   Of course, it would be great to have an accomplished Flash teacher sitting there next to you while you work, but Phillip has taken the time to carefully explain how each thing works, and it is obvious that he has tested these exercises to make sure they work before publishing his book, or even sat down newbies (I strongly suspect) at the computer to go through them first to see if a total novice can get it. With other books, you get the feeling the authors are working soley out of their heads, and haven't really taken the time to show their stuff to others first to get the kind of feedback you need to really make your technical writing understandable by the general public.
   
   
   Too many computer books have exercises that don't even work, or have been explained in a way that assumes prior knowledge of the program. Happily, Phillip's book does not suffer from these pitfalls. It's called doing your job as an author. My job as a reader, then, is to say thank you, and support this fine work, and encourage others to check him out.



2. This is a great book for beginnings but it was too easy for me. I am terrible at buying books.
   
   I was looking for a book that could make actionscript comprehensible to designers who have some technical abilities beyond design - especially a book that could explain or deconstruct websites that use scrolling windows, draggable windows transition in one flash section AFTER another sections transitions out, implementing preloaders in the loading process or unloading process, listeners, flare effects(which I love), etc.,
   
   I really wish someone would write a book around a relatively sophisticated website and SLOWLY build up the prerequisite concepts necessary to understand the code behind the website.
   
   All the best,
   G.L.



3. This is a great book, although a couple of the ActionScript codes did not work the way that he wrote them, Flash was able to get me through. It is easy to follow, and an easy study. I am sure that there will be more that I get later to flesh out anything that I can't figure out on my own, but on a whole when you finish this book, you will be very comfortable with Flash CS3.



4. I'm a programmer who was tasked with integrating a flash UI in to our system. Knowing absolutely nothing about flash, I picked this book up based on the reviews here, and I wasn't disappointed. I went from zero to hero, in less than the allotted 24 hours :) Though the author really does start from the basics, the exercises are well though out and the steps were correct (unlike the abysmal tutorials that Flash ships with!) He also goes in to good detail about the theory of what you're doing, which was nice. For example, he has a good treatise on animation, and an excellent description of how the shape tweening mechanics actually work. I definitely recommend this book if you're completely new to flash and need to get up to speed pretty quickly.



5. Starting off with Flash CS3, I watched all the video tutorials available freely from Adobe. These are quite good, but they also tend to assume you already know Flash- either from a previous version or from the help tutorials (which aren't so hot). In most cases, they already have everything set up and ready to go, and you have no idea how they even got to the starting point. Additionally, the coverage of the basic functionality of the stage, objects, and instances is very brief and not too thorough. The biggest problem with these tutorials is that it's very cumbersome to follow along with them without hitting the pause button every 10 seconds, since the folks doing them obviously are experts with the Flash interface and just plow through their examples at breakneck speed.
   
   This Sam's book does a really good job of filling in those important parts, and does it in a step-by-step approach that lets you go at your own pace. It assumes absolutely NO prior knowledge of ActionScript or Flash, so those coming in cold will have no problems. Each chapter (or 'hour') is well-written and can be taken stand-alone if the reader is already familiar with some topics. Each exercise walks you through from the very beginning, and most don't depend on a previous one. The coverage is quite basic- by the end, you'll be able to do such things as import video, make simple interactive movies, do basic scripting and animation, and deploy it to a website. For more advanced things, you'll need other resources (of which there are- quite literally- tons of books available) but after reading this you'll have a very solid foundation to build from. From there you can do simple projects and can decide what (if anything) you would care to learn more about.
   
   In my opinion, the sections on ActionScript are explained quite well, though admittedly I'm a very experienced programmer that had no problems understanding the syntax. Those who have no programming experience might find it a bit tougher; for those that want to learn this and care a great deal about it, there are whole books dedicated just to learning ActionScript (e.g. Learning ActionScript 3.0 by Shupe and Rosser). The only other possible complaint I could foresee about this text is that some of the chapters will take you substantially more than an hour to finish, unless you're either already familiar with Flash or are a really fast reader.

5 comments about The Art of Agile Development.

1. We began using scrum and have had significant success with it alone. Doing additional research we've found that eXtreme Programming (XP) would complement our efforts and improve our development practices. I picked up this book and started reading it the first moment I had it in my hands, since then I've not been able to put it down.
   The reading is engrossing, empowering and exciting. This is one of the best technical books I've ever read.
   This book and others have convinced me that the agile methodologies are the only way to develop software and the future will only bring enhancements to both Scrum and XP.
   I strongly recommend this as required reading for anyone that develops software for a living in any environment. I also recommend this book to anyone involved in software development from the business perspective as it describes how agile practices benefit and bring value to businesses and helps understand how software development does not have to be and obscure trait that cannot be measured, controlled or be consistent.
   The structure the author has chosen for the book is very useful and practical. It starts with a detailed explanation of the subject and gives excellent examples where appropriate; it then goes through a FAQ sections answering common questions about the described subject; it also includes situations to avoid and problems that could be applicable.
   XP practices rely on each other in subtle ways and the author does a wonderful job of relating each one as the reading progresses through the use of small "ally" boxes on the outer sides of the pages.
   
   I could go on for a while longer, but the conclusion would be the same:
   Buy the book, read it, use it to implement agile practices and return to it frequently.



2. After reaching 100 pages I felt really disappointed. I was looking something more similar to "Beautiful code" but about management. I have found a book without facts and measures but "tips". I think that we [developers, project managers and other animals] should try to move our profession towards a scientific discipline (i.e. hypothesis-measure pairs).
   
   I was looking for something either like "Mythical man-month"/"Peopleware" or the IEEE articles "voice of evidence". I didn't found any of those.
   
   I do not need any tips but real evidence about what development strategies are good/bad and in which conditions. Real data please.



3. This book is very well written and gives a great description of many different types of Agile practices. Although the book centers around XP, I think many of the techniques and practices could be brought over to any of the different Agile disciplines. The book also goes into the all important steps of selling agile practices to those with the money: managers, directors, stake holders, and the customers. This is a very important step! The book is also nice in that it doesn't necessarily have to be read in chapter order. If you need some help on something, it's easy to pick up the details by just going straight to that section - no need to read everything before it to get caught up. All the information in the book can be applied directly. Many of the concerns related to starting up Agile development in a shop are covered very well.



4. In my opinion, this is the best book for someone starting to implement XP. Before this book, other two books on XP practice were "XP applied" and "XP installed".
   Book by James Shore and Shane Warden provides more broad coverage, then previous books, and contains a lot of good advice, what to do, what not do, and how to do what should be done, while going to the path of Agility.
   
   Presentation is based on the XP, but book also shows a more wide perspective, and contains comparison with SCRUM
   
   What I really like in the book
   - Pragmatic approach to XP - In this book, you will not see approach XP as a holy grail - do it either this way, or you are wrong. Instead, authors expand the original definition of the XP from XP Explained by the practices, which they found to work well in real world
   - Its practical focus - It contains a lot of the practical tips (for example, how to implement continuous integration successfully, how to do test-driven development, what is the real meaning of the user stories etc..)
   - Balanced presentation - for each practice there is Q&A section, contraindications and alternative practices.
   - Live style - book is written in clear and engaging language
   
   Quality of book is very high, and I would recommend it to my friends as a best book to read on working in agile/XP style



5. I have about a dozen books on Agile and Lean development and this rapidly became my favorite.
   
   Why: It's advice at the level I can use. Clear solid explanation and methods to understand what to do, what not to do, and most important, why.
   
   It's just incredibly easy to read and use.
   
   I've already bought 2 more copies to share with friends!

5 comments about Programming WPF.

1. As a software developer I've written tons of production-level code for many companies including Rockwell Automation, Compuware, MS.
   And I found this book to be too shallow for a technical person like me.
   
   [One can save money by simply downloading WPF SDK samples and learning them]
   
   Can one design and implement a better than WPF framework after reading this book? Obviously not!
   
   No wonder, the authors never developed significant portions of any known product/framework!
   
   Also, my e-mail exchange with C. Sells indicates that he himself doesn't really understand WPF in depth.
   (BTW, as a MS employee he has luxury of having access to WPF source code and symbols - he obviously didn't bother to do so)
   
   Just a few examples:
   -- Managed/Unmanaged transition, e.g. the MIL stuff
   -- Lack of understanding the WPF control model
   -- Lack of understanding the WPF text model
   -- Just like in any other *shallow WPF book* [are there deep WPF books out there?] authors make no effort to scrutinize the existing framework (WPF). [Which is definitely far from being clean and nice]
   -- WPF "GDI-free" claims are nonsense since WPF uses User32 and User32 and Gdi32 libs are tightly coupled.



2. The biggest strength of this book is that it focus on using WPF programatically, not just laying out XAML. This is extremely useful if you are writing an application for 3D data visualization or a database driven application. You get to learn to create event handlers, generate meshes... all programmatically. I also believe that this book is great, not just as a learning tool, but as a reference guide. It is the most comprehensive book on the subject and a must for the aspiring WPF developer.
   
   If you just want to focus on XAML, however, I will have to recommend "Windows Presentation Foundation Unleashed" by Adam Nathan.



3. I say to ignore those reviews because they do not refer to this book. This is the second edition published August 28, 2007 with 863 pages. Those reviews are based off of the first edition published nearly two years before (September 12, 2005) and with only 447 pages.
   
   Using Amazon's 'Search inside this book' takes you to the 2005 edition also. That shows only 10 chapters while this edition has 17. Most of the negative comments from the 2 and 3 star reviewers seem to have been resolved.



4. This book is the most in depth resource into WPF i have seen. And not just that, it gets to the good stuff that you'll actually use in your code and not just filler or lists of properties that you can get from intelisense. The examples are extremely useful.
   
   The other benefit of this book is that it doesn't just tell you how to do things, but why. This is incredibly helpful in finding the best solution to your specific problem.
   
   Thanks guys! great book!
   Ralph



5. I bought the first edition of this book called Programming Windows Presentation Foundation (AKA Avalon) at the PDC in 2005 and read it completely on the plane home.
   
   When I heard the second edition was released I didn't think much would have changed, but this is even better than the first edition. It's twice as big and covers all major (and not so major) topics in WPF (inc. an introduction to 3D and Silverlight).
   
   I think this book will proof to be for WPF what Programming Windows, Fifth Edition is for WIN32 programming.

5 comments about Take Back Your Life!: Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to Get Organized and Stay Organized.

1. I was a disorganized mess. My desk was piles and piles of clutter and things (important, time sensitive materials) got lost! It took me about a good year to get where I am now. I started with Michael Linenberger's Total Workday Control. Not a good place to start so I tried David Allen's book 'Getting Things Done'. It was a great start and gave me foundation. I then moved on to Sally McGhee's book Take Back Your Life! for Outlook 2003. Awesome! That helped me integrate everything into my real world computer life. Then I went back and reread Michael Linenberger's Total Workday Control, which now made a lot more sense and I used some of his ideas to create a 'custom' system for myself.
   Finally, I bought this updated book of Sally McGhee's because I am using Outlook 2007 now. The material is basically the same, but tuned for Outlook 2007.
   
   Now some people claim this book is a rip off of David Allen's book or that these books are all the same or they are boring. YES! and NO!
   
   What you have to realize is that there are several ways of getting things done. All roads lead to Rome. I prefer the Sally McGhee method because it does not depend upon a plugin or extra software. It works with Outlook the way it is when you buy it and her methods translate over to my desk at home and work and since I am on the road...in my car. YES, the material is dry at times but so is work! lol
   
   David Allen offers custom software as an add in for Outlook 2003 and 2007 that is Windows XP and Vista compatible and his extra software will cost you an EXTRA $70 folks! This could be very nice and efficient for some people. yet, there is a downside...the plug in only works with Outlook. If you use another email client, you have nothing. Another downside, you are now dependent upon that software instead of doing it yourself. If he stops making that software or it causes troubles and you have to remove it, you are now back to square 1 with no method of organizing. In other words, David Allen caught the fish for you, but McGhee wants to teach you to catch the fish yourself.
   
   So, that is why I like McGhee's method. Yes, she basis it on Outlook but since there is no extra custom software involved to integrate into Outlook, you can translate the system to other mail clients. I also run Linux and I can use her methods in Evolution, Thunderbird, Kontact, etc. Also, it is NOT a 'blatant copy' of David Allen. They worked together and she openly discusses, reveals and discloses that info. She even quotes Mr. Allen in her book.
   
   If you have Take Back Your Life! for Outlook 2003 and have been using it and are skilled in her methodology, you can make the transition to Outlook 2007 on your own probably. If you are new to this, and have Outlook 2007, this is a definite buy. Here on Amazon, it is only $17! What a deal! I bought a current copy for myself and to help others in my family.
   
   She will probably come out with a SPECIAL EDITION like she did with her previous book that will include a CD, some pull out charts, etc. I would say, do not wait. Buy this book and get organized. I would also recommend the other books I have listed in my review too. I don't think just 1 book is enough! And this will take effort on your part. It took me a solid year to get really good. I fell off the wagon, got frustrated, reread the book, tweaked, learned, quit, failed, tried again, screwed up but eventually succeeded. I doubt many of you will get it going well in your first month...so don't quit! Keep trying and it will happen!



2. A friend suggested that I buy Take back your Life (Microsoft), she thought I needed it.
   To my surprise, this book isn't just ideas and a "what worked for me" book.
   The book uses MS Outlook to really sort out and determine priorities, exactly what I needed.
   I recommend this book to anyone who gets tons of emails and is constantly interrupted during the work day. It gives you ideas on how to sort out the important from the trivial. You'll find that there really is time to get it done if you have the right priorities



3. This looks like a great idea to assist busy people to maximize their use of MS Office 2007. However, it does take time to get it organized and I have not completed that yet - too busy.



4. i was looking for a "how to" and tip book. This is a philosophical rambling about how one should look at getting organized. If i could return it, I would.



5. Are you an email junkie too? This book and system will help you to resolve those "instant replies" and get you back organized in your life.
   I come from a highly technical background I used to support Outlook and email systems for years and I was the "king" of instant email replies. I could produce an answer in usually seconds. What I did not realize was that doing that instant reply was pulling me away from focusing on goals and other important areas of life. I remember being at a company meeting when smart phones first came out, I had difficulty in hearing what was being said because there were people doing emails via their little smart phones and not paying attention to the important information being delivered.
   The McGhee Productivity System showed me that you focus your goals daily and not on your emails. I remember doing emails during dinners with friends, later at night, and early in the morning. I found I was doing emails at all hours, and not focusing on my goals. I had personal goals for nearly 8 years in my last job, yet never touched a one since I was only focused on work goals and email.
   Now, my life is right on target. I shut off my smart phone from checking email after hours; I removed the notice "ghost flags" that shows up while I am working on other projects. I have now been hitting every one of my personal goals on a weekly basis and I have now gone back to college while training for a 1/2 Marathon. I now have each goal being worked on during each week and making advancements on each personal goal, at the same time, I am also hitting each of my business goals too.
   "Take Back Your Life", this book has certainly helped me do exactly that. I strongly recommend this wonderful book.

5 comments about Learning jQuery: Better Interaction Design and Web Development with Simple JavaScript Techniques.

1. Learning jQuery: Better Interaction Design and Web Development with Simple JavaScript Techniques is a wonderful introduction to JQuery framework. The book offers many informative code samples and extremely helpful tutorials about how to make JQuery work for you and how to deal with common issues as well as not so common issues such as; acquiring information with the use of AJAX and manipulating tubular data. From the first page it is easy to see that this book is unlike any other.
   
   This book will aid in taking away some of that fretfully complicated mess and help the reader get a sound start with JavaScript code, serving to reveal techniques that will make the reader's code much richer as well as much more efficient.
   
   Unlike many in of it's like this book is designed more for the jQuery beginner. All that the reader need be equipped with is a general knowledge of HTML, CSS, and a firm understanding of the syntax of JavaScript, absolutely no jQuery or framework experience is needed to understand what is being expressed in the book, or to benefit from the information that is brought to light within its pages. That said I must also stress that the book can still be immensely enlightening to those with a great deal more experience with jQuery, it can teach is old pros new and more efficient techniques.
   
   The information provided in this particular book is concise, clear, and essentially easy to understand. Important information is highlighted to ensure that it grabs the reader's attention and the same strategy is used with helpful tips. The code sample throughout the chapters are formatted well and broken down for easier reading, there are also addition sections of code bolstered. Perhaps one of the most useful as well as unique aspects of learning jQuery is the live examples provided on web sites.
   
   I have found that these examples give the reader a better understanding for what the codes really do. The example alone are worth the books weight in gold, they are very high quality and can be applied to various real situations. The examples are also accompanied with screenshots that enrich the information.



2. very complete overview of the topic with well layed out examples. The reference book is a better long term value.



3. I call this the second javascript book that you will ever need because you will first need some background and understanding in javascript such as from: Simply JavaScript. However, once you begin working with Javascript you'll find yourself wishing for an easier way to accomplish numerous tedious tasks. The solution is jQuery an open source javascript library that is supported by a sharp team of developers. Jquery uses an OOPS approach to many common tasks and provides a framework to accomplish in 1 or 2 lines of code what would take dozens using javascript alone.
   
   Although Jquery is pretty straightforward the online forums and documentation aren't always clear and directions for someone starting out in Jquery aren't the best. That is why I bought this book and it has been an incredible help to me by giving me a structured, ordered and organized explanation of what Jquery can do. You'll find yourself savings plenty of time with it and expand your javascript capabilities exponentially.



4. This book is great. It teaches jQuery very effectively and in a manner that all people can understand. I highly recommend it to anyone needing/wanting to learn jQuery.



5. I've used JavaScript for 9 years and have hated the way it needs to be developed differently for different browsers. And there are the little gotchas that take way too long to run down in forums. Enter jQuery.
   
   The jQuery JavaScript library takes the pain out of using JavaScript. It handles the browsers and leaves us free to simply add functionality to websites in a logical and consistent way. Learning jQuery teaches jQuery in a best practices manner without preaching and makes adding interactivity to sites reasonable. I don't have to throw in the towel on JavaScript and resort to page the reloads that a server side solution would demand.
   
   I can't imagine a better introduction to jQuery. Learning jQuery is well thought out and paced. Concepts are presented in increasing complexity with plenty of excellent examples. Working through this book gave me a solid foundation in jQuery and the confidence to experiment with my own needs. Few programming books are so well written. The example code is high quality, too with few typos or errors.

5 comments about Absolute Beginner's Guide to Computer Basics (4th Edition) (Absolute Beginner's Guide).

1. I have been using a computer for many years and still did not understand all the task/programs I could have been using. This book has been extremely helpful working as a primer explaining everything very clearly and is still up to date with the Windows Vista. I would highly recommend this book.



2. This a great book for aquainting yourself with your computer. If you are new to the computer world as I was you will find this book very helpful in taking control of your computer instead of it controlling you. It covers both versions of Windows: XP & Vista. I would recommend it to anyone just starting out. I think it would be safe to say it could save you a lot of time in the longrun and maybe keep you from pulling your hair out!



3. The book lives up to its reputation as being a beginners guide. Good resource for those now getting into computers. And, it also has some good steps for Vista too.



4. Like most people,i avoided the 21st century technology by continuly saying to myself it was not something i needed.I finally took the plunge,a friend set up my Toshiba A2125 and found the"Absolute beginners guide on your web page.It,s format coinsides with my 73 year old mindset.Congradulations Michael Miller



5. Good book for beginner, if you are just learning get this book.There are things in this book that took me years to learn by trial and error unfortunaely for me I only learned a couple of new things, but it did give me some certainty in what I did know. However Im now looking for a intermediate book which is what I really needed.

5 comments about Joel on Software: And on Diverse and Occasionally Related Matters That Will Prove of Interest to Software Developers, Designers, and Managers, and to Those Who, Whether by Good Fortune or Ill Luck, Work with Them in Some Capacity.

1. Though you probably won't agree with everything Joel says about the development and use of software in the technology realm, he presents his viewpoints in a way that will make you think through your argument and come out on the other side with a more thorough understanding on the subject and its role in business.
   
   He presents multiple delicious morsels of knowledge that stem from his professional experience (both good and bad) that make you say "well, duh!! That makes sense." A very easy and enjoyable read.



2. In this book, Mr. Spolsky makes dozens of apt, lucid observations and suggestions about the state of the industry and the practice of software development as it applies to developers, managers and CEOs alike. Don't be discouraged by his occasionally flippant treatment of some issues--whether you agree with him or not, it would be downright foolish to do anything but devour the veritable fountain of knowledge contained within this book. Mr. Spolsky clearly shows an honest and empathetic concern for the health of the software industry and ALL of the people involved in its enrichment.



3. I bought this book for my husband who mostly sits 24-7 coding and even if he sleeps then he dreams in code.
   
   This books is actually archive of Joel's messages (can i call it blog) on his website.
   
   Easy and sometimes funny to read, also technical but at least smth apart.
   
   Will buy other books from Joel also



4. Joel Spolsky's collected essays and blog entries mostly remain fresh enough even after several years (some go back to 2000 and 2001). Many of the good ideas he presents are still valid because they are still true and they remain challenges for many people and organizations today.
   
   The more dated parts relate more to specific technology, such as COM and early browser versions. That's usually ok, as the specific references serve more as hooks for making a point. Plus, agile methodologies have made significant progress since Spolsky published. He gets a few digs in against Extreme Programming. I was unfamiliar with his blog before this book, and one thing nice is that his insight and spunkiness make we want to sample his blog going forward.
   
   I especially agree with Spolsky on most of his "Joel's test", the need for modest specs (disagree on use of humor in specs), daily builds, fine-grained scheduling, the need to understand fundamentals of what's going on in your system, independent testers, scalability and understanding your market. That's a pretty good collection of topics.
   
   Sorry, but at this point the book made for a good read from the library, as opposed to a purchase.



5. Sometimes blunt, yet always pragmatic, Joel's writing is crisp and to the point. It should be required reading for IT managers and developers building software apps. The Joel Test has also become the de facto litmus test used by programmers to rate software organizations.