No comments about Silverlight 2 Visual Essentials (Firstpress).

5 comments about GIS for Web Developers: Adding 'Where' to Your Web Applications.

1. The book is a *solid primer* for understanding GIS data and its usage.
   
   It will walk you through vectors, projections, and rasters. You'll be introduced to spatial databases and OCG (with a focus on Open Source tools).
   
   This will get you going... places :)



2. Prior to reading this book, my experience with mapping technologies was limited to writing Google Maps applications and using its geocoder. I didn't even really understand what a geocoder was.
   
   Scott Davis provides a friendly, easy-going assist to learning the bizarre complexities and conventions associated with real mapping technologies. I was frankly dismayed at the state of the art, with its odd compromises and incomplete, conflicting tools. But Scott leads the reader through the maze quite effectively.
   
   If you're ready to move beyond simple markers and lines, this book shows the way to _real_ mapping applications.



3. We have a hard time as software engineers mastering our own concepts. Once we are asked to work in a non-trivial domain like geospatially-enabled environments, it is easy to get lost (pun intended). This book acts as a map to the world of maps. It shows you where you are; in this case, building web-based applications that need to visualize spatially-oriented data. It shows you where you can go without taking too many trips down unnecessary rabbit holes. In short, Scott walks masterly on the very fine line of theory and practice making it both useful and instructive.
   
   In addition to the informational content, the book is one of the more beautiful computer books I've seen recently. The decision to go with color plates for the images is key. In order to fully appreciate the power of visual contexts like this, you have to see the richness of the data.
   
   I worked on one of the first "whole Earth" environments 14 years ago and would have gone bananas for a book like this. The field has changed pretty dramatically since then with the emergence of both the Web and rich and complicated standards like those we are seeing from the OGC. This book lays enough foundation of the theory and catches you up to the new and sexy tools available to us now.
   
   We are not genetically-programmed to stare at words and tables. We are visual creatures and gain real insights when we can see relationships literally laid out in front of us.
   
   Do your customers and users a favor and add some "where" to your applications. Do yourself a favor and pick up this guide to help you along the way.



4. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) is one of the most important development technologies to be applied in the past few years. By using GIS concepts you can learn to apply geographic code to any and all applications easier and better than ever before. With 'GIS for Web Developers: Adding 'Where' to Your Web Applications' you can learn the ins and outs of how and why you will want to add a GIS presence to your application. With plenty of maps, code samples, and a look at the different GIS viewers and editors out there in the world today, this is a good book for any developer that wants to learn more about GISs and their relationship to GPSs.
   
   Good introduction to the technology.
   
   **** RECOMMENDED



5. I was not familiar with GIS system and I got this book to figure out how things work. The book turned out to be a great help for me. Since everything was very new to me I ended up spending a lot of time to learn about the PostGres database, it PostGIS extention and Geoserver. So do not take it as a complete walk through tutorial but it certainly great help when you get stock somewhere. Bear in mind that I am quiet computer savvy and familiar with linux, java and such. Overall, I recommend this book if you are a web developer that wants to deal with spatial data and his needs are beyond things that can be done simply on google Map, yahoo map and such.

5 comments about MCITP SQL Server 2005 Database Administration All-in-One Exam Guide (Exams 70-431, 70-443, & 70-444) (All-in-One).

1. This is the book I've been waiting for. Not only does the book have good explanations about many of the testable concepts, but the exercises have been great in showing me exactly how things work. As an example, I didn't really understand database mirroring, but the high availability strategies chapter included exercises where I was able to implement and configure a database mirror. After completing these exercises, I really understood database mirroring.



2. PREMISE: I am not yet over the obstacles (certification), I am just studying on this book, so I cannot say whether the book has helped me pass the exams or not.
   
   HOWEVER, judging from other certifications I achieved and the relative study books, this one will work, because it seems pretty comprehensive and detailed.
   
   It is a well-organized book, the pace is just right (and makes me think why one would want to read other books totaling 2000 pages or more to reach the same goal) and it gives tips and hints that I am sure will be valuable.
   
   The plus is that you can read it to learn about SQL Server 2005. It gives you a very good overview, and you feel that you are spending your time learning something.
   
   As a reference book it is quite superficial, i.e. it does not really expand much in any topic. This is fine though, if you are thinking of buying this book as a reference think again. That is not what is advertised.
   
   Four out of five stars in my opinion is be the best rating for a certification study guide: you cannot really make a certification guide something "special", so this type of books hardly ever gets five stars.
   
   However, there are two drawbacks that made me throttle back to three stars:
   
   Firstly, some of the answers to the end-of-chapter questions are wrong. They are easy to spot though, typically they start with "Correct Answer: C" (wrong) then they go on explaining why B is the correct answer.
   
   Secondly, the writing style is not exceedingly good. At the beginning it was just a little awkward to see the way some sentences are put together. Now that I am past the first half it is becoming somewhat annoying, and in some instances a little confusing.
   
   I do not blame the author: I think he did a very good job (nobody expects a SQL Server expert to write beautiful English prose, and lots of it). However, another pass at editing could have made this book much more enjoyable.



3. This is a great book! It is very well written and the material presented in a consitent and logical manner.
   
   Some of the material I knew before picking up this book. Since this would be my first MS cert, I read every section of the book. For the topics I already knew, I was impressed by how well Darril boiled the material down to the essence, the central point that you needed to learn. I was hoping that he'd do the same for the areas I did not know. I passed all three tests and this book was the reason.
   
   Read every page. Do every hands-on example. Review the exam tips and you'll not only pass the test but actually be able to do the work.



4. This book was well organized and helped me pass the 431 exam within a month of receiving this book.



5. I used this book as my primary study/refresher resource to prepare for (and pass) the 70-447 upgrade exam. If you are an MCDBA on SQL 2000, and looking for a resource to for the MCDBA upgrade exam, this is the perfect resource! Very clear, concise coverage of all the exam topics. Each chapter has a bullet list listing the topics covered in each exam. Although the 70-447 exam isn't specifically targeted, you can approximate it by combining the 70-443 and 70-444 topics.

5 comments about Eclipse IDE Pocket Guide.

1. I found the book to contain several tips and tricks that were new to me and I have been using Eclipse for over two years now. I would highly recommend this book to new Eclipse IDE users to help you get a leg up on learning the Eclipse IDE. I found this book well worth the price and will be looking for more pocket guide books by O'Reilly to add to my bookshelf.



2. I expected a little more from this book than creating a simple java file and compiling it. This book is for someone who is new to IDEs. This is *NOT* for someone trying for a quick reference to migrate from another IDE to Eclipse - which was my purpose.



3. The most common comment from the people I showed this book to was "I wish I had it when I started using Eclipse".
   
   While this is a very small book, the contents have been selected to give you a best start with the main features of the Eclipse IDE. The topics are short but concise and include scattered tips for the points of interest.
   
   If you're just starting with this IDE, the Eclipse IDE Pocket Guide will give you a great head start and will continue helping you as a lovely reference to refer back to as the features become familiar. Having all of these critical features pointed out earlier will save you a lot of bother in the future, since you'll be annoyed if you only find out about them much later by accident or experimentation!
   
   Experienced users are less likely to get much from it though. The authors made a decision between content and size, and I feel they chose to stick with a smaller, simpler book than I would have expected. There is a final section on places to go for more information, but it just refers to various community sites.
   
   I wish I had this book when I started using Eclipse.



4. I've come to expect a lot from O'Reilly guides, and this one didn't let me down. It really helped me past some areas of confusion I had with Eclipse, although I think I may want a larger book eventually that gets into more detail on some of the add-ins.



5. I thought this would be a handy little "tips and tricks" reference. It basically just tells you all the obvious stuff you already figured out on your own. Save your money and just use the doc from the internet.

3 comments about Foundations of SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence.

1. This book is indispensable. It will help expand my limited knowledge in the business intelligence space from FICO scoring and SAS programs to a wider universe.



2. I am new to BI. I needed a book to explain BI and the toolset in the SQL Server 2005. As I have been developing applciations for the last 8 years using Microsoft only technologies therefore I wanted to use SQL Server 2005 for BI path. I found this book very valuable for a new commer to BI like me.
   
   I have gone through only some of the chapters but it has started to make sense. The explanation is very clear and it shows that the writer knows the subject very well. Good arrangement of chapters. Not a boring book. I think after reading this book and going through all the excercises one would have a very good understanding of the subject and how to use to SQL server 2005 BI toolset.
   
   I would say this book puts you above the intermediate level from where you can understand the more complex books. Essential for someone wanting to choose BI as career path. Top work Lynn.



3. Lynn definitely knows the material. I have had the occasion to sit in on a couple of live presentations from her on this subject and she truly knows the topic from a real-world perspective. Although BI is a deep and complex subject, Lynn gets right to business to help you start building your reports and dataviews in a practical and productive manner.
   
   This is a great starting point for people wishing to get up to speed on BI using the Microsoft tools as well as a good review for those already comfortable in these waters.

2 comments about Foundations of Agile Python Development (Expert's Voice in Open Source).

1. I was not disappointed when I started reading this book.
   The first chapter which covers the theory of "Agile Development", is just great.
   Now, I am no agile programming expert. The only thing I currently do is write a lot unit tests. But I think I will take some advice for the future (like pair-p.) from this book.
   The pace of the book is great (relief after the lutz books), and the authors personal experience in the field is both reassuring, encouraging and interesting.
   Coming from a background of C#.NET I am glad that python is getting some help in IDE department and will certainly give some tools a try.
   I love the book but YMMV.
   
   Errata (apress does not provide one):
   P.99: There is a mention of configure.py in the file list of svn with ? status. This file was never mentioned before.
   Where did it come from and what does it represent???
   
   p.109: " 'factory': f " should really be with "f1" at the bottom.
   
   p.112: When issuing "create-slave" command the slave name used is "rsreader-linux"
   whereas it was configured to be "slave-lnx01".



2. I think the author does a fine job of presenting what he set our to do. However, what he did is likely targeted to a rather narrow audience - one that I think could be broadened. I think an overview of IDEs suitable for the environment would have been more appealing than choosing one and relying on the specifics of it to demonstrate Agile Development. Same with the choice of revision control. If you are working in an environment with the author's choice of IDE and revision control, then you will likely be very content with the lack of overhead perhaps required by offering other tools. I don't use the author's choice of IDE or revision control and this does tend to infringe on the broader aspects of Agile Development applicable to many python development environments. You kind of have to parse through some really well-written work and say 'this would be great if it referred directly to my development environment.' I give kudos for the work but wish it were either expanded to hit a larger audience, or was appropriately abstracted to keep the tight flow, minus the specific tools.

5 comments about The Elements of UML(TM) 2.0 Style.

1. This book is a quick reference for anyone dealing with the UML. It provides brief, but thorough, examples of what is in the models. I recommend this for managers who need to have some basic facts, so they can speak better to UML practioners.



2. I must confess, I love little books. In the inimitable style of the White and Strunk book, this one provides well-grounded and practical prescriptions for language usage. It is not complete as a learning tool, but it provides an excellent adjunct to the Booch et al 'User Guide' or Fowler's 'Distilled'. When I first opened the book I thought some of the style guidelines appeared trivial. But digesting it as required reading in a UML intro class not only gave me the confidence to complete my assignments; I found additional insight into UML as-tool. I suspect I will be vetting every UML diagram I create through this book's precepts for a long time.



3. This book is written in a clear, concise style and offers sensible guidelines for the contruction and layout of the major UML diagrams. For a bit more in-depth explanation of the application of the diagrams, read Fowler's "UML Distilled". I think the two work very well together as companion references.



4. Anyone who wants to improve the way they model systems will want to read this short and concise guide to the correct use of UML.



5. Like the book "The Elements of Style" that I was given to use in High School to improve my writing, this book seeks to do the same for your UML diagrams. The author states that the purpose of this book is to "describe a collection of standards, conventions, and guidelines for creating effective UML diagrams". This book succeeds in its goal. I really like the fact that at the beginning of each chapter, each chapter covers one diagram type, a short description of what the diagram is used for is presented. As a designer, I see these rules not being followed or ignored much of the time. Rule 15 (Prefer Well-Known Notation over Esoteric Notation) is what I see as one of the most violated rules. Most people seem to diagram what they think is appropriate and ignore the UML rules. Hmmm, sounds like most people that write as well.

No comments about Pragmatic Thinking and Learning: Refactor Your Wetware.

5 comments about Learning PHP & MySQL: Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Database-Driven Web Sites.

1. It is not quite clear to me how any technical editor, let alone from a publisher specializing in technology books, could pass this text as is. It is quite obvious that the authors may know their way around developing simple database-driven web sites but completely miss basic programming topics (OOP, constructors, static variables etc. - all are explained in confusing and, at times, incorrect language).
   
   Add to that grammatical errors, and perhaps a reminder that "kraut" is a derogatory term better left out of a mainstream publication, and it's quite baffling how this book made it to print in its current form.
   
   I haven't seen other publications on the topic to compare against but this one certainly was a disappointment.



2. While this is a typical O'Reilly book (marvelously and expertly written), there weren't many examples of utilizing what you just learned such that it would sink in. It also pre-supposed a bit (not much mind you) of programming experience/knowledge of which I have none. The description is a bit mis-leading that way as it states that if you know HTML and are ready for the next step this is the book. It should say, if you know HTML, a bit of C, or PERL, and some SQL you will benefit from learning PHP & MySQL. Not disappointed, just not the book for me...



3. I have not bought a textbook in over five years. Back then, O'Reilly was a reputable brand. So when I needed to learn PHP and MySQL, I bought this book without doing any research. I will never blindly buy an O'Reilly book again.
   
   I got to page 11 before finding my first typo. After that, I lost track of all the typos and coding mistakes I've seen. Mind you, this is the 2nd edition of this book. Clearly, the authors did not proofread their book, nor did anyone else at O'Reilly, nor did anyone who read the 1st edition (?). I have learned to not trust anything in this book and instead use google for my php/mysql questions. Also, the mistakes are not all obvious typos -- some are mistakes in reasoning, which I can catch because I have extensive experience with computers.



4. Maybe a genius or someone who already understands PHP basics will benefit from this book. I have made great progress with a number of instructional books, but got stuck in Chapter three of this one. It seems that important terms and concepts are not explained, not explained well, or explained in pages after the terms and concepts are first used.
   I'm going to search for another book on PHP & MySQL.



5. This dreadful book is so far below O'Reilly's normal high standard that it's hard to believe anyone at the company saw it before publication. It is riddled from start to finish with typos, technical errors, bad coding practices, contradictions and statements that are just plain wrong. It's quite baffling that O'Reilly would let a book this bad hit the shelves.
   
   What is particularly worrying is that this is the second edition. The first was also full of mistakes (see the reviews on the O'Reilly website) and the publisher seems to have acknowledged this by rushing out this second edition only a year after the first, but the new edition fixes few of the problems of the first while introducing a host of new ones. One of the worst books ever published by O'Reilly. Avoid at all costs.

4 comments about Deploying Rails Applications: A Step-by-Step Guide (Facets of Ruby).

1. I buy a lot of books, mostly Ruby and Rails books. Most of them are follow-me guides that don't explain anything. Sure, ya did it, but you don't know why. Not this one. Ezra Zygmuntowicz actually explains how it works, why you need to do it and then, how to do it. And few people know as much about deployment.
   This is an extremely well written, "must have" reference.
   
   TW Scannell



2. This is a superb book, the best compact writeups i've seen on setting up Apache load balancing and proxies, nginx, mongrel, SVN server and repos, DNS, MySql caching, capistrano, rake, profiling apps (and there's a lot of blogs, books on these subjects. Entire mailing lists, in fact). Compact means they don't go into every option or configuration conceivable, you get everything (to almost 2 sigma) you need to know to get it going reliably, scalably, loggably, plus a lot of hard-won knowledge about what can go wrong. Just not quite the detail they go into, in, say the Frisch and Nemeth/Snyder/Hein unix admin books. I think for a lot of people (many java or PHP devs don't have to worry about the infrastructure of their production boxes, they had STDIFT (somebody to do it for them), this is a must have.
   
   This book isn't perfect. What it covers it covers beautifully, what it doesn't cover, well, it kinda slows down to 30 MPH for a red light. Witness pp 234-5: covers nested sets, STI, indexes and normalization, AR duck typing, polymorphic associations. Geez, that's a lotta topics for slightly less than 1 page. Well, they're outside the scope of this treatment and there aren't a lot of references given. What about all the Yslow stuff that everybody's talking about: JS /CSS compression/lazy loading, CDN, reduce DNS lookups. Some topics are here, some aren't. Basically, that's what you worry about after you've dug thru logfiles and profiled, topics this book covers in excellent depth.
   
   There are a few editing/editorial slips. 3 authors flip-flop between debian/ubuntu & RH/centOS/FC families (and don't talk about FreeBSD /solaris). Page 92 seems to suggest the default Leopard ruby install is fine. p 212: they're comparing a ubuntu, single CPU machine against a 2-cpu, windows machine running ??. I figure the editor should have said "huh?". and p 172 they write a lot about mySQL clustering limitations, when they could've talked about postgres instead of/in addition to.
   
   But really with stuff they could've written about, we're talking about a 600 page book, not this 250 page book with nice margins, easy to read fonts. So that' s my story and i'm sticking to it.



3. I guess because this book was anticipated for so long, the expectation were a bit high. In the mean time I've read loads of information to setup a server on the internet.
   
   Best chapters for me were 8. Scaling out (MySQL clustering was new and interesting) and 9. Performance where you go from a solid base line to the best number of mongrels for your server.



4. Ezra's book delivers precious info to every developer interested into Rails applications deployment. Staring from an hardcore-developer point of view maybe the book might had been condensed by eliminating some not-so-useful topics, such as the first chapters about hosting options. Furthermore cloud-computing it's never mentioned. Anyway it remains the only authorative reference about one of the Achilles' heel of the Rails framework.