Hi Imar,
Hope this brightens up your evening. Just posted on Amazon.com
Imar Spaanjaars' Beginning ASP.NET 4: in C# and
VB is an excellent introduction to both the .Net framework and to programming in general. Spaanjaars does an excellent job of introducing the novice to a world of tools and techniques. I had never programmed anything more complicated than a simple Excel macro and a tiny bit of SAS back in grad school. It's fair to say I was starting with no prior experience. However, this is not a 'programming for dummies' book. More like really good class in the form of a book for someone serious about learning the material.
Strengths of the book include:
Clear and thorough explanations of how things work and why. Very helpful if you are new to programming.
Logical presentation of the material aimed at beginners and probably just fine for someone adding to their skills.
Incredibly thoughtful reminders to check small things that a novice is likely to forget. Not all authors can see the material from the perspective of the reader. Spaanjaars does this consistently which saves hours of frustration.
Consistently high level of writing. This is a thick book compared to some; it is difficult to find a wasted word.
Code examples that ALWAYS work.
Non-trivial sample projects--meaning: you build a project that you can modify and use. A beginner's project to be sure but a project that leaves you with the sense you made something useful.
Awareness that some readers are using a paid version of Visual Studio and some are using the free version. I used the latter and had no problems with the correspondence between the book and the software.
Weaknesses: Haven't really found any yet. It is tempting to ask for more detail in some topical areas but that's not possible in a 'beginners' book. If Spaanjaars did a DVD for the book, I am sure it would be a good one. However, this book is better than a lot of books with DVDs.
It takes a really good book for me to write a review. I was very lucky to find Spaanjaars' book. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from Imar Spaanjaars (maybe the Intermediate and Advanced versions of this one?).
Book review
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