Programming Books

Memorable interviews with the most affable interviewer. A lovely way to spend some time.

Even today, when celebrity revelations droppeth like the gentle rain, Studs Terkel stands head and shoulders above other interviewers. He had a knack. He could get people to say things they hadn't planned on saying. Terkel knew precisely what to ask, and how to ask it. Those are my words - the Chicago Sun Times said it better:

"Studs Terkel (gets) people to say things in such a way that you know at once they have finally said their truth, and said it better than they ever believed they could say it."

Trained as a lawyer, experienced as an actor, and a best-selling author, Terkel spent half a century on his Chicago based Peabody Award winning syndicated radio program. He brought together people from all walks of life, artists, writers, philosophers, inventors, and visited with each of them as they recounted their triumphs and failures.

Now, 48 of these original interviews have been gathered for our enjoyment - it's a treat to hear the stories of those who influenced our world in their own voices. We hear R. Buckminster Fuller, Woody Allen, Gore Vidal, Eudora Welty, Dorothy Parker, Bertrand Russell, Leonard Bernstein, and a host of others.

Exemplary listening pleasure!

- Gail Cooke

Studs Turkel is a wonderful interviewer, and over the past five decades he has interviewed many of the great thinkers, writers, and doers of our time. The ones he chose for this collection include Aaron Copland, Oliver Sacks, Margaret Mead, Daniel Ellsberg, Maya Angelou, Pete Seeger, John Kenneth Galbraith, and dozens of others. All together, they provide a fascinating portrait of the last half of 20th century. Highly recommended!

Having grown up in Chicago and spent a chunk of my adult life there as well, perhaps the thing I miss most is Studs Terkel and WFMT, the best
FM station in the country. I learned as much about life and the never-ending struggle for human rights from Studs' interviews as I did from any
professor or priest. Hearing these wonderful chunks of those conversations again fills me with nostalgia and recharges my batteries for my own twilight struggle against the world's ills.

This weekly funfest brings chuckles and sometimes out loud laughter. Not My Job pulls material from the show and listeners will be pleased. The Tom Hanks and Janeane Garofalo are very funny, but reactions from the panelists also make this a must hear.

For those who think NPR is a bunch of boring folks, "Wait Wait" is a great weekly quiz show that's entertaining and (slightly) educational. This CD collection of the "Not my Job" sections from Wait Wait makes great listening - perfect for commutes, while running on a treadmill, etc.

Often times I disagree with the opinions of the commentators but they express them in such a wry agreeable way that I can't help but laugh. I listen to this CD and the program podcast at work and my coworkers often wonder what it is that I am giggling over! I highly recommmend these CD's.

If you like the show, you'll love the audio cd. And if you don't listen to the show, you'll be amazed at how much fun it is! Try it, you'll love it!

I use this book for over twenty years already. It is now worn out, I need a new copy. Although I am now writing in C++, this book is still always close at hand too look up simple things like operator precedence, and standard C functions.

A concise tiny book with all ANSI C functions explained. This book should be the standard style for all the computer language books. I am looking for smiliar ones for C++ and VB .NET, but could not find one yet.

If you want to learn C, you should have this one.

This is my favorite book about programming. I believe
a new edition, compliant with the latest C standard might
be a good idea. Though there is a waste amount of on-line
material available now, books like that are by no means
obsolete. I am now sorry that I bought only one piece.

This is the best C reference book I've seen. It's compact, and contains all ANSI C library routines with alphabetical index and subject index. It explains arguments for the function, and even has a brief example.

This do-it-all reference to the more than 500 Microsoft C library functions provides you with the information necessary for excellent programming results. It contains real-world examples for every routine. Each library routine is categorized by func tion and each section is preceded by interactive tutorials so that you can learn C code quickly. Plus, a unique compatibility box approach shows the portability with other versions of C and popular operating systems. Just follow the expert advice one step at a time and you'll write more organized, complete, and powerful C programs.

Lists functions alphabetically and by category. Lists which compiler versions support the function. Describes functions in detail, with examples. Start of each category describes which functions to use for specific tasks.

This is a really good book. I am on my second copy. This first one walked off. I have been a programmer for over 10 years and though I don't alway use Microsoft C, I still refer to this book often. It is well organized, very concise and contains all the details. I have yet to find a discrepancy. It has quick indexes inside the front and back covers. Front is alphebetical, back is by subject. I've used it so often that I have a lot of the page numbers memorized. Memcpy is on page 249. The only thing else I can recommend about this book is to keep a close eye on it.

The inside front cover and first page is an alphabetic index of all C functions that are included in the book. The back cover has a list by category: Disk Access, Buffered I/O, Graphics, etc. Each function description tells you what compilers use it, what the prototype is, detailed description of each argument, return value and usage, with examples.

Probably the most readable introduction to the Z formal method that I have seen. Jacky does a great job of showing the reader why Z might be useful, gently introducing the concepts, and showing how they can be translated into real code. While this book is not a comprehensive Z reference, it is certainly a wonderful introduction that will give the reader most of the tools they might need (and a great background for learning any of Z's more obscure corners).

This book is the first book I've read on Z or formal methods. It's very easy to read and understand, and replete with Z examples. I recommend it to anyone who's interested in learning Z.

The thing I found most helpful about this book is that the author presents Z in comparison to things that we are already (probably) familiar with: data flow diagrams, state charts, etc. He shows the difference between Z and these things, and walks you through a comparison of one system using all 4 different methods.

There are many good books on how to construct, verify, and establish actual program code using Z. I have read bits and pieces of many in an attempt to gain a general understanding of the whole development process and a breadth of approaches taken to it. I cannot say that I have come accross a book even approaching The Way of Z in both clarity and completeness. Dr. Jacky has left nothing out of this text and it reads extremely smoothly (without the sacrifice of complexity). I recommend it to any Formal Methods student, programmer and anyone interested in the formal specification, verification, and implementation process.

This book is an excellent guide to Web design. It is very well written with practical information. The reading is easy and very interesting. I reccommend it very much.

"Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites" is the first book on web design to focus on integrating marketing, customer service, accessibility, and web standards into the design process. It's an accessible, clear, and up-to-date resource on best practices for modern business- and service-oriented websites.

Kevin Potts begins the book by pointing out that the internet is now an essential medium for businesses of all shapes and sizes; at the same time, customers are more sophisticated than in the early days of the internet, and have little patience for poorly designed websites. In order for a company to present an effective presence on the web, it "must deliver beyond customer expectations; better content, sharper design, smarter architecture, and more proactive communication and interaction are all components of websites that produce exceptional results for corporations."

In the first chapter, the author begins by outlining what a company's website should be doing:

* Marketing, selling products, & promoting services
* Providing customer support & company information
* Creating branding & market awareness

He then covers planning, researching, and selling the design (or redesign) within the company, then moves on to a brief overview of platforms and technologies.

The rest of the book proceeds to show the designer how to create an effective and compelling site for his or her client. He covers content creation, accessibility, architecture & navigation; essential sections of a company website such as the Homepage, About page, Products, and Support pages; error pages, print-friendly pages, legal considerations, and SEO; email marketing, RSS, and advertising campaigns and metrics.

This book is an amazing collection of diverse information presented in a clear and concise fashion. It's not intended as an in-depth treatment of any of the subjects he covers--rather it's an invaluable checklist of essential tools and considerations for designing a top-notch company website.

"Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites" has become a valuable addition to my reference library, and it is one that I know I will reach for first when I am planning a new or redesigned business or service website.

"Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites," by Kevin Potts,was first brought to my attention by my wife, Adrienne, a website designer whose business, Cloud Islands, develops business identity plans for internet marketing.

She recommended it to me as an extraordinarily useful text. I've found it particularly readable, including the chapters on platforms, content management, standards-based development, and other topics which normally are either over my head or simply difficult to read.

Potts' chapters on content and SEO are cogent, provide excellent examples, and are as useful as any I've ever read. The book is only several months old, so he is even using illustrations from Google Analytics new web configurations.

It's published by [...], which is a publishing house run by and for web designers.

I don't often recommend books for other people's professional libraries, but this one is proving very useful to me.

Although this book sounds like a "tech" book, it is far from it. It only contains about two pages of actual code total. I highly recommend this book for anyone who runs a small to medium-sized business where you interact with your web design company directly, or any executive who has to interface with the web development team.

It could also be good for web designers who have been AWOL for the last half-decade or more, or people new to the business who want to learn. Although you won't learn any HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, you will learn stuff that no one else has published in one handy volume. Great for a day at the park - leave your laptop at home. I've written a far-more extensive review on my blog, so search for my name if you feel the need to read really long reviews before buying, but if I can save you some time, just take my word for it and buy it if the above describes you.

Just leafing through this book I got so many good ideas. The CD that comes with the book is good, and it helped to see some of the stuff in action. The advice on good composition and selecting colors was really helpful, because I'm not always sure if my designs are going to be OK with anyone but me. Now I know some of the "rules" and also know when it's OK to break them. The ideas for how different people and businesses can use web sites was also an eye-opener, and it's clear that this author really knows a lot about marketing and graphic design, not just about the web. It's an all-around great book, and I recommend it to everyone who has or wants a great web site.

In working with computer and teaching web design for over the past three years there is always new ways to learn something you never knew before. This book has provided me with new ideas and techniques but overall there's not anything that makes it standout from the rest of the pack.

In the 270 pages topics like design, e-commerce, layout, web tools, text and page building, graphics, color and structure, table, frames and layers as well as multimedia, hyperlinks and lists are usually what come with any design book.

Also this book in not in color and the areas like CSS, DHTML and image maps were not included. While the cd-rom does allow you to learn at you own pace overall this book made for the beginner rather than for the true designer

I bought Ms. Ulrich's Using Excel 2000 last year, and found her writing to be very readable, and her knowledge to be extensive. When I saw this book, Web Design Virtual Classroom, I was surprised to see she was writing about a creative topic, and had to check it out --- and I'm very glad I did. The book is great, again in her very friendly, readable style, and the CD is informative too. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to design a web site for business or personal use, and to anyone trying to figure out which software to use and how to go about the whole web design process. Her insights and practical advice are terrific, and I really learned a lot about a subject I thought I already knew.

Laurie Ulrich has written a thoughtful introduction to web design.
This book covers the most popular methods of creating websites (Dreamweaver, GoLive, Frontpage, and hand-coding HTML) and helps you evaluate which might be best for you. It goes on to help you understand some of the basic ways each can accomplish specific tasks. Without going into extraneous details (which would require several books to cover), Ms. Ulrich gives a broad and lucid overview of how to make sense of these programs to create well-conceived website design.
This is actually her stong point in this book - the conception of how to create the kind of website which will best express and realize the goal you desire. She helps you visualize (with the help of many good examples) what might or might not work for you, and how to evaluate it for yourself.
After having read the excellent "Dreamweaver 4 -Virtual Classroom" which she co-authored with Robert Fuller, and several other Dreamweaver books, I had some of the technical abilities to create cool stuff. However I hadn't had any overview of design, and felt a little overwhelmed by the possibilities. "Web Design - Virtual Classroom" cleared a lot up for me, and I now feel a lot more confident about being able to create sites that won't look like a Jackson Pollock hangover.

I teach "Internet Marketing" at New York University. I always recommend that anyone active or interested in e-commerce should at least learn the ins and outs of web design. Even if you don't want to be a web designer, you should at least have a basic understanding of how websites are built. This book serves two great purposes:

1. If you want to actively pursue web design, this book will serve as a great reference and introduction.
2. If you just need to understand how websites are built, this book will serve as a great way to introduce you to web design so you can talk intelligently about HTML and web design.

I have more books than I need on Dreamweaver, CSS, PHP, and web design. And very few have been read thoroughly. But I intend to study this book from cover to cover. Here is what I like about this book:

1. The first couple chapters have helped me figure out what to put on the web site. It accomplishes this with a systematic approach that stresses what the visitor wants to see. (This is the kind of information I was searching for because I am weak in this area.)

2. The remaining chapters cover material with which I have experience, which makes it easy to absorb. But I can compare my previous understanding and decide if I need adjust my thinking. You don't need to spend much time with this book before gaining a deep respect for this author's practical knowledge and common sense approach.

3. I like her enumerated steps throughout her book. It's not wishy-washy. I thinks this comes from teaching the subject to classes.

4. I like the abundant number of references to useful web sites. Even though the book is about 500 pages, it cannot go deeply into every topic, but the author points you in right direction with references and advice.

This is book packed with a lot of good information and advice without getting into too much detail. I have plenty of other books that get into the nitty gritty.

Jenkins' book is part of what appears to be a new series from Wiley, with the theme of the L line express. This book offers a quick boot up into making your own website. The examples focus on a small commercial website. Well, at least initially, it's going to be a small website.

There is a balanced discussion between the design of a single web page and the overall layout of the entire website. For the former, graphics plays a big part, as you might expect. Two important packages, Illustrator and Photoshop, are considered, in which you can make the graphics. Both have more than adequate capabilities to do so. The text also teaches the basics about the different, common graphics formats - gif, jpeg and png. It suggests that you experiment with viewing the same underlying image, rendered in those formats and viewed in different browsers. These days, there should only be minor nuances. But if you are selling products where an accurate rendition matters, then it's a good step, to choose the best format.

Then the book also goes into how best to design the whole website. Vital to avoid confusing the visitor. The skills here are different from the visual layout aspects of single pages. If your background is in visual design, this part of the book can be especially useful. It teaches different and complementary skills that you should master.

This is a very good and well organized book on end-to-end web development. Although it is 500 pages, you can use it as a reference and skip around as well.

One of the major strengths as another reviewer points out is the presentation of the design phase i.e. who is the audience and how to appeal to them. This material is often lacking from other books.

While you may need other books to supplement this reference with respect to advanced coding, this will be all most people will need. Sue Jenkins is also the author of The Dreamweaver All-in-One Reference for Dummies, which is also an excellent, thorough presentation of what you need to know in plain and easy to understand language.

I read this awhile ago and am just going through a bunch of old books I have around still that I read and reviewing them :) This was I believe my very first 'programming' book I ever read and it brings back fond memories. This book will teach you things like what a variable is and a function...basic stuff but years later it is still helpful! I'd highly recommend it as javaScript hasn't even changed that much since this book was published I even reread it.

Very good book as in introduction to JavaScript. Clear and concise descriptions and examples, that actually work! This isn't a good book for the experienced programmer looking for a desk reference (though it's not too bad in that regards), but is a great book for someone wanting to get started with JavaScript.

This is a neat book. First, it is one of the best intros with useful examples. Part way through, Mr. Ford starts to show us 'Intelligent' apps like simple rule-based expert systems, search, and problem-solving. You can start the book knowing nothing about JS, and end up doing some quite sophisticated programming when you finish the book.

I looked at 10-15 books, and bought this one... it works! LISP and Prolog hackers take a look!

Ford begins with useful code samples to illustrate the basic grammar and syntax of JavaScript. In the second half of the book he provides an interesting introduction to programming techniques that could be adopted for use in any language. I teach a JavaScript course and this will be the text.

I purchased Web Connection from west-wind.com and was very excited about the possibilities, however I knew very little about how the web worked, and I made many mistakes.

I was truely amazed and very very pleased when I got my copy of WebRAD - this book is very complete and well thought out. It takes you step by step through creating a web application with WC and VFP, and even how to set up your web server properly. All the details and common errors are covered, as well as the best way to do things for different circumstances. I would have saved many days research if I had had this book from the beginning.

For example: when you set up a project in Web Connection, the wizards do many things for you automatically - this book tells you step by step how to set up these things properly (manually if you want to), so you know how _and_ why, and how to deploy your application to your production server. And there is so much more!

This book is extremely timely for me. I have a WC web site for my business, and the SSL appendix alone is worth the price of the book. I really liked how the entire development process was summarized in the first 4 chapters so developers can get an immediate sense of accomplishment before they get into the details in the later chapters.

For chapters that had references to other resources, a complete summary of those resources was provided at the end of the chapters. This makes it quite convenient to find additional help without having to search through the chapters.

The chapters on troubleshooting are very well organized as well. One of these chapters categorizes common problems, then lists each symptom followed by a cause and solution.

The new WebRad book from [website] is everything a good technical book should be. It shows the common pitfalls, in text and graphics; relates concepts to what is already known; and shows an organic progression from specific to broad to specific.

Confused by what the Web is? HTML? CSS? It's all here.

Need to know about NT/Win2K permissions on IIS? Deployment of COM servers? Comparison of .prg-based class libraries? It's all here.

What it's really about ... is almost irrelevant to whether you should buy this book. If you plan to edit or write a technical book, this one is worth having as an example of the task being done right.

As Whil Hentzen, the namesake of Hentzenwerke, can attest, this is not my reaction to all the Hentzenwerke collection. Congratulations to the authors (Harold Chattaway, Randy Pearson, and Whil Hentzen) and the editor. I mention the editor (Barbara Peisch) not just to make nice: no author is capable of putting together a totally coherent book. It always takes two points of view, in order for the reader to become the focus of the book, rather than the author. A strong editor makes the difference between an interesting author and a good book. This is a good book.

Web Connection is a difficult environment to work in particularly if you are new to working with a) a local server and b) a framework for interfacing the VFP language with HTML.

It took me almost a year to complete my first Web Connection project because I had to get most of my answers from the Web Connection forum from people like Randy Person.

Now there are real examples to follow and clear explanations of how each feature works.

Web Connection is a powerful framework for developing VFP applications for the Web. This book will make the learning curve so much better for users of the Web Connection framework.

Congratulations to Randy, Harold and Whil for their thoughtful, meticulous documentation to explain how to set up and use this wonderful product.

Mike Smith