Software Books

I've just recently started reading this series, and I have to admit that I have been very entertained. This book was a bit "young" I noticed in the writing, but understandably so, since the main character is only 11. Since I had seen the movie before I'd read this, I didn't have very many surprises, but all in all, it was worth the read.

I love this book, but lost it, so I had to order another one. I have the complete set now, and have to read them at least once a year or so. IT is a great start to the Harry Potter series. Thank you.

Let me start like this.. I was never into Harry Potter. Well, at least not like I am now. I was a fan of the movies but that was about it. Then I was told to read the books, I figured, what the hell. So I started with Half Blood Prince and then Deathly Hollows. Wow. If I read pretty much the last 1/4 of this series and got so sucked into it, I owed it to myself to take the whole trip through this world that cannot be described in words.

I finished The Sorcerer's Stone totally forgetting about the movie so it was like I had never seen it. The SS is the perfect stepping stone to get the series started. It introduces most of the main characters and gives you an idea of how to understand whats going on (which considering the twists and turns of the series, you'll need all the info you can get.)

From beginning to end, you're thrown into Harrys life. You feel everything he feels, his emotions, his thoughts. You feel sorry for him when he's living with his family, and you can't wait to find out what happens the next year at Hogwarts. And that is what makes this an amazing story, your connection with him and the anticipation for what is going to happen to him next. This book is a must buy for any fan of fantasy stories, don't let the fact that it's in the childrens section of a book store throw you off. The road Harry walks will get a lot darker. See this as the calm before the storm.

It feels so long ago that I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time. I can't remember exactly how I felt upon completion, but I must have loved it because I devoured the rest of the books--there were only three of them back then--in a matter of days.

What I can remember is how agonizingly long the wait for the other books was, how I reread the first book when I was scared of being the new kid in school, and how I became friends with other fans of the series. I remember feeling stronger after reading about Harry's strength, and, most importantly, I remember how much I grew to love reading.

This all probably sounds terribly sappy, but to the people who call this book unimaginative, contrived, and even claim Harry and his friends are bad role models, I would just like to say that kids don't see any of that. This kid saw the importance of friendship and courage, even in the face of evil, and a place to escape to when she need to be reminded of these things. Adults need to remember that this is a children's book, and no one should read it expecting an existential masterpiece. The books grow as Harry grows, and as JK Rowling grows as an author.

Is this book perfect? No, but for a kid reading it for the first time, it's close enough.

I wore my paperback out so back it was falling apart so I bought the Hard copy to go w/ the rest of my series. Like I had stated in the other Reviews you will feel like your actually a character in the book I really hated seeing it end so soon. I know alot of people were like soon. But to me it was way to soon. I highly recommend this and all Harry Potter Books and Movies.

This,In My Opinion Is The Best Book.It definitly Is Where It Goes Into a
darker genre of books.I Would Just About Recommend This Exciting,Page-
turner,to just about anyone!

Summary:
This is the 4th book in the Harry Potter series. It follows the same style, darkening tone, similar formulas as the prior three books -- new mode of transport / new magic device, new Dark Arts Teacher that is obviously a bad guy and nice convenient wrap-up of the various elements introduced. I would have given this 5 stars if there is not the huge plothole of why does Harry have to be the winner of the Triwizard tournament when undercover Death Eater could have just given Harry a Potkey at anyone point in the year.

Setting:
Rowling continues to develop a great fantasty milieu for YA (Young adults). The world is a great combination of mundane and magical. The World Cup of Quiddich is inspired and does a great job of showing the extent of the wizard world around the globe. The interface between Muggles and Wizards could use a bit of work as the method shown in the book is clearly problematic for keeping the wizard world secret.

Characters:
The main characters do advance a certain amount but still a bit on the thin side. The introduction of boy-girl relationships is an interesting element and needed given the age of the characters. Harry and Ron are clearly thick with regards to Hermiene. It is unfortunate but a needed part of a boy growing up. Hermiene is handled quite well and show an advanced maturity fitting her character (she even has some fun for a change).

Action:
The action is consistent in tone and description from the prior books. Harry is entered into the Tri-wizards tournament by someone else to get him lured into dangerous situations. Note: this is a lame plot device for getting him to Valdamort. The tests could have been a bit more difficult / interesting -- the dragon task description is a bit thin for my taste and the maze was clearly there just to get some Harry character development and move him to Valdamort. The confrontation in the graveyard was well done and helped save a poor plot device.

Prose:
The prose style is basically the same from prior three novels with a bit of expansion that is done nicely in the first part of the book. The World Cup of Quiddich is very well done.

Summary:
Overall: 3 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Characters: 2.5 stars
Action: 2.5 stars
Prose: 2.5 to 3 stars

I love all of the Harry Potter books and think that JK Rowling is a master storyteller, but whoever decided that Jim Dale would be a good narrator for this series was seriously mistaken. Aside from the fact that he makes almost all of the characters sound like they are from the East End of London and have a mouth full of bread (aside from Hermione and Ginny who he makes WHINE all of the time), he also mispronounces many of the words, which is quite annoying. He says "Voldermort" without pronouncing the "t", and "accio" as assio, just to name a few! I mean, did they actually have JK Rowling listen to his reading before they hired him to do the WHOLE series??? If it is at all possible, DON'T waste your money on this audio of Harry Potter, go on Amazon.co.uk and get the version read by Stephen Fry. He reads this series the way they are supposed to be read!!! Stephen Fry is FANTASTIC!

I have read the first five books in the Harry Potter series this summer. My favorite book in this series that I have read so far is Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This book was so interesting that I just could not put it down. From the Quidditch World Cup championship at the beginning, to the last page of the book I was hooked. The Tri-Wizard Championship was a great new twist at Hogwarts that had never before been done, and the arrangement of the book was slightly changed from the previous three. This made this book more fun and exciting to read than the very first one, because the reader never knew what was going to happen or what to expect. The ending was the best part of the book, and was impossible to figure out until you got there. I have not read the sixth or seventh book of this series by J.K. Rowling yet, but I feel that so far this book is the best.

I adored reading the Harry Potter books, but I always wished I could hear them read in the appropriate British accent. Jim Dale is not only an excellent reader of the books, he creates remarkable voices for each character. His readings have given me new insight into the books. I recommend purchasing any of the audio CDs of the Harry Potter books, as read by Jim Dale.

I love Prisoner of Azkaban. I think that this was the novel that really hooked me into the series. I have a hard time writing a literary review of any of the Rowling novels mainly because I do not feel like I'm reading a novel when I read these books, I feel like I'm on vacation. I'm transported into another world and forget to look at the subtext or deeply analyze anything that the writer is trying to say because it is just to much fun to just read it. This is a book to read when you are stressed out because of your real life. Try reading it when you are in a wretched mood and see if you are not instantly a little bit happier. Harry begins to evolve in this novel and the books from here begin to feel a little bit more "grown up". To me, this book is virtually the first in the series that is now so infamous. The characters are impossible to not fall in love with. Rowling seems to have her feet firmly planted in the ground at this point in the series and I knew when I finished the final pages that the series could only get better. Which of course it does.

I really enjoyed it and would have given 5 stars except for the fact that I'm a sucker for happy endings. It was sad that Harry couldn't keep his newly found friends. I did find that the writing matured as Harry did, which probably made an easier read.

This is my favorite novel of the series so far. In his second year, Harry was able to overcome an incompetent professor to thwart Voldemort yet again. But this novel was even better. I never saw the ending coming. The relationship between Snape and Lupin caught me completely by surprise. And the incredible revelations about Harry's parents death add even more depth to Harry's third year. JK Rowling has an amazing imagination and I look forward to finishing the rest of her novels.

Summary: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the third book in the Harry Potter series. The book introduces some key characters for the later books and gives the reader more backstory on Harry's parents. The writing seems as if J. K. Rowling was debating on doing more description or keeping the book length down -- I would have gone for more descriptions and more pages.

Setting:
The world of Harry Potter continues to expand into a more interesting fantasty setting with each book. Rowling does a good job of creating the setting using existing fantasty elements with a slight tweak to keep it non-cliche (for the most part). The Marauder's Map is a fantastic idea! It will be interesting to see if it is re-used in later novels. Note: There is starting to become a bit predictable in that each book has a new magic item which is central to the story.

Characters:
Sirius Black is introduced to the setting as a murderous wizard. The Sirius Black character is developed to a certain degree but when he has some actual dialog near the end of the book, he comes across as a bit out of sorts (Understandable after being in Azkaban for 12 years). I saw the movie version before reading the book which has colored my opinion of book and the book's characterization of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. I do prefer the movie adaptation a bit more; it could be the actors did a fantastic job.

Harry, Ron and Hermaine continue to develop a bit. Their character development is secondary to plot advancement.

Action:
The action is typical Harry Potter style where things get hairy but everyone comes out ok. The description of the mass dementor attack was weak and really should have been more developed as this is a critical scene showing what Harry can do magically and has some connection to his parent's spirits.

The relative danger level to the character is weak but appropriate for what is going on in the story.

Prose:
The prose is tight and to the point. The descriptions are not very detailed which is a bit frustrating as I keep wanting more hear with each book especially to see a difference in the movie set work (which is amazing) to see if there was something the set designers did not do for the movies. Generally, a book does a better job of describing a world than a movie -- kudos to the movie setting designers and craftsmen.

Overall: 4 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Characters: 2.5 - 3 stars
Action: 3 stars
Prose: 2.5 - 3 stars

My family has enjoyed listening to the Harry Potter audio books for several years. Jim Dale's readings include a host of characters with remarkably distinctive voices that carry over from the first book, the Sorcerer's Stone, to the last. He reads with fabulous energy and makes these great stories come to life like nothing I've ever heard before.
The Prisoner of Azkaban is no exception. This audiobook is a fabulous way to enjoy several afternoon in the car or in your favorite chair at home.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

I love this story and was planning on getting it for my daughter at some point- when I saw it as a board book I decided to get it right away! The book seems well made and has nice bold, vibrant illustrations. The only negative thing I noticed about it- and I noticed it right away when I received it- is the fact that it has pointy edges. Most board books are rounded at the corners. It's not a huge deal, but for young kids/babies who are clumsy and put everything in their mouths, it seems like a poor design.

Max Lucado has an touched a nerve with his delightful stories. This book reaches the heart of all of us.
We all want to know our worth. This beautifully written and illustrated story reminds us that we are all of infinite worth, in the eyes of our creator.

LOVE this book - perfect gift for an adult or a child - beautiful pictures and wonderful, meaningful story.

I work with children with Autism and have given this book to each of them once they do not need my services anymore. This book is a rare find! Excellent story and great pictures!

This is an excellent message for children that they are special and not to place too much importance on what other people may think. My 2 and 3-year olds are captivated by the story.

This book is fantastic, I own three editions.

But the Kindle edition is a pale shadow of the print edition. Purchase the printed edition first, use the Kindle edition only as a portable reference. Expect your reading speed to be much slower on the Kindle edition than in the print edition.

The Kindle display is too narrow for the code, causing lines to wrap at inconvenient places. Code is mostly readable, but the line wraps render the code less readable than the print edition.

The Kindle edition uses the same serifed font for both code and prose, all in black. The printed edition uses a serif font for prose, and uses a sans-serif font to differentiate code. The print edition uses color to identifies important code.

Comparing the two editions gives you deeper appreciation for the art of typesetting.

Photos comparing Kindle and printed formatting at
http://gallery.mac.com/ziggr#100056

The Scott Meyers books were *the* reason I bought a Kindle: these books were in my backpack on the day I ordered my Kindle. "I could carry a 10oz Kindle instead of a stack of books? Sold!" Even with the Kindle's limited formatting capabilities, I'm glad to finally have them in a Kindle edition.

Is this a great book? I have been asking myself that question ever since I found out that Scott Meyers does not write (or has not written for a long time) production code in C++. With that said, book is a great theoretical treatise on how to make your C++ code better but it is not a "cookbook" which will be immediately useful in day to day tasks. This is not necessarily a bad thing; such approach will encourage deeper understanding of issues at hand and that will lead to better code.

A good book in an informal language to take a look at the most importance topics to avoid many common errors during the programming in C++. Widely used in the industry.

This book must be required reading for anyone developing in C++. I count this book as essential as Bjarne Stroustrup's "The C++ Programming Language"; these two books are a necessity.

Mr. Stroustrup's book could be considered a technical reference to the C++ language. This book I consider as a technical reference for how to use the C++ language.

The book was well written. I found the book to be easy to read and the index to be exhaustive enough for the book to be used as a quick reference.

This is a great book which covers a lot of useful topics for every C++ professional. I have been programming in C++ for a while so some of the topics Scott Mayers discussed were already familiar but I still picked up a lot from this book. From a beginner to intermediate programmer, this is a must have. Advanced programmers probably have this book already (or its previous editions). Otherwise, if you bought this in order to learn something new then you are not really "advanced", are you?

This book assumes that you already used C++ and understand its fundamentals. Scott's goal is not to teach the fundamentals but to advice readers on how to use the language effectively - generating good, efficient, re-usable, portable code. On this goal, he was successful. Its pretty much like when I was learning Japanese. I understood the fundamentals and word translations but in order to effectively communicate in that language, I had to be familiar with proper sentence construction, various formalities (some words are not appropriate for certain settings or people) and word dynamics as well. In a sense, this book (or Scott) is your sensei to good C++ programming.

Some more suggested reading to complement Scott Mayer's series:
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
and
Modern C++ Design: Generic Programming and Design Patterns Applied (C++ In-Depth Series)

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie
By Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustrated by Felicia Bond

"If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk."

One thing leads to another in this cute picture book. When you get finished with all of the mouse's requests, he may just want another glass of milk. And we all know what goes well with milk.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
[ASIN:0979845548 Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)]]

I really wanted this book to catch on with my two sons during our bedtime reading. I liked the concept of showing that one action creates another and another. However, the book didn't work and here's why:

1. The narrator doesn't have a voice. Put this against "Green Eggs and Ham" where you've got two distinct voices playing off each other or "Monster at the End of this Book" where Grover's voice goes from whisper to yelling and finally back down to a whimper. This book doesn't help bedtime readers. I might as well have read a motorcycle manual.

2. The story wears on you just as the mouse wears on the boy. I thought it was telling that near the end of the book, the boy in the story falls asleep in a rocking chair. The actions didn't get sillier or funnier or more intesting; there was just one right after another.

3. What the mouse does beyond eating a cookie isn't neither creative nor interesting. For a small character in a big world, choose instead the classic "Jack in the Beanstalk" or a mouse with character, "Stuart Little."

In summary, I give it 2 out of 5 stars. This might make a good early reader book but forget about adding it to your bedtime reading collection.

And it's still a favorite around here two years later!

It amazes me that this book is almost as old as I am, is of course considered a very popular classic, and yet - I never read it until I was an adult!

Given its age, I'm sure everybody *else* here knows the plot, but just in case, this is a book about a (very logical, I'm sure) series of misadventures that happens after you give something to a mouse. Every request leads to another thing, and another, and another, until the poor boy in the story falls dead asleep.

This book is too cute, and it's funny, too, in a way that both adults and kids will appreciate.

Plus, it's short, which is great for those "Oh dear, go to BED already!" kind of nights!

I would highly recommend this book to any parent who has pre-school aged children. It is a great bed time story.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a modern classic, beloved by children everywhere. It is also a book that teaches about sequential action and consequence. For example, if you give a mouse a cookie, he is going to ask for a glass of milk. If you give him a glass of milk, he will probably ask for straw. As the book continues, the drink leads to a napkin, which leads to a mirror (to check for a milk mustache), which leads to a haircut, which leads to cleaning up, etc., and so forth. The tale eventually comes full circle, with thirst leading to a glass of milk, which leads back to giving a mouse a cookie. And of course, if you give a mouse a cookie...

My three year old and I love reading this together at bedtime. I start the sentence on each page ("If you give a mouse an xxxx...), and she shouts out the end of the sentence (",...he is going to xxxx."). The result is lots of giggles which are very nice right before bedtime.

This fun, entertaining book is beautifully illustrated with rich, detailed, colorful drawings. I highly recommend this book for small children and beginning readers, and I guarantee that it will quickly become a family favorite.

I have an old copy of this book and love it, but it was bulky to travel with. I love the paper back version of the book and the new updated language. A wonderful companion for my spiritual journey.

I have been studying this book for 6 years and sharing it with others. Oswald Chambers was an exceptional writer, bible scholar, and teacher. This book has given me great insight and direction to walk as a Christian daily.

I highly recommend this book for everyone! The lessons really hit home and are applicable to all lives at all stages.

My Utmost for His Highest is a wonderful classic christian devotional book. I have used it and bought a copy for each of my adult sons for Father's Day.

This is a great daily devotional that points you to scripture and then life application. While I LOVED my older edition of Oswald Chambers, reading it in contemporary language makes my quiet time flow easier because I don't get hung up on Oswald's old english.

This is my fifth photo shop elements user guide.
I wish I bought the Scott Kelby book first- it is by far the best and the only one I use.

Thank you to Scott Kelby for making this book. Even an "adult" could use it. If you are tired of kids being able to use a computer better than you, you will want this book for Photoshop!

MR. KELBY DID AN EXCELLENT LOB WITH THIS BOOK, I HAVE BEEN USING IT FOR ABOUT A MONTH. I HAVE LEARNED A LOT. VERY EASY TO FOLLOW.

HOWEVER THE QUALITY OF THE BINDING ON THE BOOK IS THE WORSE I HAVE FOUND. I OWN ABOUT 12 BOOKS ON ELEMENTS. THIS BOOK IS FALLING APART AFTER 1 MONTH. I AM NOT HARD ON BOOKS. I AM GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE BOOK APART AND PUT IN A LOOSE LEAF BINDER. I ALMOST THREW IT AWAY. I WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE I BUY ANOTHER ONE FROM THIS COMPANY.

In the short time I have had this book I have found it not only to answer my questions but give me clear and concise information.

I had Photoshop Elements for about a year - until this book I was unable to use it effectively. Scott Kelby does a great job walking through the myriad features and functionality! Instructions are clear and easy to follow. Would definitely buy again!

Code complete is the right title for this book. Sadly most people find it extremely hart to read it. Its great as a reference but reading it word for word is as interesting as watching grass grow. Don't get me wrong. This is a great book. Everyone should at least hold it for once. But do not try to read it as a book. The first 300 pages will be boring. When the actual code chapters begin it gets better but still tends to be tedious.

A great book for beginners but a little boring read for advanced users.

When I bought this book, I couldn't believe all the 5 star ratings in the reviews. But, now that I've finished it, I have to agree with them. Simply put, this is probably the best computer-related book I've read. In the book's 850 pages, I found a grand total of five minor problems: one was grammatical, two were typographical and two were minor disagreements with how some things were presented. All trivial. Content-wise, if the universities would teach this material and if programmers would follow the methodologies contained in the book, the world of software would be far, far better off. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book and rate it an Excellent 5 stars out of 5.

This was a great book both for me and my team. I've been in the software industry for many years. I started building a team of developers and needed an easy way to bring novice and experienced programmers together on a similar set of standards. This book provided us with the perfect framework from which to start our team. We've developed several major projects using the principles in this book and have experienced a great deal of success.

One warning, the book gets a bit tedious after the first half. If you're looking to improve your C programming skills, it gets really detailed into pointers and other fun, or not, stuff. Also, the examples are in VB.NET...but you still get the point.

If you're an experienced software developer or a newbee in the world of commercial computer programming this book will give a good kick in the right direction. Steve McConnel will keep you hooked by mixing the right guiding concepts with real-life knowledge and examples.

for all programmers. Shall I say Application Developers? Software Engineers? Whatever the title is, programming jobs are alive and well! This book provides a solid foundation. It is too bad very few American students are interested in this profession.

The average students are all studying business marketing. The good students are studying finance.

At Harvard University, they do not teach Accounting. The best ones, study Economics. There are only 21 students studying Computer Science at Harvard. Yet, parents are paying $220,000 to Harvard and other Ivy League. Truly amazing!

Is there anyway we can change this trend?