Programming Books

Since my book is older, it was a used version, the hints are for older things. It does have some helpful tools, but lots of the annoyances, I already knew about.

This book is written in a very easy to understand language. The hints are pratical and should help everyone in some way. Microsoft will not tell you much of how to make your operating system work the way YOU want it to. Steve Bass takes care of that. It is a valuable resource for anyone who has a PC, novice or experienced. I consider myself somewhat knowledgeable about computers and I even learned a few new tricks.

I am still pretty much a neophite where computers are concerned, so I bought this book hoping that it could get me out of the "messes" I'm always getting into. It really DOES help! Thank you!!! Steve Bass, I'm now searching for other books you have written.

This is the first computer book I actually said down and read, cover to cover. It holds your interest, and each tip gets you excited for the one to follow. I call it my AHA book. All the time you read it, you go "Aha! That's the problem!" or "Aha! That's how to get rid of that!". Can't recommend it highly enough.

I've read many computer books, and I have to say this is one of the most informative. More important, Steve provides hundreds of tips to overcome the small (and large) problems of Windows. It's nice to konw that even a well-known computer columnist experiences the same frustrations we ordinary users do. Happily, he willing to share the solutions he's found.

In my first reading, I discovered the answers to at least 7 windows annoyances I've encountered.

And instead of including a cost-raising CD, the publisher has made 100 utility programs available online, a better solution that including them on a quickly outdated disk.

A useful, and often amusing book.

You need it!

This book is one of the better collections of how-to's and practical applications I've read on Agile user stories. It mixes in just enough of the theory to understand the importance and distinctions of epics, stories, tasks, and spikes without overly focusing on them. Then, it uses real-world examples in common language to walk you through some of the messier implementations of Agile, and provides specific guidance on how to make things work in less than ideal situations. I found this book particularly helpful for me personally, as well as for one of our less experienced Scrum Master's at work.

I have seen other presentations and publications from this author and he really seems to know his stuff, plus it's really easy to read. I'm a consultant and trainer and find this to be an excellent reference. There are lots of examples and the book is very easy to read. You also don't have to be involved in Agile development to find this useful, as I also use the concepts for developing user roles and focusing on user goals as a primary function even in a Waterfall development world.

I'm pretty much allergic to any form of requirements documentation. Change control makes my skin itch, and big up front planning makes me vomit. But I also am not totally comfortable with winging it all the time. As a project manager, I need to get a sense of how big the project is, what are the pieces and parts, and how will the product be used. And I need it fast, flexible, and without much overhead. Oh yeah, don't forget I have to also be able to use it to plan iterations, drive development and testing, and report status. All without making comprehensive documentation more important than working software or processes and tools more important than individuals and interactions.

That's why I'm glad I discovered User Stories Applied: For Agile Software Development by Mike Cohn. It is a short, practical explanation of how to plan, estimate, and execute an agile project with user stories. These lightweight requirements never get in the way or replace conversations with users and customers. Instead, they help you keep track of what you're going to build and serve as a reminder to talk to SME's about what they mean. You can use them to report status, to plan iterations, and to get an overview of the product's feature set.

I wholeheartedly endorse this book for all project or product managers.

Mike does a great job explaining user stories and agile principles. Very readable and even enjoyable. This book concerns itself mainly with the 'ideal' situation: brand new product development, and does not focus on other nuances such as improvements to existing products, customer-reported defects, validated environments. That's not a criticism, as this book isn't supposed to be the unabridged encyclopedia of user stories, but I plan to read some of Mike's other books... where, hopefully, he will cover such topics

As you'll read in other reviews this book does a great job of laying the foundation on how to implement XP as a development process using user stories, iterations, and other concepts used in XP.

Where the book goes a little overboard is with some drawn out stories and examples that could be cut down. In reality I think this book could almost have 1/3 less long and been a 5 star book.

If you want to know what is going on under the hood, thn this is THE book.
Every chapter is very in depth with good examples. Definite YES for the geek inside you. 5 Stars.

I love reading Richter's books. When you think that there's no room left for improvement you get a title like this one. Wow!
Where other books present the subject matter this one gives you knowledge. Improves on the previous one.
Covers new topics like generics or nullable types. Just can't wait to see what Richter will do with linq!

I'm more of a Java and Ruby developer, but I found this book fun to read anyway. It's a great read to understand how languages interact with core libraries and how it all fits together inside of a virtual runtime environment. Very well done.

The book is oriented toward experienced programmers. It provides an introduction to the CLR and describes some intermediate topics in detail. Advanced topics are mentioned, but the coverage of advanced topics (such as CLR hosting) is shallow.

If you are an experienced programmer who is new to the CLR and C#, this is a great text. If you already understand the CLR and are looking for more information about advanced techniques, this book is probably not for you.

Most of what needs to be said about this book has already been said. But I feel a need add my two cents, if only to toss another five stars out there.

Really, this one is an example of what a good technical book should be. It's style is both understandable and unpretentious and it covers topics with depth and clarity. The overall organization is such that it never seemed like that terms, ideas, and concepts were being used that had not been introduced previously. Reading this book was a true pleasue and I know I will be referring back to it many times.

The book provides a developer's view of the internals of the .Framework and its CLR. It's more than you need to know to hammer out a lot of code. But if you want to build really good apps - or just want to know what .NET is all about - buy the book, read it, and keep in at hand.

I disagree with those who have reviewed this book as suitable for unexperienced programmers. Java 2: A Beginner's Guide is a solid and well written book but in my opinion it is not a book for someone who has no or very little programming experience.

The first couple of chapters are fairly easy to follow but later chapters become somewhat difficult for the novice. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who has prior programming experience in Fortran or C but if you are looking to learn Java as your first real computer language you should look elsewhere first.

I would compare Java to learning calculus. Something you really should not do before completing arithmetic or algebra. I would recommend getting your feet wet with something like RealBasic (www.realbasic.com) which, for example, introduces the concept of classes in a much more manageable format. Another great approach would be the programming language of 4D (www.4d.com). Both of these are available as free full working demo downloads and would give you an easier slide into the programming world.

After taking a class on Java, I bought this book to review based on other reviewers comments and it's low used price. I was not disappointed. This is an excellent value for the beginner/intermediate. Written clearly and plainly there is no wasted space in the book. You will need another source for swing/graphics (perhaps the newer editions?) but as a beginner's guide this book truly delivers.

If Herb Schildt wrote it, it's gotta be good. I find his explanations very accessible and easy to follow for this non-programmer. If it weren't for the explanations and examples in his book, I'd never have gotten a passing grade in my class. It was far more useful than the textbook (or the professor, for that matter).

I use this book as an alternative source for students in my introduction classes. They repeatedly give me excellent comments about this book. They consistently find the book helpful.

This is very easy to follow and does not assume any previous prgramming experience for real and gives very good explaination chapter wise.

As RED's editor, my policy is never to be the one posting these--even when readers email to tell me they're too young or don't have/can't open Amazon accounts. No one wants to hear it from me. Ewwwww. But in this case, an exception because I love that a boy was moved enough by RED to be bothered to spread the word. Plus, it's the 4th of July and I'm all for more generous American relations with the rest of the world. Here's what James Shepherd, a 23-year-old MALE fan in London, posted two days ago on Amazon UK (no account for the US version):

"An enjoyable and educational read for all teens! The book contains 58 essays by young American women. All the essays are accounts of real events from the viewpoint of the author. From how the events of 911 affected some, to hurricane katrina, from bullying to boys and beauty.

I originally got this book because of one essay in it that i wanted to read...i ended up reading the whole thing! (in about 4 days i might add)
This book is so amazing! I think all young women should read this book, which is why i am making my sister read it. I hope she learns from it. I just wish i had read this when i was a teen i might have had a better understanding of you lot lol."

Posting this review on behalf of my 13-year-old daughter who doesn't have her own amazon account:

"Books written by older generations to ours about being a teenager are
stupid and irritating. Finally here is a book from our generation
telling it like it is."

The world really is a different place for our girls than it was when we were growing up. This book has helped this particular irritating mother get a clue.

From the introduction by editor Amy Goldwasser, Red: The Next Generation of American Writers provides countless insights about today's adolescent women, through the eyes of 58 essayists from around the U.S.
Goldwasser, a long-time editor and free-lance writer, culled the collection from more than 800 entries she received after sending out an e-mail to a group of friends, asking them to put her in touch with teen-age girls who might be interested in contributing to a collection of essays. She edited very little and found the essays fell into eight, natural categories: body image (the vast majority of essays fell into this category), family, school, friendships, crushes and sex, extracurricular, media and pop culture and a chapter she subtitled "Battle Cries."
"As opposed to a collection held together by adult writers on a single theme," Goldwasser writes, "the essays in Red have, really, only one thing in common. It's their heart."
Indeed, these girls open their hearts wide, pouring out love and anger and frustration and attitude in a riotous, ever-widening stream of consciousness. Some voices seem polished and thoughtful, others carve words from raw emotion. They discuss subjects as intimate as a sexual relationship, as excruciating as suicide attempts and eating disorders, as touching as a tribute to a lost friend and as hysterically funny as the kind of incomprehensible behavior that comes with having a crush.
Three of the essays come from Michigan girls, including twins Hannah and Sarah Morris, who confront not only their similarities, but their differences. Though biologically identical, they seem quite different in outlook and voice; according to Sarah, they look different as well. She worries about her sister's weight and the toll she believes it will take in the future. Hannah focuses more attention on their family relationships and what it means to be a twin. What they share in sisterhood, however, far outshines any differences.
These glimpses into the hearts of young women show us not only how today's generation differs in its dependence on technology and its powerful impact on relationships and education, but also how much these young women share with previous generations. We all fell in love with boy-out-of-reach, we all came to terms with our first bras, we all loved/hated our mothers.
And in Red, we now have a platform upon which to share these memories, these bits and pieces of the female collective.

RED is the most truthful book on my shelf. These girls' stories are potent, there is no watering down--everybody can find a piece of her(or his)self in here.

This collection of essays compiled by Amy Goldwasser is nothing less than a masterpiece, as it eschews the typical teenage bubble-gum-book syndrome in favor of a richly detailed, complex, emotive and, above all, substantial body of work from an array of teenage young women as diverse as their topics.

A standout is Carey Dunne's hysterical essay, "Gym at Riverton," about surviving gym class at private school. Also exceptional: Kathryn Pavia's essay "The Fourth Floor," which is an account of her brother's ilnness, but done in an incredibly subtle, heartbreaking way that unfolds in a dream-like manner, showing the mundane, unlikely things we notice and react to, in times of sadness. It's stunning in its maturity and restraint. This writer, as with others in this book, will go far.

The book goes from specific to broad, serious to comical, abstract to photographically-detailed. In sum, both teenagers and their parents will find it richly rewarding, and conversation-provoking. Gimmicky book concepts, especially for teens, come and go, but classic essay writing like this is something that will endure. -S.

I read the whole book in two nights. It's now next to my desk as a first hand reference.

Very good for anyone that want to understand the full potential of Adwords.

J.I. Hernandez
[...]

This book is outstanding. I give it my highest rating. The Author (Howie Jacobson) has taken a massive topic, cut it up into bite sized pieces and served it up in business boosting scoops. I have a tendancy to buy everything, and frankly, I was shocked with the quality of this book. Because of the "Dummies" brand I had totally underestimated the quality of this book. I own a number of similar books that cover the same ground but NONE that are as valuable as this one.

This book is EXCELLENT! Best I have EVER read for google, analytics, etc.

The reason I found so much value with this book is that it offers:

* actionable ideas (no guessing what I'm suppose to do)
* easy to digest material ( great job teaching)
* entertaining as hell (keeps me going)

Many books of this nature are dry and filled with lots of technical jargon. I found this book like a ray of light... a breath of fresh air for non-tech people like me in a TECH world.

If you want a book that you will actually understand, that will get you excited about these topics and that you will actually implement, buy this book today.

This is a very good book with full of good in-depth insights into Google's Adwords. I strongly recommend Google advertisers to buy this book.

So far this book is right on the money and has helped me set up a couple of campaigns already and I knew nothing from the start. I highly recommend this book both as a learning tool and a reference. The authors website has alot of cool stuff too.

I originally read this book to specialize in Google. I read this book 3 times before I started my Adwords account. I use Adwords as a vehicle to sell product through the internet. Howie makes sense. He shows you the good and the bad side of Adwords. Before trying to take on Adwords, read this book first; it'll save you a lot of money!
Since reading this book, I have become a Certified Google Advertiser, thanks to Howie. He always updates his students (fans) with the latest Google news. This book could get a lot of people out of corporate world and work for themselves. I am almost making just as much money using Adwords as I do at my regular job. Don't dive in headfirst into Google Adwords, read the Adwords for Dummies first!!!

I have used these books since Access 97. Absolutely invaluable to learn how to do anything you want. Don't expect it to cover what's in help, they go where help doesn't.

Is there going to be a 2007 version?

This book has everything you will need to creat Access based applications. A ton of great advice and clean coding. The index is very useful and well written.

I purchased this 2 book set in hopes of advancing my knowledge of Access and VBA. I could not find any useful information on functions such as DateAdd, DatePart, Nz, DLookup, DSum, DCount, etc. These are major parts of Access and are very useful once you learn them, but the Developers Handbook does not even cover these functions and how to use them. Or if it does, you can't find out where by searching the index. I've yet to find any information I'm looking for in these books.

It has already been said, Simply the best! I'm finding more and more Web sites/threaded discussions using or pointing to the code found in the Access Developer's Handbook and VBA Developer's Handbook.

The ShellBrowse functions alone to be extremely helpful.

Thanks to Ken, Paul, and Mike

I am a software developer and have been in business since 1982. I have never gotten more bank for my buck than with these books. I didn't think Access was worth a flip for program development until I bought these books. I have since developed a vertical market package for the seafood industry that sells itself by demo. Thanks Ken, Paul and Mike.

This man makes a promise of a written format that can be followed. The writtng is NOT CLEAR and leaves much to the readers imagination of to what exactly the format should be. There is no CD so that you can see how the step by step process works. He names his files but does not show the real differences between how he is set up and how you can set up to fit your needs. I waisted my money. He claims in the book there is support which at best is terrible.

The worst book I have ever bought on coding. If I were you try another writter.

This is a good book. It teaches many useful techniques and how lots of "how to" ideas. However, the faux site that is created isn't goal oriented which left me feeling like the book was just a collection of random things to do. It seemed disorganized at times when you would or wouldn't create another page from scratch vs. revamping one you had already made. It was not always clear why you would be better to take one approach vs. the other. Setting up the localhost environment was somewhat confusing, though not too bad.

I will definitely use it frequently. Good information, good book, good deal.

This book is written very clearly and is really easy to follow. I've learned a lot of other really useful stuff than just the PHP content, things that I now realise I should have been taught by the official Dreamweaver 8 book, but weren't. The PHP content for which I bought this book is fantastic - much better than another generic PHP/MySQL I have read, as this is tailored to the Dreamweaver 8 environment which takes a lot of the guessing out of the equation. This book is written by and for people who use Dreamweaver 8 in a practical situation. I'm still less than half way through my book and already feel like I've learned much more than I expected. Highly recommended. I'll be checking out Mr Powers' other books when I finish this one. Thanks David Powers, you're a genius!

This is a very good book for learning PHP, and surprisingly, most of the examples work right out of the book as he's written them, which seems rare for a programming book these days. The projects that he has you complete are highly relevant to what you'd actually be doing with PHP, and that makes it even better.

The only trouble I had with this book was that he sure packed a lot of information into each chapter, and he didn't use the sidebars as much as I would have hoped. It's easy enough to follow along with the examples the first time, but if you want to go back again and figure out how he programmed a small detail, you'll never find it unless you reread the whole chapter again. All it would have taken was a few little bullets here and there in the margins to point out some of the off-topic stuff that was going on in the examples, and the book would be much more functional as a reference. As it stands, I probably will have to get a whole new book for that purpose.

Also, the support on this book is phenomenal. I missed a small detail in Chapter 6 that caused my script to fail, and when I posted on the book's message board, I had a reply from the author in less than a day. That's a really cool added bonus.

I am a frontpage user that has set up static pages in a web site. I needed to move from static pages to dynamic pages using a database. I couldn't use PHP with FrontPage so I switched to Dreamweaver and needed a book that covered both dynamic pages and Dreamwaver. This book walked me through setting up the environment to have Dreamweaver work with Apache, PHP, MySQL and phpMyAdmin. I am completely non-technical so these areas were beyond my comfort zone but the book walked me through it very successfully. It then took me through CSS styles, setting up an online feedback form, setting up my first database and tying it into Dreamweaver. It also showed how to insert, delete and maintain records in order to keep the database up to date. This was an excellent book for a non-techie as it didn't take any knowledge for granted.

I bought this book because I've read very good reviews. I found this book amazing. This books shows you how to make good designs and develop in J2EE, all the chapters with full of comments from Rod's experience. Many of the concepts of this book were later applied in Spring framework. I strongly recommend read this book for advanced Java developers.

This book is for all level developers who have interest on J2EE platform and development. In spite of the complicated technology, it can let readers digest the knowledge without difficulty. On the other hand, the main theme of author(J2EE without EJB) has become popular trends nowaday and the whole idea can be found in this book.

Frankly, this book has gotten a little long in the tooth. One might say that, from the products it mentions and evaluates, it is out of date. But never mind!

Rod applies principles that never go out of date - only the examples do - or seem to. A product is stuck with its basic design forever. Thus a critique of the 2002 version of Struts is as valid as a critique of the 2007 version.

Pros: Readable. Insightful. It will make you a better architect.

Cons: Typos (how do chapters get mis-numbered in the ToC?!?) It really should be in a high-quality hard binding (though the binding is quite good for paper).

Summary: 'J2EE Design...' is worth much more than its weight in gold. Buy it. READ IT!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, particularly well-thought out design guidelines for developing J2EE application with or without EJB. The author introduced several best practices particularly the concepts and usage of Spring and Hibernate based j2ee development is quite helpful. In addition to this book, I find patterns and bestpractices from "Core J2EE Patterns /Deepak Alur", "Core Security Patterns /Christopher Steel" and "Enterprise Integration Patterns /Gregor Hohpe" would be helpful - especially if you are building a enterprise-class j2ee applications.
Now the downside, the book needs a complete revision to include changes with J2EE 1.4. The CODE SAMPLES explained in this book does'nt work now - please update.

It is a great book. But I give it only 4 stars is because it is hard to read. English is my 2nd language. I cannot read this book quickly. I even need check dictionary at least 2 times per page. I do not have the same problem when read other tech books.
"What is WebSphere" is another book I like. Also help me to learn system level stuff. It is much easier to read. Though it does not have so many stuff like Johnson's book.
I would like to suggest the auther to consider many tech readers are not very good at English.

This is a wonderful book! The instructions are easy to follow and all of the games are fun. I liked the fact that the finished games are on the CD so you could see what they are like while you are working on them.

As a special education teacher, I would like to think that I have a keen eye for books that can hold my student's interests while meeting their diverse needs. The Game Maker Apprentice does that and more. The only negative comment I have heard about this book from a student is that it does not cover modern three dimensional game programming. My response, you have to learn how to crawl and walk before you can run.
Game Maker Apprentice achieves its goals masterfully, and I will continue to use it to teach game programming with my students.

I have started using the Game Maker's Apprentice book and it is well written and has easy to follow directions. I am sure I will enjoy creating games with it.

This book, and the accompanying software, provide a FUN way to create some games. I used this book with four teenagers (ages 12-17) and they had a blast! I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to learn more about how games work, while having fun at the same time.

I downloaded Game Maker 7.0 and read its manual prior to purchasing this book.

My hope was that it would fill in the "holes" not explained by the program manual.

First, the good.

The book gives an excellent explanation of program logic and keeps things simple and effective for any experience level.

I also liked the fact that you could read the book and see examples without actually completing the tutorials.

I especially liked the way the book would demonstrate a particular game tutorial with an easy-to-read flow chart.

So if you didn't understand the Game Maker's manual this book IS for you.

Here is where my 3.5 star rating comes in.

I paid about $25 for the book to go beyond the program manual.

The book had a couple of the tutorials that were listed on Yo-Yo games web site. I don't like the idea of paying for something that is provided for free. However, it gave a better explanation of Game Maker's interface.

Although you can make a fully functioning game without programming, I was hoping for more guidance on Game Maker Language (GML), which you will need in fine tuning games created with Game Maker.

I was also hoping for more variety in the tutorials. Not everyone may want to make an action oriented game. For example, I wanted to make a little board game, but that isn't discussed in the book. Hopefully, it will be covered in the next edition or another book.

I still recommend the book, but make sure you are getting it for the right reasons. Review the PDF file and sample text carefully looking at the table of contents and index. You might be able to accomplish your goals by reading Game Maker's manual and looking through the forums.