Programming Books


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Programming Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Programming
jQuery in Action
Published in Paperback by Manning Publications (2008-02-07)
Authors: Bear Bibeault and Yehuda Katz
List price: $39.99
New price: $22.28
Used price: $27.46

Average review score:

Excellent Guide to JQuery
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19
Covers all the major elements to understanding the power behind JQuery. Makes Javascript much easier to tolerate.

Rock solid way to learn jQuery quickly
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-03
I rarely write reviews for the books I read, but with this one a review isn't that hard. First and foremost, this book assumes that you already have some solid knowledge on web design (CSS, HTML, and Javascript). There is a quick chapter on javascript in the appendix that helps but it's more of a friendly reminder of javascript concepts that anything else. It's also good to have an understanding of some of the more advanced CSS selectors that are in the CSS3 specification. This isn't a requirement but you'll get a bit more out of it if you do. jQuery has some very powerful ways of selecting elements and you can use some of the CSS3 selector statements even if the browser doesn't support it. Very cool stuff! The authors do a great job of explaining things with detailed code and real-world examples (which you can download and run yourself if you wish to follow along). They also do a good job of breaking everything down into a linear fashion that is easy to absorb and don't get ahead of themselves all that often. All in all, this is probably one of the best web development/design related books I've read in a while. I haven't quite finished yet but the half I have read is reqlly well written. I already feel like I have a firm grasp of the basic concepts of jQuery and could probably start using it a bit. Bravo to the authors for writing a solid book on jQuery!

Made the whole learning process much more enjoyable
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30
I have solid JavaScript skills and plenty of experience, but at first I wasn't feeling 100% comfortable using jQuery; I was able to be productive very quickly, but failed to feel at home using it. This book was exactly what I was looking for. jQuery has its own way to approach many problems and, in my case, I almost had to "unlearn" certain habits and embrace the idiomatic alternatives offered by the library. jQuery in Action helped me a lot in the process, saved me some time and made the whole learning process much more enjoyable. I wish there was more space dedicated to ui.jQuery, but I understand that's a topic worth a dedicated book.

Great Book, Best Ajax Library
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29
This is just an excellent book all around. It's well-written. No BS to wade through (just the stuff you need to get going with jQuery). It has excellent online tools to download so you can really get into jQuery and how it works (they call it a Lab page -- it's a set of HTML pages that you download and use to test tasks or theories in jQuery).

I haven't read too many books solely on Ajax frameworks but I cannot recommend this one enough. You'll be up and running with jQuery faster than you can imagine.

Great but why?
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-14
My brief research before the purchase of this book lead me to believe, that this is currently (July 2008) the best book on jQuery. After getting started with the book, I still think that's the case. Except if I consider online docs and tutorials as well. Online tutorials benefit jQuery from the fact that you can really try out and see what's happening. Sure you could download the code or type it down from the book, but the fact is that I ended up learning more about jQuery following interactive online tutorials than from reading the book.
Usually, I prefer reading a book on the couch instead of on a computer screen, but that's not how you learn jQuery. You have to try it. You have to play with it. And if you have to sit in front of your PC or Mac anyway, you might as well just follow an online tutorial.

Programming
Keynote for Mac OS X (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Published in Paperback by Peachpit Press (2003-06-17)
Author: Tom Negrino
List price: $19.99
New price: $22.87
Used price: $0.21

Average review score:

Solid book, good information and right price
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-26
I have not found any other good keynote book. This is informative, has lots of good information and more.Well done. Lots of good ideas, tips and tricks.

Now, this is how to write a how-to book!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-04
I have gone over this book from front to back and find that there is nothing that I found wanting in the book. I learned things I could use in every chapter.

If you don't own the book, use Keynote or want to use Keynote, this is the book for you.

I'm pleased as punch!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-28
Tom Negrino's book is all you will need to become a expert user of Keynote. Each process is broken down into easy-to-follow steps, including exactly which keystrokes are necessary. Especially useful are the many Tips and Screenshots that are included every chapter. I will be heartily recommending "Keynote for Mac OS X: Visual QuickStart Guide" to all of our Mac Users Group next week when I do a presentation on Keynote.

Wow!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-15
An excellent book for a beginner to Keynote or a seasoned veteran. Very easy to understand and very well written. The book flows seamlessly form one topic to the next. Great book!

forget the manual
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-16
Forget the manual, get this book instead, especially if you want to learn how Themes and Master slides are constructed. I run KeynoteUser.com and I was the tech editor on this book (I read every page, cover to cover). I also wrote the first draft of the chapter on building custom themes...all that to say I STILL learned things from this book while I was reading through it. There's stuff in there you just won't find anywhere else. And no, I don't get any royalties from the sale of the book (that all goes to Tom for his hard work), I just think it's something every Keynote user should own.

Programming
LabWindows/CVI Programming for Beginners (With CD-ROM)
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall PTR (2000-05-15)
Authors: Shahidf Khalid and Shahid F. Khalid
List price: $70.00
Used price: $400.00

Average review score:

Joe Philip's Review
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-05-02
I really liked this book of the way it is written for easy understanding and examples. Also the author is very helpful in adding more insights into the various topics and even to the extent of communicating with one on one. I really recommend this book to any programmer.

Much better than the user manual shipped with the product
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-16
Excellent book - does not waste words and full of useful code examples.

Great primer for the beginning CVI developer
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-25
I found the book a must have when you begin with CVI. It should be on your shelf right above your PC while you are on your 5th can of coke digging in code at 3 am. I was very pleased that the author responded back to my tech e_mail. He is a class guy. Thank you, Mr. Khalid

Great Book for Someone Starting Out
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-28
This is a really good book for someone who is starting out using Labwindows CVI. I had a little knowledge of C but the book really did a good job of filling in the blanks and refreshing my memory. After only reading the first few chapters I was programing great user interfaces over the GPIB. I have already recommended this book to a number of fellow students.

If you need to use LabWindows/CVI, get this book!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-05
This is truly an excellent book; a real must for any LabWindows/CVI beginner.

Each section uses well thought out examples to demonstrate the features and libraries available to the programmer. The topic areas covered in this book ensure that the user can quickly generate code that will produce professional looking solutions for any application. The GPIB and RS232 tutorials are superb, providing essential background information in both these crucial areas.

A real must for any CVI developer!

Programming
Losing Weight When Diets Fail: The Clinically Proven Power Programming Method for Amazingly Easy, Fail-Proof, Diet-Free Weight Loss
Published in Paperback by Harbor Press, Inc. (2007-05-25)
Author: Tom Kersting
List price: $16.95
New price: $6.59
Used price: $2.99

Average review score:

It worked for me
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-23
I lost 40 pounds by setting small goals and creating life style changes. I also used EFT tapping to get rid of the cravings. Then I hit a plateau for a while until I came across Dr Kersting's book. By reading the book and listening to the cd I was able to gain much better control over my eating habits than before. The cd also taught me how to relax more completely. The I lost another 10 pounds, started eating more healthy and my blood pressure went to normal.

a must-read for anyone who isn't yet perfect
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-26
i now believe i am capable of solving all my faults (some i'm not ready to give up). i want my skinny sister to read it because she smokes.

Brian D
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
Dr.Tom's book delivers what it says. I am no longer a slave to food.
No diet, just living. Thank you Dr. Tom

A great way to start a better life style.
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-05
I am the typical person who has tried every diet out there. This book ends all the yo yoing for me. The great thing is that you do not even realize you are doing it. The book is a great, easy read. The CD is a easy listen which comes with the book.

Easy and Effective
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-12
I, like many others, have tried most diets out there with little success. I've been listening to Dr. Kersting's program for a week and a half now and have seen differences in my attitudes toward food. Where I used to struggle with portion control and knowing when to stop eating, I began to instinctively and easily stop once I was satisfied. After listening to the Week Two Program for three days, I woke up one morning and hopped on the stationary bike that had been collecting dust for the past year. There was no big concerted effort involved; I just did it. Dr. Kersting's reprogramming has made it easy to eat only when I'm hungry and help me get active. I'm looking forward to completing the whole program and to seeing its continued results.

Programming
Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly))
Published in Paperback by O'Reilly Media, Inc. (2008-03-25)
Author: Scott Berkun
List price: $39.99
New price: $24.90
Used price: $24.90

Average review score:

A classic to put along other master pieces
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-10
[...]

In these last days of vacations, I've managed to finish reading this really cool book on project management. Even though I'm not a project manager, this was one of those books I've heard lots of good things about and I can tell you now (after finishing reading it) that I wasn't disappointed with it.

Besides being fun and easy reading, you'll find lots of great tips on this book. For instance, I'll be using some of the ideas presented on the Skills and Management parts on my work from now on. If you ask me, I'd say that the last chapter (Powers and Politics) is more than enough for justifying the book's price!

Overall, I'm giving it 9/10 and I'm putting it on my special reference shelf, where I've already got Peopleware (ok, I've just noticed that I haven't publish a review on this book on my blog. I'll do it on the next days), The mythical man-month, etc. So, if you haven't read this book and you're on the development business, do yourself a favor and pick a copy and then read it from cover to cover! You should to be a better professional after reading it!

Great foundation for new careers
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-02
Making things happen fills one of the gaping holes in MBA education. I learned quite a bit through trial and error over several years post MBA but this book would have been a welcome addition to any of my courses. If you have any reservations about managing projects, working in and leading teams, or generally being effective, get this book, read it cover to cover, and put all the great tips and insights to work ASAP.

Outstanding Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29
This is an outstanding book that speaks in a very practical way to the thorny problems that all projects face.

Many project management books are either theoretical or case-study based. Both approaches are valid and valuable, but Scott takes a third approach. He offers up a series of lessons and practice around the various classes of problems project managers run into -- especially people problems. "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy" (von Moltke) -- and Scott recognizes that the enemy most often is not entropy or planning software or supply-chain delays. Rather it is the spate of well-meaning folks who populate real-world projects and bring their various agendas into play. He shares useful and practical ideas about "winning over the enemy" where you can and working with and around them when you can't.

The book isn't entirely about people issues, of course, but the title "Making Things Happen" is indicative. How do you, as a project manager, work proactively not to keep your project from failing but rather to drive it to succeed?

Practical Advice on how to do IT
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
Scott writes good books, from his own experiance (credible) and they are fun and easy to read. I learn something with every book. Read them all.

Essential Buy For Project Managers
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-30
In the field of project management, 'Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management' is one of the finest books I have ever had the chance to peruse. From gathering ideas to managing teams and schedules, everything and anything is in this book that is a MUST BUY for all project managers or group leaders that want to update or learn new techniques for creating widgets in the real world and doing so efficiently and successfully. I think a chapter overview would be helpful to help the reader get an idea of the wonderous content contained within:

01. History of Project Management

I - PLANS

02. Schedules
03. What To Do
04. Vision
05. Ideas and how they come about
06. What do to with your great idea

II - SKILLS

07. Writing good specifications
08. Good decision-making
09. Communication and relationships
10. Process, Email, Meetings - Don't waste people's time
11. When things go wrong

III - MANAGEMENT

12. Leadership & Trust
13. Making things happen
14. Middle-game strategy
15. End-game strategy
16. Power and Politics

I was originally going to Highly Recommend this book but I think it's so fantastic I'm going to up it to HPR. If you are any way related to making progress at your job or possibly even life this can be useful, this book is a must read... NOW.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

Programming
Manage It!: Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management
Published in Paperback by Pragmatic Bookshelf (2007-06-07)
Author: Johanna Rothman
List price: $34.95
New price: $19.57
Used price: $24.96

Average review score:

A highly recommended acquisition for any business library.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
Plenty of books promise project management skills and most contain concrete, practical information - especially when it's applied on a case-by-case basis meeting certain conditions rather as a global strategy for everything. This book is for software managers but also for business managers who would understand the special applications and methods for building and managing projects. From using life cycles and creating a fine team to managing meetings and multiple projects and goals, MANAGE IT! YOUR GUIDE TO MODERN, PRAGMATIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT is a highly recommended acquisition for any business library.

Must have (and read) for every project manager
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-08
This book is years of experience condensed to its best. It addresses all important aspects of modern project management. It is objective towards many different processes but it clearly makes the point that agile is the best choice in most cases.

While reading this book, it opened my eyes again and again -- Yep, been there, seen that.

I encourage every project manager to read this book from beginning to end; this will put hooks in your mind to come back later and re-read the appropriate chapter when needed. After having read this book, it makes a great reference. I use it to make sure I have not overseen anything when reaching certain life cycle events.

Thanks Johanna, this book was overdue for a long time!

Agile Project Management for Any Lifecycle
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-11
Manage It! will help you understand how to manage projects effectively, taking into account the needs of the people working on the project as well as the needs of the business sponsors. In this regard Johanna Rothman follows in the steps of authors like Jerry Weinberg in showing you how to set up a project environment that helps software developers be more effective and thus be better able to deliver value to their customers. This book has lots of pragmatic advice on how to make progress and issues visible, how to plan a project, and most everything else you need to help a project come to a good conclusion. This book is unique in that while it discusses the benefits of agile lifecycles, it shows you how to make progress in a variety of software lifecycles, and how to introduce techniques that will help your team to be more effective even if they don't really "fit" into your defined process.

Buy this book if you want to be a more effective project manager (or technical lead who works with project managers), or if you want to be more agile but are not sure how. What I liked most about this book is the focus on how project management processes can help people be more (or less) effective; an understanding of the primary role of people in a project is key to being more agile.

Great insights into software project management
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-15
Every organization/team is different, the things that work well for one may or may not be applicable for another. It is not a beginner's book or a step by step guide to software project management. It's a great reference on things you can expect, what you can do about it and why you would want to do it that way. The great thing about this book is that it gives you the information to determine which practices you want to use and how to adapt it to your situation.

The best project management book EVER!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-27
Manage It! Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management by Johanna Rothman is the best project management reference I've ever read, and I've seen my share of project management tomes. Here's what I like best about the book: it's not theological. By this I mean Rothman doesn't advocate one "true" way of running projects. She is very careful to be continually cognizant of context when she talks about different approaches you might take. In this sense, she is very situational about prescribing solutions, which I like because it helps a project manager develop what I think is a critical attribute of a good project manager: good judgment.

One of my favorite chapters is Recognizing and Avoiding Schedule Games, which uses comic art and prose to explain and fix schedule games that can occur on projects. Here are a few from the book:
- Bring Me a Rock
- Hope Is Our Most Important Strategy
- Queen of Denial
- Sweep Under the Rug
- 90% Done
and so on, for a total of 16 entertaining schedule games that every project manager eventually needs to face.

Rothman is an entertaining writer with a knack for interesting prose and practical advice. Unlike most PM books I've read, I've not found anything yet where I was inclined to ignore her advice or felt an approach would require too much work and yield too little benefit. She definitely has a propensity toward simple, sustainable approaches to project management, something I sincerely appreciate due to my strong disdain for any approach with substantial overhead.

Another great feature of this book is you can read it out of order, either by opening it randomly or by simply reading the sections that interest you at the moment or that apply to problems you are struggling with.

Buy it. Try it. It's worth it.

Programming
Microsoft® Office Word 2003 Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft))
Published in Paperback by Microsoft Press (2003-10-15)
Author: Online Training Solutions Inc.
List price: $24.99
New price: $15.19
Used price: $13.50

Average review score:

Word 2003 Step by Step
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-24
Well laid out manual for learning some of the finer secrets of using Word 2003.

Great study material
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-14
This book tells you exactly what you need to know for the exam. I was able to concentrate on the proper information without worry. I passed the exam first time :D

Great Book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-26
This book is for everyone, novice, intermediate and experts (who need a refreshers course). Its plain and to the point. There was one section of it that was not quite right, however, this is no fault of the seller but the writers of the book. Once you over look that it works just as stated in the book. The book got to my freight forwarder quicker than I expected.

Microsoft Office Word 2003 Step by Step
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-31
Fast shipping. Book received in same great condition as described on website. All in all, an A+ transaction.

Word 2003 Step by Step. Finally, a manual that helps!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-14
I've been using Word 2000 for years. I was finally able to get most of thr functions I needed to work, but it was a "try & try again" approach. The on line manual is helpful, IF you know what questions to ask. And most software has features you might not be aware of, and therefore can't use.

The Word 2003 Step by Step manual is wonderful. You can find what you want to do easily in the index, then get step by step instructions on how to do the project. You can just read the index and/or manual, and learn of the many features available that you never knew existed, and so hadn't tried to use.

It's like having an instructor on hand, any time you want one. I expanded my use of Word greatly, just by learning about new features, on learning how to do things I knew existed, but couldn't figure out how to access.

I highly recommend this book.

Programming
Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas
Published in Paperback by Basic Books, Inc. (1982-03-16)
Author: Seymour Papert
List price: $12.00
New price: $4.99
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $12.00

Average review score:

Continuing Truth
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-26
This truth about how to learn still stands, while so many notions have drifted away and died. As someone who adores children and has mentored many, I've observed again and again the demonstration of Papert's points. And because he's such an odd duck -- having expertise in both technology and learning/development -- the book can offer practical examples of how this understanding can be actually applied. I'm so grateful that people are still seeing the value of this landmark book.

a great book about a revolution in education
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-06
Mindstorms is not just about the programming language called Logo. It is about Turtle Graphics and it's application to education. The author explains Turtle Graphics which is combination of programming and geometry. He then puts Turtle Graphics to use explaining how to do draw complicated shapes with it. Finally the author explains the theory behind his insights which is built on the contributions of Piaget a important researcher into the way children understand the world. I greatly enjoyed this book. Papert explains how to combine the process of programming with the process of learning. He shows how to make what is cerebral into a concrete process that children can understand.

Children direct collaborative learning with computers.
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-07-28
This is a book that anyone interested in present-day education of children everywhere should find time to read. For a few weeks, in the summer of 2001, I introduced teenagers in the W. E. B. DuBois Scholars' Program, held on the campus of Princeton University, to the Logo computer programming language invented by the author of this book, MIT professor, Seymour Papert. A leader in the DuBois program sought me out to congratulate me and quoted the students as having repeated over and over that they were ecstatic about what they were learning in my class and that it alone was worth their live-in participation. Indeed, I saw the glow in their eyes and a strong desire to be explorers with Turtle Graphics. Ditto for when I joined fellow volunteers from the MIT Alumni Club of New York City to employ Lego to guide the learning of robotics at Hunter College Elementary School for gifted students in upper Manhattan.

There is something engaging about the constructivist learning philosophy advocated in Professor Papert's books, beginning with the first edition of this book, [1980]. The open secret was that these students directed their collaboration with the computer in their own journey to discover knowledge and this book explains the confluence of ideas from science, mathematics and modeling that brings about this immersion. When a child can learn, in one week, how recursion works in mathematics, a topic normally taught in graduate courses in computer science, someone has donated a gift!

The challenge to teachers looking for traditional instructions for students in this setting is that this approach is relatively rule-agnostic and that makes some people feel uncomfortable. There is a chapter titled "Instructionism versus Constructionism" in a book, The Children's Machine, Papert's follow-up progress report on learning, after more than three million computers had been employed in American elementary schools, thirteen years after the ideas in Mindstorms were first published. For more adventurous K-12 students, opportunities to use legions of turtles, acting simultaneously, to model and simulate complex, dynamic systems like traffic jams are provided within a related language, StarLogo, and the results are startling and sometimes paradoxical.

At the risk of being immodest, I volunteer that one of my sons started his education in an atmosphere implementing Papert's ideas -- MIT's Tech Child Care Center -- in 1977 and went on to graduate from Stanford University in 1996. This environment galvanizes and sustains the curiosity, creativity and imagination of children - preach it to all who would listen!

A Classic
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-21
This book provides an introduction to Papert's thinking concerning the learning and teaching of math. Prior to developing the LOGO language described in this book, Papert worked closely with Piaget in Switzerland for 5 years. While in Switzerland, Papert observed many of Piaget's experiments with children and the development of their understanding of mathematical concepts. Following Piaget, Papert believed that the math learning that the child comes to know best and that stays with the child always comes from experience and cognition, not from explicit teaching or rote practice. He noted, however, that there were certain mathematical concepts that children should come to know, but that they wouldn't ordinarily learn from experience alone because they might not come across these ideas in ordinary life. This is why he invented the programming language LOGO--a toy that children could play with, experiment with, manipulate, and through doing so, gradually come to call their own the mathematical concepts needed for their games.

To make LOGO attractive to kids, he included a "turtle" as the central figure of the language. The turtle carried a pen that could be used to trace the turtle's movement through the play area or on a computer screen. The challenge was for kids to write programs in LOGO that would instruct the turtle how to move and when to use the pen so that it would draw shapes in the forms that they wanted. When the turtle didn't make the shapes they wanted, they were instructed to "be the turtle," in order to understand the turtle's perspective, and to figure out how they needed to adjust their programs. According to Papert, even kids who showed no interest in math in the regular classroom began showing dramatic improvements in their math skills when given a chance to play with the turtle. Unfortunately, when turtle math was first introduced, many teachers tried teaching a turtle math class the same way they taught regular math class, with lectures and assignments. In doing so, they lost the playful aspects of the program, and kids didn't relate to it as well as they might have if the teachers had followed Papert's guidelines.

When turtle math was first invented, Papert's team created a small robot turtle that kids could play with and program. In the years that followed, the programmable turtle eventually developed into the Lego Mindstorms programmable brick, which doesn't quite sound as cute and fuzzy, but actually allows even more creative play than the turtle, since kids can choose what kinds of forms the robot should take. One of the more fascinating aspects of this book is the historical documentation it provides of Papert's thinking at the time, and his reasoning behind LOGO and turtle math. When an idea for a revolution in teaching methodology goes from just an idea, to a system that is being used for teaching engineering and science in classrooms around that world, and is even being sold successfully in regular commercial channels as a toy, it's worth getting to know better, as can be done through reading this book. Teachers in classrooms using Lego or other robots could benefit greatly from reading this classic book detailing the early history behind programmable robots and the way Papert envisioned them being used for learning.

EIGHT STARS -- A Breakthrough in Natural Learning
Helpful Votes: 32 out of 32 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-19
This is the best book I have ever read on how to assist people to learn for themselves. Papert began his work by collaborating with Jean Piaget, and then applied those perspectives in a self-programming language designed to help children learn math and physics.

Papert explains Piaget's work and provides case studies of how the programming language, LOGO, can help. He provides a wonderful contrasting explanation of the weaknesses of how math and physics are usually taught in schools.

I learned quite a few things from this that I did not know before. People are very good at developing theories about why things work the way they do. I knew that these theories are almost always wrong. What I did not realize is that if you give the person a way to test their theory, the person will keep devising new theories until they hit on one that works. What is usually missing in education is the means to allow that testing to occur.

An especially imaginative part of this book were the discussions of how to create theory testing solutions that are much simpler and easier to apply than any school problem you ever saw in these subjects. Papert works from a very fundamental and deep understanding of math and physics to reach the heart of the most useful thought processes for applying these subjects. It is thrilling to read about what you have known for many years, and to suddenly see it in a totally different and improved perspective.

Another benefit I got from this book were plenty of ideas for how to help my teenage daughter with her math. She is very verbal, and Papert points out that math seldom teaches a vocabulary for talking about math. As a result, she memorizes a lot and gets dissociated from the subject. I got a lot of ideas for how to encourage her to personalize the concepts and problems by moving her own body. From that I realized that I often solve the same kinds of problems by recalling physical situations I have been in. But I have failed to help her make that connection because I was unaware of it on a conscious level.

If you want to improve as a learner, help others learn better and faster, or simply want to understand more about different ways to think, this is a great book. I hope that all teachers get a chance to read and apply it.

Enjoy learning more!

Programming
Mvs/JCL Quick Reference Guide
Published in Paperback by Q E D Pub Co (1993-09)
Author: Olivia R. Carmandi
List price: $9.95

Average review score:

Great Book!! Loaded with Best Practice Techniques...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-30
This book is loaded with information on how to code JCL efficiently. We cut the run time for a 12 hour job to 3 hours using this book. I highly recommend the book for IT Professionals working with JCL.

HELPFULL BOOK , A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE WHO WORKS WITH JCL
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-13
This book is loaded with practical and valuable information. Excellent tool--even experienced IT professionals will benefit from the tips and techniques.

Excellent quick reference tool
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-29
This JCL publication has all the parameters and statements most often used. The book also presents the most efficient and effective means to code the most common JCL parameters and statements. Olivia Carmandi hit the bullseye, writing a book that contains practical day to day answers in an easy to use format and size, an appealing tool to the busy IS professional.

This is an outstanding book that addresses and responds to the needs of its target audience in a very time efficient, practical, and helpful manner. Five stars.

MVS(OS/390)/JCL Quick Reference Guide
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-24
A good little book for the most commonly used JCL and ideal for someone who does not have to deal with JCL on an everyday bases. The format is easy to follow and book size makes is easy to slip it into you pocket.

OS/390 MVS JCL Quick Reference Guide
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-05
The focus of this book is on developing your survival skills quickly, helping you grasp and understand major concepts and terms so you can be productive in days; not weeks or months. JCL is an intense and complex computing skill and highly-valued in the industry. Traditionally, learning JCL takes years, learning small components at a time. Many programmers and operators eventually give up the chase. This book will help ensure that you don't. To paraphrase the line, "this is not your father's JCL manual." This book is not a thousand pages of prose, explaining every conceivable element that might appear in JCL. Instead, it focuses on what is actually being used in the computing world and packages it for easy consumption. I wish such a book had been available when I was learning JCL many years ago.

Happy Reading!! David Shelby Kirk

Programming
Object Oriented Programming in C++
Published in Paperback by Wiley (2002-06-15)
Authors: Nicolai M. Josuttis and Nicolai Josuttis
List price: $80.00
New price: $15.00
Used price: $12.72

Average review score:

Well written, good examples
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
Nicolai clearly knows his material very well, yet is able to talk at a comprehensible level. He doesn't dwell on the basics (what is a loop?), and on the other hand, doesn't get into all the arcane features of C++. I think it is a good book for anyone who already knows some programming (not necessarily C or C++), but is still enjoyable and informative for people familiar with C++.

Most examples are complete, concise programs demonstrating the concept. Code is well written and commented. He first gives the file listing, then dissects each new piece to explain what it does and why. Common errors and subtleties are explained. Often he shows several alternative ways of implementing a feature, and explains the pros and cons of each. For instance, implementing an operator first as a member function and then as a global function.

Where a feature may be better implemented with topics covered later, or is covered in more depth later, a page reference is provided. For example, input is first covered with rudimentary error handling, with a forward page reference to the version with improved error handling available using exceptions.

Some of the design rationale behind C++ and the standard library is also given, such as why the std::stack pop() function doesn't return the top element, for exception safety. This helps the reader appreciate the inherent difficulties and to incorporate similar solutions into their own code.

He covers the standard library (STL) and templates in enough detail to be useful, but really a separate reference on these topics is required. In this respect, his C++ Templates book is an excellent companion. (I expect his book The C++ Standard Library to be useful, but can't yet say from experience.)

Good Start Point for Professionals
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
This is a quite good book for professional programmers who are new to c++. Especially for designers and architects. In other words, without the knowledge described in this book, you can never design professional quality software written in C++. Also good for those who want to graduate from 'C++ as better C'.

GOOD BOOK, BUT....
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 21 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-16
THIS IS A GOOD C++ BOOK BUT THE AUTHOR DOES NOT RESPOND TO E-MAILS AND THE BOOK SELLS FOR $55.00 RETAIL, BUT PRICED HERE AT $60.00.

Pure C++ Tutorial
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-14
In my point of view, this book is one if not the best book I have ever read so far in C++. The author knew exactly what the reader needs to know and presented them in a clear and concise manner. It has very well written & easy to read C++ code samples. For a beginner to intermediate in C++, I think this book is for you as it walks you through a step by step approach to learning C++. The knowledge you would learn at the end of reading will make you feel better and comfortable in using C++. There are books out there that I've found boring if not too advanced at my level, I wish this influence you not to put yourself into that experience.

Thanks Nicolai for putting this together, a wonderful book that will surely help many people that are interested to learn C++.

C++ enthusiast
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-17
I am an engineer (not a computer scientist), and my primary computer language is Visual Basic. I have written a good amount of code and I appreciate VB technology very much. (The fact is that this technology works good and cheap enough in wide scope of practical needs).
I wanted to extend my knowledge in computer programming languages and I began to study C++ computer language. At some point I discovered about the existence of the Standard C++ and I understood that, in my case, the right approach must be studying exactly the Standard C++. Finally I did find my personnel "Entry Point" within Nicolai's very nice book! While I often refer to other books as well, I do use the "Object Oriented Programming in C++" as main base point.
The Author demonstrated:
1. Deep understanding of the subject.
2. Strong defending of the idea of the Standard C++.
3. Carefully marking the commons and differences between C++ and C programming languages.
4. Great attention to the detail.
5. Clear explanations of the definitions.
6. Perfect cross references.
7. Generous sharing with the reader.
8. Excellent style!
Thanks a lot for the excellent job!
The Publisher did a good job as well. The book is easy to read and follow. Thanks!


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