Unlike many books on this subject, this one is clear and concise, an excellent introduction and actually interesting to read. It is also handsomely illustrated and designed. As a novice, I've been looking for a book on Feng Shui for some time, and at long last found one that is well written and easy to understand.

When asked what he would do if he became Emperor, Confucius replied: "rectify the language." This is what Sharp has done for the student of Feng Shui. The result? An indispensible new book that I use daily.

Happily free of the psychobabble that infects most books on this complex subject. Sharp opens the door to a fascinating new world. Definitely THE book to own on Feng Shui.

In all my years of living, it is obvious that blacks are the most racist people of all. While they constantly blame their misfortunes and crimes on racial disadvantage, their intense racism against whites, Jews, and Asians betray their hypocritical attitude. Perhaps this book can serve to enlighten them on this matter. But the trouble is, the blacks who need to read this the most do not know how to read, so I am at a lost as to how this book can help decrease racism in our society.

As the author of No Partiality, I want to express how deeply offended I am at the comments written by "A Reader" in the review on this page entitled "Blacks Need to Read This Book." Since it has the potential to be extremely misleading about the book, that review must be countered by my own comment in response.

I could not disagree more with the sentiments expressed by the reviewer, and I have great difficulty believing he/she actually read the book. I simply cannot imagine how anything I wrote in the book could be thought to support the views expressed in that review. There is certainly nothing in the book to suggest that African Americans "are the most racist people of all." Quite to the contrary, it is not possible to read the book and draw that conclusion from my arguments. But it is possible to bring that existent belief to a reading of the book, and be unpersuaded by the book's arguments because of an inability or unwillingness to think otherwise. Indeed, there is a section in the book that discusses just this phenomenon.

I argue in the book that race and racism are the historical and social constructions of a dominant sociocultural group, and as such they structure and maintain the position and advantage of this group in relation to other people groups. The analysis in the book serves to focus attention on how this everyday world of race and racism is structured and maintained. This analysis moves toward a discussion of the framework for reconciliation as suggested by both sociocultural analysis and the impulses in the Christian tradition. Thus the book is a contribution to the development of a theology of racial reconciliation, one that will warrant and encourage the anti-racism initiatives of Christian communities.

I read through this book at the local bookstore and then bought it online. I agree with the other reviewers: this book is simply the best one around.

There are so many books on C# now, but a few really shine as being great. This book is one of them.

I liked this book because it can be used as both a user guide to learn C# _and_ as a reference book to C# and .NET. No other book even comes close to that goal, and the authors have done a really great job.

Another great thing about this book is that it can be used by beginners and advanced users, so if you don't know C# you can learn everything you need from this book. Even if you don't know programming, this book is written in a style that you can understand - all without talking down to the reader.

There are also topics covered in this book not covered in any other book - such as security and other advanced topics.

This is the best on C# I've also read. I already knew Java and C++, and found this book very easy to understand. I also liked this book because it not only covers the C# language extremely well, but it also covers advanced C# and .NET programming very well.

I particularly liked the coverage of ASP.NET, ADO.NET, and security.

This book is much better than the O'Reilly and Wrox C# books.

This is by far the best book on C# I've seen. I'm an intermediate programmer experienced with C++ and Java. I found the style of the book easy to follow. One of the things I really liked was that the book acts as both a guide and a reference to supplement the Microsoft Online reference material.

Part 1 of the book covers the details of the C# language, such as using variables and objects, baic C# programs, and compiling and running programs.

Part 2 goes into the advanced aspects of C# and .NET, like thread programming, assemblies, security, remoting, and so on.

Part 3 dives into .NET programming, such as ASP.NET, ADO.NET, Windows application programming, and building web services.

This is by far the best book on C# to be published so far. Unlike other books this one doesn't waste three chapters explaining the "if" and "while" statements. Almost all the major topics of the .NET platform are covered in depth.

I especially like the fact that the author does not waste time on explaining the Visual Studio.NET IDE. This keeps the focus on where it belongs-the C# language and the .NET class libraries. I feel a language the libraries are best learnt by doing the coding in a notepad like environment-where you write all the code, make mistakes, stumble, and in the process, learn. Using an IDE that produces wizard generated code can be counter productive (although the VS.NET IDE itself is superb)when you are in the process of learning.

I do have a few gripes abt the book, though not about the quality of the content, rather what is missing from the book. I would have loved to see more on network programming and using the xml parsing APIs (something that I use a lot myself). (perhaps a vol II of this books will cover those!). But a book cannot cover everything. And what is covered is absolutely top notch.

....

I was informed by my manager to purchase a C# book, and I set out to do some research as to which book would fit my needs. I stumbled on this title as one recommended instead of another that was reviewed here on Amazon.com Based on the reviews posted for this book, I decided to purchase it. The positive reviews for this book are well-founded.

One of the very first things I noticed about this book is that it has a sticker on it that says that online updates for the final version of .NET are available. I went to the site and downloaded the list of changes to the book. The list was actually fairly short and the changes straightforward. I regard this as a good sign.

The book is well laid out and clear, the first 130+ pages dedicated to fundamental concepts and structures of C#. A 70-page introduction to OOP, in the context of C#, follows. The next few chapters deal with advanced topics including container classes and threads. Next the reader is launched into more graphically-oriented topics. Finally, the topics move into such as object serialization, database access, and web-centric subjects. The progression from subject to subject is logical and smooth, and each section is written clearly so as not to leave the reader in the dark and each presented after its prerequisites.

Example code in this book is clear, concise, and explained. The source to the examples is *not* included with the book, but is available readily for download.

This book is a great start into C# and .NET. It is *not* comprehensive, but it covers most of the important topics that get used regularly. Seriously consider this title when investigating C# and/or .NET.

Glad to see a .NET Beta 2 compliant book and so soon after the release of .NET Beta 2. Struggling through the series of MSDN Magazine .NET Beta 1 articles while using Visual Studio.NET Beta 2 was an excercise in frustration. Surprised to see code samples of Visual Basic.NET in a C# book. Although most of my experience has been with Visual Basic, my earlier C and C++ experience allows me to move directly to C# rather than to VB.NET. Other VB programmers may have a less easier transition but definitely should not be discouraged! Was that the purpose for including VB.NET in the book? This is a brave attempt to cram as much C# and .NET into one large book particularly since volumes could be written. It is, understandably, shy in discussing Visual Studio.NET to any great depth. Instead, the book concentrates on the fundamental aspects of C# and .NET. An excellent low level nuts and bolts coverage of the topics. A very good reference book now and even after the final version is released - assuming, of course, that changes to the technologies are minimal. According to a publisher's note in the book, final release updates will be available on the Web.

As someone who has developed software for 25 years, including 4 years
with C++ and none with Java, I find some features of this book appealing,
but have the impression that clearer, shorter books must exist that cover
the same material. This nearly 900-page book covers a wide range of C#
topics and is meant to be especially readable for people that know C++
or Java. An appendix describes the assembly-language-like intermediate
language into which C# and other languages are compiled. Examples of C#
code account for a substantial fraction of the book.

Many of the examples show intermediate code into which example C#
code has been translated. Early on, I found these translations and
the appendix useful for getting a feel for the intermediate language.
After a chapter or two, I started skipping over the translated versions.
Eliminating most of these translated versions would make the book
significantly shorter without compromising the discussion.

The book has a chatty writing style that is probably intended to be
friendly. There is nothing inherently wrong with using this idea in
scientific and engineering writing, but this book's presentation comes
across as paternalistic and verbose. For me, the last straw, and the
cause of my writing this review, is a flowery sentence in the chapter
summary on page 212:

"In this way, attributes are like a breath of fresh air -- in one
fell swoop releasing the shackles that have bound developers for so
many years."

Some of the writing is equally painful to read, and distracting. Writing
improvements and better editing could clarify the book and make it, say,
20% shorter. Problems include the excessive and not-quite-correct
use of the words "however" and "although", frequent use of the word
"I" in a book with two authors, and referring to terms that have not
yet been defined. Some of the book's examples are framed in terms of
Microsoft Windows topics; even someone intimately familiar with Windows
might feel that the material to be explained does not require the amount
of text that this book uses to set up its examples.

The book, published by Microsoft Press, refers to the intermediate
language almost exclusively as MSIL, for "Microsoft Intermediate
Language". There is apparently a distinction between MSIL and CIL
("common intermediate language"). The book's index has some two dozen
entries for MSIL, but just one entry for CIL. This entry points to
page 548. The relationship between CIL and MSIL, whatever it is, is
important enough that it needs to be explained in the first few pages,
and indexed! This and similar cases in the book give the impression
that the C# language is a Microsoft product for Microsoft platforms only.
It appears, though, that this is not Microsoft's intent, and that C# is
not evolving in this way. See, for example, go-mono.com, or numerous
articles on the web about the adoption of C# and common language
infrastructure for standards by the European Computer Manufacturers
Association (ECMA).

When reading about something familiar in this book, such as C# concepts
that are similar in C++, I went through the material quickly and skipped
many of the examples; with less-familiar topics, I found myself reading
the material and then seeking clarification elsewhere. It's often nice
for readers to have multiple sources when learning something new, but
in the case of C#, a clearer book can probably be written for the
same audience while presenting less of a need to use multiple sources.
Particularly for experienced developers, using other books to learn C#
should be more efficient than using this one.

For the first time in a long time I sat down and actually enjoyed learning from a technical book! How many times have we purchased a book only to be driven to bed by some wannabe's author's feeble attempts at humor and wit? However, a book written by someone that has a good writing style wouldn't do me much good (or you for that matter if you're looking at this book) if it didn't also "cut the mustard" on the technical side. Believe me, I've read every single C# book on the market and this is BY FAR the best of the lot.

PROS: Great introduction to the type system, classes, operators and operator overloading. Also, major kudos for including several .net chapters on multithreading, reflection and com interoperability.

CONS: Would like to have seen a better opening chapter on oop. Would also like to see more .net stuff - especially winforms. However, since the book's focus is C#, I really couldn't take off for that omission.

Anyway, in final, a really well done book and one that I will keep handy for a good while to come.

If Amazon.com had an MVP award (Most Valuable Purchaser) I'd have it. I spend a lot of time and money purchasing only the best technology books. Now with that said, let me tell you about "Inside C#."

It's, hands down, the best book I've read. Right off the bat Archer explains the fundamentals of OOP, (a chapter all of us should read no matter what kind of OOP geniuses we think we are). He then goes into introducing .NET and never looks back. From C# Class Fundamentals to Writing Code and on to Advanced C#, he keeps you going and motivated to learn. I've gone through the book twice now and have it 'dog eared', marked, scribbled in and flagged.

The author knows his stuff and it shows. Archer is an intelligent well-spoken author that gets the point across no matter what level of experience the reader has. All through the book he explains and re-explains what he's trying to say, (just in case you missed it the first time). Very few authors do this and needless to say it leaves many of us wondering what the heck their point was.

In short, don't get left behind...."GET THE BOOK!!"

Liberty writes clearly and precisely. As you might expect from an O'Reilly book, Programming C# goes beyond the language to provide complete coverage of building applications and using the Framework Class Library. This book is the single best resource I've found for learning C#.

I was particularly impressed by the level of support offered on Liberty's web site. He has a FAQ, the complete source code, and most important a link to a discussion center where you can ask questions that arise from reading the book. I found him to be very responsive to questions and eager to improve his book

I was also impressed by the coverage of such advanced topics as remoting, threading, attributes and reflecton and so forth. His ocverage was extensive, knowledgable and accurate.

I'm looking forward to reading his new book, Programming ASP.NET as well

I've read most of the C# books that are currently on the market, and this is definitely my favourite. It has a nice balance between the language and its practical application using the .NET Framework, and is well explained in elegant and concise language. Unlike certain books I could mention that are 1500+ pages of rehashed reference material, Jesse takes the "less is more" approach, with about 300 pages on the language followed by about the same number on the major class libraries needed to apply the language to real-world problems.

If you're familiar with the Core Java books by Prentice-Hall, you'll notice a similar style here - brief coverage of topics that should be familiar to any experienced programmer (classes, objects, interfaces etc.) with more than enough depth where necessary.

If you're already proficient with a language such as C++, Java or Visual Basic and want to convert your knowledge across to C# quickly, this book will provide everything you need in a digestible form. Recommended.

Liberty's Programming C# is not only well written, it is a complete and thorough primer on C# programming. He begins with a terrific tutorial on the language, taking you through all the fundamentals, and making sure you are comfortable with class, interface, struct definitions and usage. He does not assume you already understand object oriented programming, but teaches the concepts as you need them.

The second part is a good introduction to using C# to program .NET applications, including web services, web apps, windows applications, and the use of ado.net

Part three is a real treasure. Here Liberty teaches the advanced concepts that are difficult to find elsewhere. He explains attributes and reflection, remoting, streams, asynchronous i/o, threading and so forth.

The examples in Prog. C# are excellent; well thought out and on point. Liberty provides source code and other material on his web site.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.

If I hadn't already had some .NET knowledge, this book would have been extremely frustrating. I found the topics poorly, and in many cases, inadequately explained. I often had to refer to other books to get the full picture. I would not recommend this book. There are better ones out there.

I have read Don's Essential COM and was really looking forward to this one, having read the reviews.

While "E COM" covers things you must know about COM, "E .NET" often tells "deductions" about things you aren't supposed to know.

Writing style: how would you like "Having said that" and "To that end" in every other paragraph? Also Don spends 3 sentences where 1 would suffice and doesn't spend enough were it's needed. And I thought I knew his style.

First 1/3 is quite a waste if you already have spent a few month working with .NET and digging MSDN. And if you haven't the last 2/3 aren't for you.

If you expect insights into .NET technologies, such as ASP.NET, Forms or ADO.NET, pass it by. This book as title claims is just that - CLR. It tells you too much about CLR if you just want to use it and not enough if you want to port it to another platform.

There was pretty good explanation of COM-.NET relationships, well, to be expected. If it was up to Mr. Box he wouldn't let COM go, even though he sympatizes MTS team that had problems employing it for AOP introduction.

If you expect to do a lot of porting/plumbing this book is for you.
I'm giving it 3 points and I will leave it to dust until I come across a problem that's been addressed in the book.

Don provides excellent coverage of how the CLR actually works, If you have any interest in what's going on under the covers, this is the book for you.

There is not a whole lot of information in this book. Even when the author is trying to present some information, it is not done in a clear and understandable way. Really disappointed.

This is a great book on Exchange. As well as the technical information there's alot of details on how you should design and implement Exchange - and at the same time the author takes the time to explain why. The thing I like best about the book is that whilst Tony Redmond is obviously a fan of Exchange, he is not afraid to point out its limitations.

Well I'm pleased to say that Tony Redmond has produced the best exchange 5.5 book currently available. I work with exchange and recently completed my mcp exams in both exchange 5 and 5.5 so spent a lot of time and money reading lots of exchange material.

There are lots of books out there that claim to be able to give you all the knowledge you need to pass the mcse, what I like about this book is that it is not an mcse book. This book covers exchange in a corporate production environment.

The author goes into the most indepth detail of the exchange architecture that I have ever come across. Utilising his experience at Digital as the world's number one implementor of exchange, he uses many real world examples of how to deploy maintain and support exchange 5.5.

If your going for the exchange mcp exam save your money, don't buy the 101 mcse exchange guides that are out there buy this book. Also if your considering deploying exchange, or are simply a systems person who would like to know more about the product, buy this book.

Deep Waters and Absolutely, Positively converted me into a Jayne Ann Krentz fan and I went on to read her earlier work after those two books, including her Regency romances under the pseudonym Amanda Quick. Her trademarks are intelligent, independent heroines and brooding heroes with dark histories. They usually have names that you don't normally tag to romantic heroes and heroines, like Gideon, Molly and Harry.

In this story, it's Cyrus, a private detective, and Eugenia, a Museum Director. The death of a glass collector on Frog Cove Island bring the two together on official missions that hide their real motives: Eugenia to investigate the death of her artist friend (who was also one of the collector's many girlfriends) and Cyrus to hunt down an ancient artifact that was stolen under his security watch three years ago. Their initial suspicion of each other plays against strong physical attraction, but while there is heat and sexual tension, there's no sense of inevitability that these two characters deserve each other and should fall headlong into each other's arms. The main characters are disappointingly flat and the love scenes seem contrived. Krentz tries too hard to make the characters outwardly different that they end up as stereotypes - the sleek, sophisticated Museum Director and the strong, silent detective with the too-colorful shirts. The novel's redeeming features are the snappy dialogue and the quirky secondary characters.

If you want to start on a Krentz romance, I'd strongly recommend Absolutely, Positively, Grand Passion or Deep Waters. While Sharp Edges is still a good read, it won't warm you up on cold nights.

I was excited about this book, because the beginning of it (published behind Deep Waters) seems to be a return to JAK's (and AQ's) normal style, which I think is great. (I do vastly prefer the Quick stories). But I was sad to discover that although this is a pretty good book, it still seems that you are watching the story through a dark, cloudly glass. Her earlier stories made you feel right in the thick of things. I don't care about the "formula" angle of these plots, the formula works great for me. I do want to care more about the characters, however. Ms. Krentz is still about the best Romance writer around. The sad part is that she could be (and has been) so much better! Please slow down. I would pay double for book I wanted to read many times over. None of the recent ones have qualified.

Okay, JAK is not long in originality. You know that going in, if you are looking for totally different characters, don't think you ever will find them in her body of work. One might call her a one trick pony, but it is a very well trained pony and you really don't mind watching again and again, despite the different finery and feathers she dresses the pony in. So if you buy a JAK, don't complain because you see the same pattern...you KNOW that is what you buying. That said....

It is a fun book, with JAK wonderful quirky writing. I mean, when her character takes one look at the Private Investigator Cyril Chandler Colfax and thinks "She wondered what the penalty was for strangling very large men who wore tacky aloha shirts, khaki chinos and moccasin-style loafers. Surely no judge or jury would convict her, she thought. Not when they saw the evidence." Well, you know the romance is off to a rocky start!!! Eugenia Swift is a sensible young woman, a connoisseur of beautiful art, a very elegant woman. She has been asked to go to Frog Cove Island, and artistic Haven outside of Seattle. She is to go there to catalogue the art collection of Adam Daventry. Only, she is forced to take Colfax as a body guard, much to her dismay. The dismay increases to horror, when Colfax insists they pose as lovers while on the island.

This does not sit well will Eugenia, because she is going there not only to catalogue the artworks, but to find out what happened to her friend, Nellie Grant, the late Adam's Daventry's lover. She thinks the green-eyed Colfax (green this time - you get green, grey or amber....lol) might crimp her investigation into Nellie's death. What she does not understand, Colfax is on a trek to avenge an old wrong.

Eugenia has always keep her emotions on the shelf, putting everything into her career, but it soon becomes evident, that their lives will depend on them playing convincing lovers.

JAK delivers her usual spunky heroine who tries to run circles around the deceptively deep male...and does it with style.

I read this play first for pleasure and years later for a English composition II class several years ago and as I read some of the reviews before writing and posting this one I can see that a lot of reviewers that came before me didnt understand the play at all. This play took place over a hundred years ago. The choices for women then were limited plus Nora and Tovald lived In Norway whose laws are sgnificantly different from ours due to time and culture. Nora certainly had her faults but sometimes we are just found stuck in roles society gives us. And what would take more courage to remain in a bad role after a moment of self discovery is made or to walk out of that role and try to grow as a person and discover things about yourself on your own? Nora's choices were very limited. It was stated in the play that by walking away from the marriage she would also have to disclaim any rights to her children in Norway. She had no choice but to give up the rights to her children. Neither Nora nor Tovald knew who she was very well. Sometimes it is much better for the children if a marriage ends because it is bad and has no foundation. But Nora is a very strong and determined character. She forged a bank note to save her husbands life when no one else could. She saves and earns money to pay back the loan. But also she is trapped in the facade of her marriage with Tovald who neither respects her or knows who she really is. Lies beget lies and it is out of the lie of the marriage she is in that she is made to conceal what she did to save her husbands life and tell lies herself. Finally after her husband finds out and is so consumed with how it will look to others that he tells her that the marriage for now on will just be a cover for the benefit of the outside world but he can no longer trust her nor shall she be trusted with her children etc a self discovery moment occurs. Nora and Tovald didnt really know each other nor was the marriage real in any meaning of the word. But when something happens and he has a change of heart about Nora in the blink of an eye Nora realizes that the whole marriage was a lie and in a moment of strength and determination she decides to leave the situation to find something better and grow as a person. But here is the rub Tovald said that she can not be trusted after what she did was revealed to him and that she has lost his respect but this is just a circumstance we are made well aware of in the play . Tovald shows us that he never did trust or respect Nora in the first place so what she is rejecting is a fruadulent marriage. She refused to go on living in that lie any longer. And that decision takes more courage , strength and determination than anyone who has never been in that place will know. I say three cheers for Nora for finally waking up and doing what she had to do!

The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen subjects his writing to the intricacies of marriage time and time again. He seems to have an omniscient power and ability to observe the sacrament itself, along with the fictional characters whom he creates to engage in these marital affairs. Such is the case with his classic drama, A Doll's House.

The play raises questions about female self-sacrifice in a male-dominated world. Nora is a "wife and child" to Torvald Helmer, and nothing more. She is his doll, a plaything on display to the world, of little intellectual value and even less utility in his life. Thus it is logical for Helmer to act so shockingly upon his discovery that Nora has managed financial affairs (typically a family responsibility reserved for the patriarch) without so much as his consent or knowledge. What, then, is the play saying about women by allowing Nora to act alone and independently, all the while allowing her to achieve little success in doing so?

Such an apparent doubt by the playwright of the abilities of women is quickly redeemed by Nora's sudden mental fruition, as though she, in the course of a day or so, accomplishes the amount of growing up to which most persons devote years and years. She has developed the intuition and motivation to leave behind everything she has lived for during she and Helmer's eight years of marriage in exchange for an independent life and the much-sought virtue of independent thought. Nora suddenly wishes to be alone in the world, responsible for only her own well-being and success or failure. She is breaking free of her crutches (Helmer, her deceased father, the ill-obtained finances from Krogstad) and is now appetent to walk tall and proud.

Through the marital madness of Helmer and Nora, Ibsen is questioning the roles of both husband and wife, and what happens when one person dominates such a relationship in a manner that is demeaning to the other, regardless of whether such degradation is carried out in a conscious, intended frame of mind. Ibsen is truly a master playwright, and his play A Doll's House is truly a masterpiece.

Henrik Ibsen in one of the most famous Norwegian writers thoughout the world. And he is known for his plays where he gives a critical view upon the society.
In this play, everything happens around the main character Nora. She is innocent, naiv and has no education at all, just like most women of her social rank had at that time. Her husband, Torvald, is well known in the city, and his wife is just a "doll". She isn't supposed to have opinions on anything, just smile and look pretty in this male dominated world.
When Torvald Helmer finds out that his wife has "stole" money from her father to be able to pay for a health insitution for him, he's shocked. Nora, not understand what she might have done wrong, was only trying to help her husband, and yet protect her dying father. She wakes up, starting feel independant, wanting to discover herself...
Ibsen was a master of showing different sides of the social levels, and giving a critic view on what he didn't like. He has done it yet again, focusing on the marriage of these two people. Supression and a male dominated world is central aspects, and also the growing feminisme.
The book is worth reading for anyone how loves to read. It is truly one of Ibsen's best plays!