This book seems to be geared towards classic ASP developer who wants to learn about ASP.NET. There are chapters explaining the difference between ASP.NET and classic ASP and migrating Web applications from classic ASP to ASP.NET. Some code examples use HTML with embedded VB, some use HTML with code-behind files coded in C#, and some use HTML with embedded C# code. The book discusses .NET architecture/framework in some detail and explains complicated topics such as: MSIL, CLR, and JIT quite well. The book covers a lot of territory, including ADO.NET, working with XML data, HTML and Server Controls, Validation Controls, Debugging, User Controls, and Web Services. There are several appendixes which cover ASP.NET syntax, ADO.NET object model, VB.NET language reference, and C# language reference.

This book is a concise and incomplete reference of ASP.NET, but that appears to have been author's intent. It's well written, well organized and easy to understand. I think the intended audience, which is a beginner-to-intermediate Web developer, will find it useful. The author makes an assumption that the reader is familiar with HTML, XML, VB or C#, and knows how to use Visual Studio.NET. DO NOT buy this book if you studying for Microsoft Certification exam/s, it's not intended for that purpose.

I am a Classic ASP developer. The company that I work for has recently decided to pursue .NET for future web development. This was the first book that I read in order to get a grasp of the changes from Classic ASP to ASP.NET. I have to say that this book was a GREAT introduction to a lot of the new features of ASP.NET.

There are a few things I would like to point out when considering buying this book:
1.This is a beginner book. No advanced topics.
2.Good coverage of the different types of controls available in .NET.
3.Quick and easy read.
4.Only basic coverage of ADO.NET.
5.Source code available as a download.
6.Assumes that you have VS.NET although I used ASP.NET Web Matrix.

There were some typos but nothing ridiculous.
Overall I like this book. Good price for a good book.

The title says it all; if you don't have a lot of time to read and just want examples that show you how to get started, this book is for you. The sections on validation controls and ADO.NET were particularly helpful to me: simple code that works, helping me gradually shift my paradigm while still being productive in the transition.

Although the appendices contain some lightweight "refresher" language and class references (which do what they are expected to do), your deeper needs may not be met here. If you need a more complete view of the .NET framework, try Steven Walther's ASP.NET Unleashed; on the other hand, if you want to get your brain around the web controls and data access that form the core of most ASP.NET applications, look no further than ASP.NET By Example. It does what it claims to do, without being everything to everyone... which works very well for its typical reader, the time-starved developer who just came to be shown how to get the job done.

...this is the book for you. On the other hand, if you want to read about a time "when teachers could change the world, when a stranger's help was graciously accepted and freely given, and a time when the promise of a bright future could capture the imagination and determination of any child." you may have to tolerate a little preachy-ness.

I gave this book only one star because of what I consider the devious way the book was presented. I expected a slice of Americana but got an excercise in feel-good faith reassurances instead. The way the story is presented isn't what the book is really about.

It is not often that I feel sad when a book ends. But I did when I finished reading "Long Train Passing". I felt like I really knew these people and they were genuine. The way that Steven Wise developed these charactors was wonderful. I wish there were more people in the world like Annabelle.Especially in a world where things like Columbine High happen. I reccomend this book to anyone with a heart, because it will definetly be touched!

Today, over thirty five years after it's debut on network television, The Andy Griffith Show remains extremely popular. I believe the major reason for it's continued popularity is the hidden desire for most of us to be able to return to a simpler time where problems were usually minor and always resolved in 30 minutes. Yet, some of us did grow up in our own versions of Mayberry USA, and while many of the things depicted on the program were fairly true to life, we also know that many of our problems were quite complex and rarely resolved quickly. Such is the town portrayed in the book "Long Train Passing" by Steven W. Wise. While the setting is 20 years before mythical Mayberry, it seems extremely familiar. For those of us who grew up in small Midwestern towns, "Long Train" hits close to home, and takes us quickly back to less complicated days. The characters depicted seem all too real, mainly because the author has taken them fairly faithfully from the real inhabitants of his hometown in rural Missouri. While the story is extremely entertaining, the real joy in reading this book is to see the characters come alive in print and to feel we would know them if we met them on the street. Here is a chance to go back to a time when many of the complexities of our modern society were not present, but the drama of life and the triumph of the human spirit coupled with love overcoming hate are as current as today. Spend a few hours and let the author spin his tale. You will be greatly rewarded for your investment.