If you need to learn C# in a hurry, this is the book that will get you up to speed. The entire "Fast Track" series from Wrox were written to help you learn a subject fast and this is especially helpful if your employer decides to convert to C# or any other .Net technology or language. I purchased both Fast Track C# and Fast Track ASP.NET C# Edition together. I am impressed with both books. The Fast Track C# book is 413 pages and the chapters are not to long. This makes the reading very easy and the chapters don't take weeks to read. The book starts out with the basics of .NET and C# and then progresses to more advanced C# subjects. Note: The authors do not go into great detail on the various subjects and you should augment this book with a more advanced books on C#. There are ample examples but the authors do not provide the "results". This is a book for the intermediate developer making the conversion from Java or C++ but I think Visual Basic 6 developers will benefit from this book.

In Chapter 1 - Overview of .Net and the CLR (Common Language Runtime), the authors explain the fundamentals of .Net.

Chapter 2 - Introduction to C#, Chapter 3 - C# Basics, and Chapter 4 - Object-Oriented Features of C# provide the basics that you will need to know about C#. If you are coming from Visual Basic.Net, you might want to skip over these chapters but I read these chapters twice.

The authors explain the more advanced features of C# in Chapters 5 - Advanced C#, 6 - .NET Programming with C#, and 7 - Working with the .Net Base Class. These chapters will help you get beyond the "Hello World" type of applications. These chapters provide some real-world examples.

In Chapter 8 - Building Windows Applications, the authors explain all of the basics to windows development. The GUI or the presentation layer is what the end-user will be most familar with.

The next chapters will help you with real-world applications that you may encounter.

Chapter 9 - Assemblies and ILDASM.
Chapter 10 - Data Access with ADO.Net
Chapter 11 - COM and COM+ Interoperability
Chapter 12 - ASP.Net
Chapter 13 - Web Services

This is an excellent book for C#. It covers almost every topic in C# in a consie, to-the-point fashion. Whether you are new or experienced programmer, this book will give you a head-start on mastering C# concepts. If you are doing MCAD, this is the book you should read first for brushing your concepts. I like the portability of this book (400 pages). Big thumps up for Wrox Fast Track series.

I've long been of the opinion that Wrox Press makes the best developer-oriented books, bar none. Yes, there have been a few missteps in the past, but nobody is perfect. The Fast Track series, however, has thus far failed to disappoint me.

This is the second Fast Track I have purchased. I started using .Net when the first public beta came out, and now I am a complete convert to C#. Not to play into the old "this language is better than that one" argument, but I have found C# to be clean, powerful, and elegant. They used to say that "Inside C++ is a nice clean language ready to come out, and that language is Java." I say that language is C#.

This book gets right to it. If you are already familiar with (n.b. you don't have to be an expert, just familiar with) a true OO language such as C++ or Java, then C# will be a snap for you to learn. This book gets you there, covering the topics that all experienced developers need to go from one language to the next. We're talking the bare-bones necessities here: syntax, basic classes, and usage for .NET, WebServices, and Windows Apps. No, this is not an exhaustive reference for the language. If you want that, check out the excellent: Professional C#, also by Wrox. This book is to get you up and running quickly in a new language, and give you the tools you need to build a core knowledgebase of C#. We all know that once you have the basics, it is much easier to search the web, or MSDN, or a giant reference book, for more advanced topics. But it is often hard to find one good source for the "getting started" stages of a new language. How do I do in C#: A FOR loop? Arrays? Inherit a class? Use XML? These and more are all answered in a way that will get you productive quickly, and leaving you to your own devices to grow beyond that.

If you are going to get into C# for the first time, get this book.

This book has become one of my 7-year old daughter's favorites, and I never tire of reading it to her, as I was the one who was initially captivated by the enchanting story line and possibly some of the most beautiful illustrations I have ever seen in any book. Its theme is gentle and sweet (albeit very idealistic; I wish every youngster who wandered into the woods alone could encounter such a happy ending); your child will find something new in the incredible illustrations with every reading for a long time!A knockout and must-read!

This sweet and gentle story is told gracefully and lushly illustrated. Our 5-year-old loved it, and we loved reading it to her.

This book became my son's bed-time favorite because of the subtle interaction between text and illustration which provoked interesting questions and discussion about animals, child rearing, social relations, environment, agency, etc. --- so much so, that after having outgrown it, he reserves a special place for it on his bookshelves.

I havn't read the book all the way through, but from what I've seen, its an excellent book, good illustrations, straightforward info. This particular area of biology - using developmental genetics to elucidate evolutionary processes and relationships, is in my opinion one of the most exciting areas of biology today. I've had some advanced level classes in developmental and evolutionary biology myself, and I would probably have to say that for the lay person, the book may be somewhat out of grasp.

In regards to the mouse/fly eye develompent experiment, it is simply showing that the genes that regulate the most fundamental levels of development in the eye (or any part of the organism) are the same for fly and mouse... over the years, the end results have evolved to be much different, but at the deepest levels, the the genes that regulate the most fundamental develpment are still the same. ie. eye gene in mouse = mouse eye, eye gene in fly = fly eye. eye gene does the same thing in fly our mouse.

This is a beautiful book with an attractive
illustration on almost every page.
A book review in Nature writes this intriguing statement,

"Despite more than 600 million years
of separate evolution of flies and mice,
the introduction of the [Pax6] mouse gene into flies
can induce new eye tissue -- not of the
camera-like eyes of mammals, but of the
insect compound eye!"

I wanted to understand this better.
I'm a nonbio major who spent all my spare
time in the past year reading biology books.
So I went to the bookstore and spent three hours
with this book. I found that I didn't have enough background
be able to gain a deeper understanding on the intriguing quotation.
Hopefully I'll be able to handle it after another year of preparation.

As a professor of English at a Swedish university I devoted several years to studies of British history of ideas, leading up, eventually, to a book about the general public's reception of Darwin's evolution theory in Mid-Victorian Britain. The subject has fascinated me ever since. I have naturally followed with interest the subsequent debates on evolutionary biology, including its philosophical implications, in the pages of such journals as Science and Nature. Therefore the title of the present book appealed to me. It seemed to promise an introduction to aspects of the Darwinian theory which were certainly unknown to Darwin and his times. At the same time I realised that knowing more about genetics was a must for me, if I was to keep abreast of the debate about Darwin.

I must confess I found it hard to assimilate the text, in spite of a clear style, and excellent illustrations. The sheer weight of unfamiliar facts and concepts made the reading laborious, to the point of exhaustion. But about half-way through the book (and helped by excursions into some undergraduate biological textbooks) I found that I had after all assimilated enough of the content to see that , for instance, the geneticist's seemingly perverse interest in the banana fly, Drosophila melanogaster, was indeed a rational choice. Many of the basic genes of the banana fly, especially those responsible for the early development of the fertilized egg onwards, are the same, or nearly so, as those that build up man. Not only are individual genes similar: their interactions with each other and their functions are also similar. For instance, though the banana fly's eyes are constructed entirely differently from those of man, their development, from egg to adult, are still controlled by genes that are clearly related to each other, and interact with other genes in similar ways.

These fundamental similarities between an insect and a human implies that their common roots must lie some 500 million years back in time, presumably in tiny organisms existing in the oceans at that time. Moreover, it seems that the genes in question, to be found in the DNA of the chromosomes of both insects and humans, probably come from even tinier organisms, namely primitive bacteria, which the multicellular organisms had incorporated, at first as parasites or symbionts, in their own more advanced cells. If so, we are carried back even further back in time, perhaps to a billion years before now. We seem to be on the point of uniting the biological and physical (and chemical) evolution of our planet. Darwin surely would have loved that prospect, far beyond his own reach. This book is not an easy read. But it will yield a rich reward to the persistent reader. Incidentally, such a reader might do worse than go on to read an astronomer's view of the same wide panorama: Delsemme's 0ur Cosmic Origins.

This is an excellent story, and a great addition to the two other books in the series. This combines space opera, good believable characters, and a hint of mystery which kept me reading into the night. I just hope there is a fourth in the series, then a fifth, then .....

The whole series is well written this one leads you on a non stop ride of action and science that keeps you turning the pages i cannot wait for the next one in the series!

Mr. Gier's work reminds me of Steve White's stories, told with a similar feel for the grand tragedy of interstellar war, mixed with the almost heartbreaking courage of the human defenders. Gier's universe is interesting, his science works well and contributes nicely to the flow of events. Good story.

The un-official sequel to the awesome flick Small Soldiers is no where near as good as the original,but a fine follow-up nothenless.This sequel lacked the action of the first and the ending is even worse than that of the first,but it's improved in places.The human characters have much better development than those from the first and the script is a lot less predictable.You get to know the Gorgonites better than in the first so you'll really start to like them,as they go on great adventures.Driving a toy jeep in a toy store,doing battle with The Commando Elite with a bulldozers and dueling in a fortress with the commandos.This sequel also has a lot less plot holes than the first and the violence is very low,so it'll probably be rated PG if it's turned into a movie.Although it's no where near as entertaining or as funny as the first and it was a bit disappointing that none of the human characters from the original returned,it's still an above-average follow-up to the first.It simply MUST be turned into a movie and I really hope a Small Soldiers 3 is planned!

this is a great book and i think it would be able to make another great movie.i saw the the movie and i am telling you it is funny.

My 8-year old son and I both really enjoyed this book. Having already seen the movie, we felt that we knew the characters, and truly enjoyed their antics. We are hoping that Gavin Scott will write more books in this series!

Annerino has turned...risk into a work of art with his camera.

Annerino's exciting photographs cut across the genres of sports and photojournalism. His adventure is a state of mind.

There is a warmth and vitality to John Annerino's photography that I have admired for years. His work is a wonderful mix of elements: high technical craft, beautiful places, a climber's appetite for risk, and a warm bond with his subjects. For all those who want to know how a photographer thinks and want to experience the exhilaration of wilderness adventure, I recommend HIGH RISK PHOTOGRAPHY.

Just when it seemed there was nothing else to be said about southern cooking, Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock print this outrageously wonderful book. All your favorite Southern recipes and then some are here-- from pimento cheese to pigs' feet to pecan pie to pound cake. This book is far more than a collection of recipes, however. There are tips on everything from the best cornmeal to use for different cornbreads to the use of peanut oil versus homemade lard. Most importantly, this book is the story of a friendship that transcends generations and race and distance.

The color photographs by Christopher Hirsheimer are exquisite. Many of them approach art--particularly the photos of fruits and vegetables-- and should be enlarged and framed. This cookbook opens with the famous Scarlett O'Hara line: "As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again." She would if she read this cookbook.

A great book to give to both those who cook and those who don't or to anyone interested in the rich heritage of Southern cooking.

Being from the south myself, I can truthfully state that this book is quinissential true southern cooking. No fluff, no fancy additions to simple pure dishes - this book includes straightforward and delicious earthy southern food recipes. The recipe for fried chicken alone is worth the price. Anyone who relishes hearty dishes dictated by the seasons and the harvest on the southern farm will be richly rewarded here. I own 30 or so cookbooks, but this one is by far my favorite. And the stories from the authors are wonderful.

This book is the best thing that has happened to me all summer. The book is a pleasure to read and all the recipes I've tried work. It's about the joy of preparing good, simple foods and the real gift of feeding people. Yummm.

Dear Evree Won,

Out of all the AGE OF APOCALYPSE stories this has to been the most emotionaly charged. It shows the hardship of this new world without Charles Xavier and that death is far from taken lightly. My favorite characters in this story are Jonathan "Chamber" Starsmore and Paige "Husk" Guthrie because their personalities are the furthest away from the "real" reality.

The least you could do is smile, PaulQ

When the Legion Quest storyline ended, an alternate universe was created due to the fact that Legion went back in time to kill Magneto but accidently killed Charles Xavier. Since Xavier died, there was no X-Men to stop Apocalypse from taking over America and most of the world. This alternate reality, The Age of Apocalypse, put all the regular X-books on hold for four issues and replaced them with they're AoA versions. Generation Next (Generation X) is a storyline revolving around Magneto (the X-Men's founder and leader in this alternate universe) sending husband and wife Colossus and Shadowcat on a mission to save Colossus' long thought dead sister from a human slave colony. Accompanying them is the AoA version of Generation X; consisting of Chamber, Husk, Skin, Mondo, and Vincent. The gritty art brings the emotional impact of the story out even more than it should, and the emotionally charged tragic ending really makes this TPB of Generation Next excell more than it should. All in all, a great read for older fans of the X-Men or Generation X comics.

This is a pretty good story, set in the Age of Apocalypse - where the evil immortal mutant Apocalypse rules North America. His kingdom only lives by one rule: Survivial of the fittest. Humans are regarded as the lower class and even not all mutants will be survive in this world. This all happened because Professor Charles Xavier never existed. Thus he never got to form the X-Men to appose Apocalypse.

This book is about the Generation X in that altered timeline. Chamber et al are lead by their teacher Colossus and his wife Shadowcat to find his little sister, Illyana Natalyanovna, who appears to be captured by the Sugar Man.

The characters get introduced pretty well in this one. it has great art and excellent narration by Illyana. I don't wanna tell too much - otherwise I'll spoil the story. Which is a pretty good one as a stand alone and is one of the best of the Age of Apocalypse storyline. The ending is sad, but great.

These stories won't mean much if you haven't read this AoA storyline from the start though. If you get this, I recommend you get all the other AoA TPBs too. For a complete reading list of it, see my X-Men: LegionQuest review.

Jay Scott's excellent book gives a comprehensive run down of almost the entire Gretsch lineage. Packed with detailed model descriptions, great pictures and a healthy dose of humorous wit, this book is a must read for anyone interested in Gretsch guitars. The book is let down however, by frequent typographical and grammatical errors throughout. Some pictures are also unnecessarily reproduced throughout the book. If edited more fastidiously, this book would be almost perfect.

Jay Scott has undoubtedly devoted his soul to the guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company. In his outstanding book, The Guitars of the Fred Gretsch Company, Jay concentrates on the fine appointments and unique styling of each Gretsch Model. He tends to focus on the halcion years of 1950 to the late sixties offering indepth studies of the famous models, namely the 6120 (of which I am a proud owner), the Country Gent, White Falcon, the Jet series and other rarities such as the White Penguin.

There are few books devoted solely to the Gretsch Guitar and, in my opinion, Scott's book is the most comprehensive. The pages contain many photographs and extarcts from original catologues. Also included are some interesting "custom" models (no doubt from Randy Bachman's collection) and hybrids made by Gretsch in their effort to use surplus parts. Scott also writes about the management of the company and the various owners and finally, the demise. It is encouraging that the company has found it's feet agian and is producing fine instruments in the same vein as the originals.

To conclude, any Gretsch fan should aquire this reference to further their knowlege and for pure browsing pleasure. I find myself flipping through the pages regularly gazing at those perferct arch top guitars with their flawless character. This book is a fantastic manual on the epitome of sound and luxuriant quality - The Gretsch Guitar.

This book is an enjoyable, informative look into a classic, American Guitar company, Gretsch. Its picure gallery alone will keep you reaching for it again and again. Jay's passion with Gretsch guitars shows. Of particular interest is the section on the Duo Jet, and its sister, the Silver Jet. The only book like it on the market today. Five stars.

I have read and browsed many a book on relationships to get through the typically rough first couple years of marriage. This is the first that actually offered sincere and truthful advice and inspiring thoughts. What I liked best is that Women are given as much of the blame as the guys are... This is very refreshing from the crap Ive read from Smalley.

A good read and some helpful things to consider.. Very intelligent reading.

Not your typical book on marraige. This is an excellent book and I'm usually pretty sceptical about these types of books. If you're engaged, thinking about marraige, or in a marraige and experience difficulty, this is a MUST READ!! If every couple read this before they got married I think the divorce rate would be a whole lot lower!

Scott Stanley has paved the way for married couples to really understand what commitment in marriage is all about. He has taken the best from research and with his practical down-to-earth writing style inspires and motivates couples to reaffirm and deepen their heart commitment to each other. If more couples read this book and followed Dr. Stanley's excellent advice, divorce attorneys would be looking for another job. It is by far the best thing I have read on the subject of commitment!