>We are truly pleased about your interest in our book and hope that
> >it will help you to become a good programmer. The book represents a
> >radically different approach to programming, an approach that emphasizes
> >systematic design rather than tinkering. In other words, the distance
> >between this approach and the conventional way is as large as the
> >distance between Eastern and Western ways of thinking.
> >
> >The book is gaining acceptance in the English, German, Polish, and

> >Spanish speaking parts of the world. With this Chinese editition, we
> >finally hope to reach the largest language block in the world, indeed
> >the population with the fastest growing share of programmers.
> >
> >A special thanks to the translators, Huang Linpeng and Zhu Chongkai,
> >and to Hsing-Huei Huang for her help proofreading the translation.

It is a great book.
The Chinese Version will come at the begining of next year.
>We are truly pleased about your interest in our book and hope that
> >it will help you to become a good programmer. The book represents a
> >radically different approach to programming, an approach that emphasizes
> >systematic design rather than tinkering. In other words, the distance
> >between this approach and the conventional way is as large as the
> >distance between Eastern and Western ways of thinking.
> >
> >...

Have you ever looked at other people's codes and said to yourself something like "No... this isn't the way it should be written!". Or, worst yet, have you ever been asked by someone who wants you to read his/her codes and tell him/her what does it do?

Both things happened quite often, though.

The problems are mainly because they don't know how to "design" their programs properly. Being able to progam doesn't mean being to design/organize a good code at all. And being good at finding/inventing algorithms for problem solving doesn't mean that either.

One another thing, I (maybe just only me, I don't know) think that C shouldn't be taught as the first language (at least, not anymore). This is mainly because, in C, you can hardly express yourself. Also, C codes look cryptic to those new to programming. And you must know a lot, and practice a lot, (that takes a lot of time, friend) to be able to express what you want.
And also, several times, I saw many people just playing around with the * and & (well, the pointer-dereferencing, and address-taking symbol in C/C++), adding one more, deleting one off, to see which will make their programs work. (Sometime, it just works by miracle...)

This book, using Scheme (a modern dialect of Lisp) as the language of choice. I, personally, agree of choosing it. Scheme was designed in the way such that programmers can focus on what they want to express, rather than imprementation details. From my own experience, I became a better programmer after learning it. (I was already a C++ programmer by that time. I just have to use Lisp on my study/research).

One thing that I like is that, it focused on how to "design" programs, not just how to program, while college classes are mostly focused on how to write programs. No matter how students write their codes, if it could run, then it is fine.

Then, I think, a lot of people do have ability to program, a lot are good at it. However, the number of people who knows how to design programs are much lesser. And this would result in something like those silly examples at the beginning of this review. Therefore, this book had emphasized on quite an important thing.

And the last thing to say about this one is: MIT Press' textbooks are very high-quality, and this one is not an exception. It is very easy to read and to understand. And, even the html version is available at the book's official homepage, it is nice to have the printed version.

How to "design" programs is very important for every CS major people, and is important to everyone else in general (to program your "everyday life schedule", etc). Whether you want to become a professional programmer (write codes for living, etc) or not.

tan limpio, que en varios estados mexicanos, se esta usando como libro de texto en las secundarias.
Puedes ponerlo a ciegas en manos de tus hijos y tus hijas

THE SEX INFORMATION WE KNOW...
But, are we impecably informed?
Did we leave something out?
You know, SAFE SEX AND INFORMATION IS VITAL FOR KIDS!
And this book will complete what you taught them...
A really wonderful SEX FACT BOOK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE!

we grew like wild Ivy...No iinformation on sex. It was taboo!
The results of our ignorance were many and painful!
This is the book I chose to inform my kids. I read many in order to find THE BEST... AND THIS IS IT!
If they commit mistakes in their sex life, IT WILL NOT BE FOR THE LACK OF INFORMATION..
This book has the best, the very best information for teenagers!

For those about to make the important decision of placing a loved one in a skilled nursing facility, this is an important tool. As a nursing home administrator, I know how tough it is to maintain a quality nursing home. Some succeed and some do not. As part of your preparations for this major move, read this book.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "Nursing Home Leadership" docwifford@msn.com

This book was an invaluable resource to help me with the difficult task of finding the best care for my mother with Alzheimer's. I was even able to read it for free, online at CareScout.com! Cuts through the clutter, gives you insider industry information that helps you separate the good from the bad in terms you can understand. There's also info on long term care insurance, and helpful checklists for finding the best care.

As a financial consultant, I am faced with an increasing demand from clients to assist them, or their aging parents, with long-term care planning. When you deal with the emotional issues of admitting a loved one to a nursing home, where do you start your research? Right here! Wouldn't it be nice to know, ahead of time, if a home has ever been cited for any violations? Wouldn't you like to know what those violations were and whether or not they had been addressed and rectified? This guide provides you with much of that information. Furthermore, the crash course on long-term care planning, at the beginning of the book, is excellent. This guide proves to be particularly valuable for the children of aging parents who are geographically distanced from their parents and they don't have a first-hand knowledge of their parents' city or the homes within that area. An absolute must for anyone who is struggling with the issue of admitting a loved one into, or caring for a loved one who is already in a long-term care facility.

I absolutely love the format of this book. If you're planning a trip to Europe and want a background study before you go (without going back to college) then this book is for you! It's also cheap and the perfect length and I already know three people I intend to buy it for as a gift. WHAT I LIKED BEST: the boxes of information at beginning of each of the four sections with bullets of important events and a summary paragraph outlining highlights; the "who's who" boxes sprinkled throughout; the photos/pictures; the sidebar boxes of additional information; and the summary highlights at the end of each section. It is all very easy to read and highlights what you really need to know. WHAT I LIKED LEAST: the silly jokes throughout got very irritating by the time I was half-way through. It could be confusing for older readers who won't "get" or recognize some of the jokes/comments related to current events. However, besides that, the book is so good that I still give it a 5.

Mr. Libbon is a genius! He has managed to teach me more about European history with one book than I learned in all those years languishing in boring public school history classes. Easy to read and comprehend, extremely well researched and loaded with fun facts, this book should be integrated into the school system immediately. Let's give our kids the chance to learn true European History not just the watered down, colorless version currently taught in schools. Buy a copy for yourself and enjoy. While you're at it buy a copy for your local library or the local history teacher, share the knowledge and the fun.

This book is exactly what I hoped it would be when I ordered it. A cheap, easy to read refresher of all the things I am embarrassed to admit I don't know or had forgotten. Each chapter starts w.a few important dates and there are a few pages within each section devoted to lists of important names and dates (great for skipping back when you can't quite remember what no-longer-existant country was run by the guy you're reading about in another chapter).

This book isn't made to make people suddenly experts on Europe. It is, however, a great way to quickly catch up on what you think you should have known. Personally, since I've only studied Chinese history for the past six years, I used it as a way to get the basics of this period back into my head before trying to read a book that would have been too in-depth after not studying Europe since high school. I read it in two one-hour blocks before bed, got the names down, and can look at it if I need a map, the one-paragraph version of the Prussian war or the end of World War I or to remember why exactly France kept replacing its governments. One of the best buys I've found.

This is a great book to learn C# from. I have previous C/C++ experience so a lot of the early stuff was pretty simple and straight forward. Having said that, I did not feel that the early pieces were in any way condescending, which is what I have found large portions of other books on this subject to be. I'm not [unintelligent] and I don't like an introductory book to treat me as if I am. In other words, don't read this book if you are looking for a "complete idiots guide" or a "C# for dummies" style book.

You should also not be misled into thinking that this book covers much of .NET. It doesn't. It touches on some of the basics, but there is a lot more that you will need to get by reading the book that I regard as part 2 - "Application Development using C# and .NET". Although the two books have a certain amount of overlap, I believe that it is worth owning both.

I am adding these comments following further work with the book. I had several extra questions that I needed to ask of the author. Dr Oberg was absolutely terrific with his personal responses. Not only that, he pointed me at the exercises that are available off the Object Innovations web-site. These definitely add a lot of value to this book so I would encourage anyone using this book to get hold of that additional material.

In every sense, this book is the Kernighan and Ritchie for C#.

The book is best one I have read about C#. Its logic very nice and explanation very clear. Reading it is an enjoyment for me. It will give you a solid foundation of object oriented programming.

I purchased 3 books in order to learn C# and learn it fast (this book, Jesse Liberty's "Learning C#", and Klaus Nichelsen's "C# Primer Plus"). Although this book was based on the Beta, this is the best of the three books. Don't get me wrong, I highly recommend all three books for the developer who is coming from Visual Basic 6 or another language. The illustrations in this book are excellent and the author has done a great job writing this book. I did NOT find very many errors, but I have not read any books that did not have any errors. A few errors is expected. This book is one of several 5-star books that Robert Oberg has written and the editing is very good. This book was so very good that I plan to purchase other Robert Oberg books dealing advanced Visual Basic.Net and C# programming. Please note, this is very large book but the reading is easy and won't put you to sleep. The chapters have been divided up nicely. Not to long or not to short.

Chicken soup, that is, with a lot of nuts and bolts thrown in for extra fiber!! All though this is, more of a what happens to you in the process book, than it's a "how to do it" book? It should be the second book following "Build it with Bales II," that you should read. Even if written from the female perspective? It will give anyone invaluable insight regardless of your gender, to build your dream home (right). Without needlessly killing yourself or your spouse (or kids) in the process. Her centering herself in spirit and connection to the earth pulls her through, as it will you. After buying and reading this book, you can move on to the other coffee table books on the topic.

I'll admit bias, I was there in the early stages to help Carolyn get her dream up, and out of the desert dirt. I am "Spuds" (Chapter 9). Until I read further into the process, I couldn't believe she would have had more difficult times? After working hand and glove, sweat and toil with this absolute dynamo of a woman? I can tell you she writes it as it happened and her writting, reads just like she speaks.. honest, straight forward, focused, sincere and connected to her purpose. By keeping focused on the goal, she surmounts obsticles that most of us would cave into. But not her. Due to her indominatable connection to spirit, she, rejects "no" for an answer. It didn't take me long to learn that aspect of her persona first hand.

In the previous reviews, short shrift was given to the envolvement of community and personal commitment in the process.
Carolyn, would be the first to step forward with a long list of names. The point being, Staw Bale, by it's nature is a event that "makes" community happen, and long lasting friends.

Of all the books written of the topic, this one alone stands as the testimate from the beginning of the dream to the; blood, sweat, tears, fears, and toil it takes... It's just not that easy. If you think it is? Read this. And, if you take her path, you'll eventually feel the same gratification, and relief that is "almost" done....

I'll sum up her book in one word.. backbone! She's got it. If she can get it done, so can you. If you doubt it? Start reading.

This is a great book of building dreams and manifesting your own destiny. As I read I was brought out into the hot sun, crying, sweating and blistering along with the builder. It has never ceased to amaze me what human beings can bring about if they really put their mind to it. Carolyn Roberts is truly a warrior of life and creates a reality we can all live with. Keeping life simple allows one to focus on realizing one's dreams. And Carolyn's dream is one of giving. Giving back to Mother Earth and giving us a good example of how simple, healthy, loving life can be.

If you are interested in building a house, especially one of straw, this is a must read. It prepares you for the pitfalls and the joys of accomplishing challenges you never thought you could.

This truly is a great read whether you're building a house of straw, wood, recycled soda bottles, old tires or anything else. Although I wouldn't consider this a how-to-manual, it really does provide the reader with a great deal of information you wouldn't usually get your hands on unless you paid a building contractor or consultant. This is a fantastic story of a very brave woman who bucks the system and builds a house on her terms, her way, and largely by herself. You experience the highs and lows, mania, confusion and every other human emotion as she devotes her very being to the birth of her house. Overall, I found this to be an amazing story, written by someone with an inner strength and conviction few of us seem to possess in this day in age. Very inspiring and a must read to anyone crazy enough to embark on a similar journey.

Robert Messinger's new rhyming book, I've Got Mail!, is about a little girl who becomes intrigued with e-mail. It also supports my theory that children are more knowledgeable about the world than I was when I was growing up. But then again, I knew what an A-bomb was and how to take shelter.

This charming tale is of seven-year-old Laura who looks back over her life when she was a baby and her interest in the 'puter. Every evening Laura and her Daddy would log on and he would read his mail.

But it was those three little words, "You've got mail" that fascinated the tyke. She longed and wished to get e-mail of her own. But Laura must first make a promise to her Daddy before she gets an account of her own. (A lesson for Moms and Dads that supervision is a must.)

My five-year-old nephew, Joseph, loved Laura's tale, but now he wants his own e-mail account! Needless to say, my brother is not very happy with me.

John Salerno's illustrations are colorful, fun, and childlike without being condescending.

I've Got Mail! is a fun, happy book, sure to give those little ones happy thoughts before they go to sleep!

Since she was an infant, Laura has been bouncing on her father's lap as he works on his computer. She laughs at his "mouse" & giggles at all the words he uses.

In the blink of an eye, or so it seems to Laura's Dad, she is ready & eager to learn how the computer works. Together they set up her own book, where her favorite pictures are kept.

Laura feels, somehow, that something is still missing. One day when her Dad opens up his email program & that chirpy voice tells him he's got mail, six-year old Laura knows that that's what's missing! She wants her own email, her Dad sets about helping her, & she writes a note to her best friend.

John Salerno's illustrations vividly portray the excitement & charm of this poetic adventure that just about every modern family is now enjoying.

I'VE GOT MAIL! will make a really fine Fathers' Day Gift - hint, hint!

I'm not an editor or book reviewer, but I am a mother and have done my share of reading aloud. This book was a delight--so much that I bought another copy for my neighbor to read to her preschoolers. Children ARE fascinated when they see us using computers, and this book not only speaks to the child's point of view but will also encourage parents to see that they are the best ones to start their children's exploration of cyber space. Why wait for the schools to teach them and hope that the important safety message gets through? This book just provides an enjoyable way to teach without preaching and share this experience with your child.

Although the large text font (and relatively large price) suggests ulterior motives by the publisher, IP Addressing is a decent reference for subnetting and network addressing.

The language is kept fairly high-level, and most of the explanations are clearly written--if a little terse--with a fair number of tables and charts making the book accessible for both novices and more advanced users alike.

Since there are scant few books out there that are specifically dedicated to IP administration, this book exists as a viable option for system admins and curious readers.

Wegner brings a clarity to the topic that I have long been looking for. A great read for those of you who are lost in the maze of TCPIP. Very clear and complete. Great section on routing protocols for beginners. When will Wegner write some more?

This book has answered questions I have had for a long time. A great read for those of you who are lost in the maze of TCPIP. Very clear and complete. Great section on routing protocols for beginners.

This is very well written historical fiction which deserves to be much better known. Fowler clearly read many historical memoirs before writing this, and recaptures their flavor so well that I occasionally found myself forgetting I was reading fiction. At the same time, the narrative is more continuous and dramatic than one would normally get in a memoir. There are a few very minor historical errors, but in most cases the research seems impeccable. If I have a criticism of this book, it's that it doesn't transcend its memoir basis quite enough: it could use more drama, more extremity. Still, it is very, very good, generally on a par with Killer Angels and much better than the wordy and hyperintellectual Cold Mountain.

In October of 1861, Jim Mundy and the other young Confederate soldiers marching off to fight in the Civil War believed the Yankees would be whipped before Christmas. The whole reason Jim joined up when he did was because he was afraid the war would be over if he waited too long. Like most of the enlisted men, Jim's family was poor and didn't own any slaves. But that didn't stop him and the others from wanting to fight.

If determination and valor were enough to win a war, then by all accounts the South should have won, especially with soldiers like Jim Mundy. Told through his words, we experience the elation of early victories and the devastation of later defeats. With Jim, we also learn about specific battles, field hospitals, army prisons, and blockade running, all of the major features of the War Between the States. Stories written in a first person point of view can often be limiting. But to change that by taking the story out of Jim's hands and giving it to an omniscient narrator, floating above the landscape from battle to battle and side to side, would destroy the novel, leaving us with nothing more than a history text.

First published in 1977 by Harper & Row, JIM MUNDY was reissued by Stealth Press twenty-three years later. Unlike most recently published books, Stealth's packaging is quality inside and out. With full cloth-covered boards, decorative end papers and foil lettering, this is one book that you would be proud to display on any bookshelf and certainly worth looking for.

I usually don't like historical fiction but a friend recommended this to me so I went ahead and got a copy. I was not disappointed. I was drawn into the life of Jim Mundy as he sets off to fight for the South, falls in love, is wounded, etc. I learned a lot, too.

There has been quite a glut lately of weather-related disaster books, and the quality of these books has varied widely. "Killer 'Cane," though a bit rough in places, is one of the better efforts in the genre. The book tells the story of the 1928 hurricane that devastated the Florida Everglades, killing perhaps as many as 3000 people when the Lake Okeechobee Dike gave away. Author Robert Mykle sets up his story well, providing a generous helping of historical background and meterological facts.

Mykle spends much of the first half of the book describing everyday life in the Everglades in the early 20th Century. He particularly focuses his attention on several families who had settled there hoping to scratch a decent living out of the "mucklands," as drained Everglades swamps were called. Mykle the shows how poor forecasting, inept politicians and ignorance of the landscape combined with sheer bad luck to cause a tragedy that could have been greatly diminished if the victims had been given adequate time to evacuate the lowlands.

Mykle is a decent storyteller, but the book does have a couple of drawbacks. Mykle largely ignores that great devastation that the 1928 storm wrought upon numerous islands in the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico, giving these other disasters only a cursory mention. He also has a tendency to repeat himself in the text and portions of the book are very poorly edited.

Overall, a readable an interesting book for those who love a goodweather-related disaster tale.

I grew up in this area during the forties and fifties.I attended high school with many decedants of the victims and survivers of this disaster.The book seems to be quiet accurate and hits the nail on the head .It amazes me that it has to be the best kept secret of all diasters.I live in the neighboring state of Georgia,and when I ask people in this area about the storm no one has a clue.At the time it was the third worst disaster to have occured ,in terms of lives lost. What a shame.

"Killer 'Cane" is an excellent book, written in a fresh and exacting style, with the details that make it come alive. Like the other great books of the disaster genre, like Walter Lord's "Titanic" and the Jim Bishop books about presidential assassinations, "Killer 'Cane" takes the reader right into the scene: Belle Glade, Florida Everglades, 1928, when a monstrous hurricane swept in without warning.

Mykle gives us a large cast of real-life people, and fills us in on their stories, on what had brought them to the area, on their aspirations for a future which for many, never came. It's a slight bit confusing as he jumps around to scenes from the past, juxtapositioning them with the current life of the area and its characters. That said, it's satisfying to piece it all together. As an absorbing movie does, this book engages us with the characters and causes us at times to hold our breath as we await the outcome of their fates. Mykle writes well, using a wide vocabulary and an authentic descriptive style to present not only the people, but the land, and then the storm, as well. This book will keep you riveted until you finish it. Kudoes to Mykle, and the highest recommendation for his work.