Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Money!
Review: This book is a total waste of money! Better go for "Inside ASP.Net"
Rating: 
Summary: Thick doesn't mean good.
Review: This book has quite a number of repetitive content. If you look at the chapter that talks about ASP.NET Web Controls, you will find that most of the content and examples are about 90% the same. The author just copied the paragraphs and replaced the control name (DropDownList, ListBox, CheckBox, RadioButton, etc.).There are also paragraphs about Javascript not functioning well in Netscape and some advertisements about the author's web-site that kept popping up in sections of the book. These paragraphs were the same throughout the book. I also find the book lacking in showing the results of the sample codes. Most of the time you will need to visualize the results in your head if you have not downloaded the codes (and configured them to run). By the way, the book does not come with a CD. The chapter on writing your own Custom Web Controls was not enough as the examples were too simplistic. Perhaps the author did not want to teach us too much, to prevent us from competing with him in writting our own ASP.NET controls ;) The chapter on 3rd party controls has been used by the author to widely advertise for his own ASP.NET controls. Overall, I think this book is just a medium for the author to market his web site and controls. I would recommend using the combination of these books to learn instead - Programming Data-Driven Web Applications with ASP.NET, XML for ASP.NET Developers and Building e-Commerce Sites with the .NET Framework.
Rating: 
Summary: If you can wait for another book. Wait !
Review: One of the primary issues with any Sam's Unleashed book is that you have to brace yourself for the disproportionate number of errors. I reiterate the Russell equation here: Number of Errors = Number of Total Pages / Length of Introduction In other words, the longer the introduction, which includes testimonials from friends, publisher, software companies, the preface, as well as, the author's own introduction, the more the errors there will be in the book. The way I figure it is, if the author and by inference the book needs all that much help by way of an thick introduction it must mean the book has a lot of problems. Stephen Walther, the author of this book undoubtedly knows ASP.NET. The question is not his knowledge of the subject matter, but his ability to communicate the subject and Sam's effort in getting out a quality book. Well in the former category I must admit that Stephen has done a decent job. I am more that halfway through the book I expect that I will be done with it by next Friday. Stephen covers nearly all of the essential ASP.NET controls and he does give some very good examples on the integration of the controls with VB.NET is showing how to present an complete solution. I would wish that Stephen would take an embryonic project and scale it from the ground up showing how a solution might be achieved that speaks to the real world of programming. And not the home user looking for a way to pass a slow weekend. On the point of Sam's effort there is some improvement in the Russell equation. But there are still too many syntactical errors and programming bugs. I have been emailing Stephen and the publisher on a daily basis. I have heard once from Stephen and never from the publisher. I don't really think that Sam's cares all that much for the opinion of it's customers. If they did they would put a good deal of effort into the Technical Reviewing of their books. Which they obviously don't. Lastly, there is a spirited commendation in the inside front cover of the book by some character called Chris Carroll. I suggest that you totally ignore it. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if that person has some economic benefit in writing that commendation. This book is not the end all and be all of ASP.NET books. There will be others I am sure. The one to take the cookie will probably have a short intro and a very tight integration between ASP.NET and VB.NET showing how a real-life project is put together, maybe even a Crystal Reports' report for good measure. This book is not it though, albeit not a bad effort overall. Buy it if like me you must have an ASP.NET right now. If you can afford to wait. Wait !
Rating: 
Summary: An Incredible Resource!
Review: As a collegiate instructor I review many texts for IT courses. Text is a powerful guide to ASP.NET! Mr. Walther writes clearly and provides good code samples. I like the fact that he also includes subjects such as: Mobile Controls, Web Services, and an outstanding chapter on the Indexing Service using ADO.NET.
Rating:
Summary: A hasty production
Review: Because the author jumps around and leaves much of the more elementary aspects untouched, the lack of promised CD and the way the web support was flung together after publication, makes me suspect that this was a rushed production trying to exploit the market. This is not a book for for beginners, nor for teaching.
Rating:
Summary: The book looks OK, but beware the supporting materials.
Review: So far the book looks like it will do what I need it to do - get me up to speed the way I like. However, I am very disappointed that so far I can't access the source code for the book. The book keeps referring to the included CD - but there is none. So, you go to SAMS and enter the ISBN. Problem is, they don't parse the dashes from the ISBN field and don't tell you to enter the ISBN without dashes, so you keep getting an error. When I finally figured it out and got to the book page and clicked the source material link - there was none! Ah. Now I have to type all the darn code in the book. Get it together people.
Rating:
Summary: Most comprehensive ASP.NET book available.....
Review: This book is the most comprehensive ASP.NET book I have read (and I have read 5+ ASP.NET books). There are over 180 pages on the ASP.NET Server controls. Almost 300 pages on ADO.NET and how to best leverage the new data list controls. 70 pages on securing your ASP.NET applications (about 50 more than the other books). ASP.NET Unleashed is heads and shoulders above the rest with regards to its coverage of building custom controls (something we should all get used to doing). In addition to the great material mentioned above, you will learn how to build a search page using ASP.NET and SQL Server, send an email from your ASP.NET page, create graphics on the fly, and more. You will be happy to know that there are also TWO full blown ASP.NET applications to pick apart, copy, and learn from! I have only mentioned *some* of the things covered in this book. As I said, you will not find a more comprehensive ASP.NET book anywhere.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a Book a Web Developer could love
Review: I could use the examples and apply them to real world situations immediately. The book contained not only excellent simple examples but also entire applications.As a web developer working at a company wth over a terrabyte of data to serve up it is critical that I understand and develop in .NET immediately. A book like this written by a single author in clear and concise manner with a learn, example, and do approach was just what I was looking for with .NET. What could be improved? In a perfect world it would be nice to have a web site at the company that accompanied the book and a on line discussion forum. While this book sticks to VB.NET it would be unrealistic to create a book that had both C# and VB.net examples and cover such depth. Thanks again and I look forward to your next offering.
Rating: 
Summary: good enough for intermediate high level developer
Review: its a really good book, i bought it 'cause i loved the previous one ASP Unleashed a few years ago, this one its in the same line, so its also very good... It have good explanations(even some repeated ones from chapter to chapter, but thats ok), it explains very well with good examples, like a step-by-step, much better even than the TYS in 21 days. I start developing high level ASP.NET stuff with this book in 7 days, spending 2 hours per night in business days and 5 hours in each day of the weekend. I can say Im a high level ASP developer, so the people with less knowledge will probably spend no more than 3x than me.
It explains EVERYTHING u need to know to take the jump from ASP to ASP.NET, after this book the websites of .NET will be more than enough for your next higher steps.
Rating:
Summary: A comprehensive and invaluable guide
Review: A seasoned expert in the ASP development community, Steven Walther draws upon his impressive expertise as an ASP.NET trainer in ASP.NET Unleashed to create a comprehensive and invaluable guide. Readers will learn the advanced features of ASP.NET, and how to apply them in their own Internet applications. This in-depth, code-intensive instructional guide and reference covers a broad range of advanced ASP.NET topics that include: Validating Form Data, Programming Mobile Devices, Using Code Behind, Building Custom ASP.NET Controls, Creating Graphics with GDI.NET, Data Access with ADO.NET, ASP.NET Security, Using XML in ASP.NET Applications and Building and Consuming Web Services. 1464 pp. Intermediate-Advanced user level.
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