Rating: 
Summary: A MUST-HAVE for people learning .NET Technology
Review: I needed to learn the .NET architecture and programming languages. I wanted to learn about the .NET architecture before learning the languages, so I read this book first. As the title in my review states, this is a MUST HAVE book for people learning .NET. This book explains how the .NET architecture works in a simple to understand manner. An added feature of this book is the "extra asides" in each chapter discussing topics that are important to IT professionals, such as "Java Bytecode versus MSIL", "Why Enterprise Servers are not .NET", and "Making .NET Cross-platform". This is the kind of information an IT professional needs when one is trying to sell a .NET solution to an IT manager or executive whose only exposure to technology is what s/he saw on "Tech TV". It is also the kind of information that assists the IT professional who works on other platforms/languages (mainly Java programmers) with understanding .NET in relation to what one does. Also, I believe that if a programmer/software engineer new to .NET understands the architecture, then the programmer/software engineer will have an easier time with learning and using the .NET languages (Well, I find that to be true in my case). This book will give the new .NET developer or engineer a good foundation to allow one to make informed decisions when designing a .NET application. As an IT professional and adjunct university professor, I would highly recommend this book to IT professionals learning .NET, and I would highly recommend this book as a textbook to be used in a school teaching .NET in their curriculum.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Book to read
Review: I read previous books of Davis Chappell and I enjoyed reading this book. This book is an easy read for a developer, yet it explains in clear terms what is .NET. The sidebars and analysis is helpful.
I would have liked a little bit more technical treatment of the subject, just like he did with the "Understanding ActiveX and OLE" book.
Rating:
Summary: Best Technical Overview of .NET to date
Review: If every technical book was written by Chappell there would be no 'complex' topics or 'hard to grasp' concepts. Some people are born with the gift of good communication and he is certainly one of them. Almost every paragraph is accompanied by a margin note summarizing it, which is very helpful for navigating or even skipping sections that are not of interest. The 'grey' analysis boxes are the author's way of giving us his valuable opinion rather than pure fact. I really do wish this was the first book I had read on .NET. The 'Tutorial and Analysis' starts by putting .NET in context and defining the .NET Framework, Visual Studio.NET, the .NET servers and Web Services amongst other terms/concepts. This first chapter is also effectively an overview of the 6 chapters that follow it: Web Services, CLR, languages, ADO.NET, ASP.NET and the best overview of the huge .NET Framework Class Library I have come across. There are simple code examples demonstrating the theory but of course they are just "tasters" and further books for each major area are required in order to start coding for real. Technical managers and newbies will be mad not to get their hands on this book; however for those with hands-on experience the benefit is there only if the big picture is still not clear.
Rating:
Summary: Go Straight to the Heart of the Matter
Review: If you looking for an easy to read, a quick, and concise primer on Microsoft's .NET there is no need to look anywhere else. Just a quick scan of the table of contents convinced me to take the plunge and purchase the book. Before I read this book, I had read some of the white papers on Microsoft's web site. Wow, was that tough reading!! Some of the information was good and yet it was really too raw to be an "easy read". I was looking for something that would begin to put some of my .NET puzzle pieces together. After reading David Chappell's book I now have the puzzle together with a very clear picture. I liked the balance he gives to the treatment of .NET vs. Java. He values both environments and understands the competition between both can only benefit software development going forward. I really liked the margin notes on each page of the book they are a real aid to capturing the main points from the adjoining paragraphs. Well, still thinking about whether to buy the book. If you consider your time valuable you will be repaid many times over because you have in a very concise and time sensitive treatment, .NET in a "nutshell". You can't get much smaller than that!
Rating:
Summary: .NET in a Nutshell. What more could you ask!
Review: If you looking for an easy to read, a quick, and concise primer on Microsoft's .NET there is no need to look anywhere else. Just a quick scan of the table of contents convinced me to take the plunge and purchase the book. Before I read this book, I had read some of the white papers on Microsoft's web site. Wow, was that tough reading!! Some of the information was good and yet it was really too raw to be an "easy read". I was looking for something that would begin to put some of my .NET puzzle pieces together. After reading David Chappell's book I now have the puzzle together with a very clear picture. I liked the balance he gives to the treatment of .NET vs. Java. He values both environments and understands the competition between both can only benefit software development going forward. I really liked the margin notes on each page of the book they are a real aid to capturing the main points from the adjoining paragraphs. Well, still thinking about whether to buy the book. If you consider your time valuable you will be repaid many times over because you have in a very concise and time sensitive treatment, .NET in a "nutshell". You can't get much smaller than that!
Rating:
Summary: Go Straight to the Heart of the Matter
Review: It is a very good book that clarified the concepts scattered throughout the the documentation that we read and tend to miss the forest for trees. David talks to the point in very few pages and goes straight to the heart of the matter. It helps to cut down a great deal of our way on the .NET learning curve. You are better off going through this book before going hands-on.
Rating:
Summary: Another fine job from Chappell
Review: It takes a lot of knowledge, insight, and hard work to explain something this complicated without either losing the forest for the trees, or producing a content-free summary. Chappell is a master at explaining Microsoft's architectures so they seem coherent and manageable, if not exactly simple and straightforward. Unlike his earlier books, this one's not from Microsoft Press, and the reason undoubtedly was the editorial independence demanded by the author. A number of digs and jabs are directed at Microsoft (the corporation and its business practices, not the producer of this technology, which he generally admires), especially in the shaded sidebars. I must admit this greatly added to my enjoyment of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Great Overview - This cat can write...
Review: It takes subject matter understanding, creativity, and dedication to write an interesting and fluid book on technology. Well, David has accomplished what seems to elude many other technical subject authors. If your looking for an interesting, non-condescending, and informative book on the .NET structure and and it's place in the world, buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wealth of information every .NET developer needs to know
Review: The .NET Framework is not just another new technology; it is an entirely revolutionary view of the world of software development. And it comprises such an incredibly vast body of knowledge that one or two fat books will not make anyone well versed. Ultimately, mastering this subject will require nothing less than a small library. David Chappell's Understanding .NET is an excellent choice as a master volume and foundation for this library--as a sort of glue that will hold it all together. In this book every major area of .NET is probed and placed in context, and Chappell's writing style is extremely succinct and focused. I highly recommend this book to every software developer and manager. Understanding .NET provides an objective and comprehensive overview of .NET, including chapters on how Web Services work, functionality of the Common Runtime Language, comparisons between .NET programming languages, how to work with the Class Library, new features of ADO.NET and ASP.NET, a description of .NET My Services, and how all of these parts fit together. Most obviously, this book is a perfect starting point for developers who may be skilled in DNA or some other architecture but new to .NET. The familiar terminology and intelligent references provide engaging, informative reading, and there is enough density and new information to make every paragraph worth reading. This is not one of those easy-listening books where the reader is advised in the preface to skip the first three chapters. This book also has much to offer developers who may have been working with .NET for some time but somehow missed the beginning of the movie. When plunging into a particular area of a new technology, especially one as vast as .NET, it is quite easy to never be completely clear about the main plot. By placing each major aspect of .NET clearly in context Chappell enables developers to back off for a moment to see the big picture, quite likely leading to exploration of new areas and a more comprehensive "understanding" of the environment. For technical managers who want a clear understanding of the workings of the .NET Framework but naturally can't afford to make a career out of the details, Understanding .NET is a must read. This is perhaps as far into the details as a manager needs to go, but it should be mandatory material for any technical manager worth his or her salt. Because of Chappell's focused writing style, this book is even suitable for a layperson who needs to be a step ahead. Understanding .NET is no sissy book, and at the same time it's not rocket science. It is an aptly titled volume with a wealth of information that everyone involved with .NET needs to know. --Review by David A.
Rating:
Summary: Wealth of information every .NET developer needs to know
Review: The .NET Framework is not just another new technology; it is an entirely revolutionary view of the world of software development. And it comprises such an incredibly vast body of knowledge that one or two fat books will not make anyone well versed. Ultimately, mastering this subject will require nothing less than a small library. David Chappell's Understanding .NET is an excellent choice as a master volume and foundation for this library--as a sort of glue that will hold it all together. In this book every major area of .NET is probed and placed in context, and Chappell's writing style is extremely succinct and focused. I highly recommend this book to every software developer and manager. Understanding .NET provides an objective and comprehensive overview of .NET, including chapters on how Web Services work, functionality of the Common Runtime Language, comparisons between .NET programming languages, how to work with the Class Library, new features of ADO.NET and ASP.NET, a description of .NET My Services, and how all of these parts fit together. Most obviously, this book is a perfect starting point for developers who may be skilled in DNA or some other architecture but new to .NET. The familiar terminology and intelligent references provide engaging, informative reading, and there is enough density and new information to make every paragraph worth reading. This is not one of those easy-listening books where the reader is advised in the preface to skip the first three chapters. This book also has much to offer developers who may have been working with .NET for some time but somehow missed the beginning of the movie. When plunging into a particular area of a new technology, especially one as vast as .NET, it is quite easy to never be completely clear about the main plot. By placing each major aspect of .NET clearly in context Chappell enables developers to back off for a moment to see the big picture, quite likely leading to exploration of new areas and a more comprehensive "understanding" of the environment. For technical managers who want a clear understanding of the workings of the .NET Framework but naturally can't afford to make a career out of the details, Understanding .NET is a must read. This is perhaps as far into the details as a manager needs to go, but it should be mandatory material for any technical manager worth his or her salt. Because of Chappell's focused writing style, this book is even suitable for a layperson who needs to be a step ahead. Understanding .NET is no sissy book, and at the same time it's not rocket science. It is an aptly titled volume with a wealth of information that everyone involved with .NET needs to know. --Review by David A.
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