Rating: 
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: This book is a big disappointment to any one who wants to learn programming using C#. For less price, you can find better books that summarize the syntax of the C# language in much less pages, in addition to providing a lot of examples. I bought this book with confidence, knowing that the authors are the inventors of the language, but I realized that the book does not really teach C# programming. It goes on and on to describe the syntax and the dos & don'ts of the syntax. Learning a new syntax is not a big deal, but learning to build programs by using C# and the Framework is what everyone wants and expects to find in the book. I prefer to read a "Learn-in-24-hours" or "Learn-in-3-days" book to learn the syntax and get to the actual programming by learning about the .NET Framework as well.
I am sure this book contains everything about the syntax but not about programming. Maybe this book should be published on the Internet or given free of charge. But the book is expensive and not that useful. I wonder how come a big publishing company such as Addison-Wesley takes the risk of publishing a book like this, which does not really teach programming and contains almost no examples. My advice to anyone who is serious about learning C# programming is not to buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A great reference
Review: This book is a great reference for the C# programming language as it will be in it's second incarnation (as of this time, the next version of C# has not been released). However, it is a copy of the C# lanaguage specification that can be found online at Microsoft's website, as well as is distributed with the .NET framework.However, as far as the specification is concerned, it is very good for those that want the final word on all things concerning C#. There is no guesswork here. Specifically, I would recommend this book for those that prefer to have a hard copy of the specification by their side, as well as those that want to get a better grip on aspects of the language and syntax.
Rating:
Summary: A great reference
Review: This book is a great reference for the C# programming language as it will be in it's second incarnation (as of this time, the next version of C# has not been released). However, it is a copy of the C# lanaguage specification that can be found online at Microsoft's website, as well as is distributed with the .NET framework. However, as far as the specification is concerned, it is very good for those that want the final word on all things concerning C#. There is no guesswork here. Specifically, I would recommend this book for those that prefer to have a hard copy of the specification by their side, as well as those that want to get a better grip on aspects of the language and syntax.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must for the serious C# programmer
Review: This book is excellent. It is a "no-fluff", hardcore discussion of the C# language features. It goes next to Stroustrup's "The Annotated C++ Reference Manual" on my bookshelf. I would think that any serious C# programmer would use this book as THE reference book for the C# language. Thankfully, it also includes all the information in the soon-to-be-released version 2.0 of the language. Like Stroustrup's book, the language is clear, concise, and explains the rationale of the language. It is well formatted and the examples are to the point. In my opinion, there are two drawbacks with this book regarding the "general consumer". The first is that it really is a technical reference and therefore will not be as attractive to the newbie programmer that is looking for code examples rather than reference material. The second drawback is that this book stands apart from the surrounding .NET framework in terms of developing Windows and web-based applications. Again, the "average" programmer is looking for C# examples related to application development. Neither of these so-called drawbacks bothers me at all. In fact, I'm personally rather detracted from books that try to do too much and succeed at nothing.
Rating:
Summary: An absolute must for the serious C# programmer
Review: This book is excellent. It is a "no-fluff", hardcore discussion of the C# language features. It goes next to Stroustrup's "The Annotated C++ Reference Manual" on my bookshelf. I would think that any serious C# programmer would use this book as THE reference book for the C# language. Thankfully, it also includes all the information in the soon-to-be-released version 2.0 of the language. Like Stroustrup's book, the language is clear, concise, and explains the rationale of the language. It is well formatted and the examples are to the point. In my opinion, there are two drawbacks with this book regarding the "general consumer". The first is that it really is a technical reference and therefore will not be as attractive to the newbie programmer that is looking for code examples rather than reference material. The second drawback is that this book stands apart from the surrounding .NET framework in terms of developing Windows and web-based applications. Again, the "average" programmer is looking for C# examples related to application development. Neither of these so-called drawbacks bothers me at all. In fact, I'm personally rather detracted from books that try to do too much and succeed at nothing.
Rating: 
Summary: Handy C# Reference hardcover book!
Review: This is definitely a good "encyclopedia" reference for the C# language. It is not for beginners who need their hand held to learn C#, rather it is for those who want to know more about the language they work with. The book doesn't waste any time getting into C# specifics (classes, arrays, interfaces, statements, etc...) It covers all you need to know, in concise sections, and handy little charts for reference. The book has a unique system of pointers within its chapters to point to pages that cover these concepts in more detail. I must admit this confused me for a few minutes, no where did it explain what these special characters were. Also, it does not make any references to this "enhanced online index" as described above in the book detail. But hey, it does come with a neat little ribbon to bookmark a page... I skimmed over the C# 2.0 part, about 1/6 of the book (100 pages) is dedicated to this new version, which is close to beta testing. It covers in detail four new concepts, and has 4 chapters for each concept - Generics, Anonymous Methods, Iterators, and Partial Types. Overall, a handy book for my burgeoning .NET library. Definitely worth the $17.99 with Amazon's 40% off!
Rating:
Summary: Handy C# Reference hardcover book!
Review: This is definitely a good "encyclopedia" reference for the C# language. It is not for beginners who need their hand held to learn C#, rather it is for those who want to know more about the language they work with. The book doesn't waste any time getting into C# specifics (classes, arrays, interfaces, statements, etc...) It covers all you need to know, in concise sections, and handy little charts for reference. The book has a unique system of pointers within its chapters to point to pages that cover these concepts in more detail. I must admit this confused me for a few minutes, no where did it explain what these special characters were. Also, it does not make any references to this "enhanced online index" as described above in the book detail. But hey, it does come with a neat little ribbon to bookmark a page... I skimmed over the C# 2.0 part, about 1/6 of the book (100 pages) is dedicated to this new version, which is close to beta testing. It covers in detail four new concepts, and has 4 chapters for each concept - Generics, Anonymous Methods, Iterators, and Partial Types. Overall, a handy book for my burgeoning .NET library. Definitely worth the $17.99 with Amazon's 40% off!
Rating:
Summary: Straight from the source
Review: This is without doubt the best language reference I have. Its authors impart their combined knowledge in a clear uninhibited style. The typeface is crisp and its contents well formatted making it refreshingly easy to read. Congratulations to all involved. If you are serious about C# you should have this book.
.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Outstanding
Review: This is without doubt the best language reference I have. Its authors impart their combined knowledge in a clear uninhibited style. The typeface is crisp and its contents well formatted making it refreshingly easy to read. Congratulations to all involved. If you are serious about C# you should have this book.
.
Rating:
Summary: A great reference book
Review: Well, let me warn you, if you think this is a How To book, or something you pick up and read cover to cover, It's not! This book is essentially the technical documentation of the C# spec (covering the new framework enhancements like Generics), written by the guy that wrote it (and he writes books about as well as he creates languages). There are plenty of good examples, but since it's a reference book more than anything else, you're not going to get 10 pages of examples on the more 'complex' subjects. What you will get is clear and relevant information on how C# really works and and example or two to get you through it. This is a lot different than the rest of the A-W Series, but it's a class act through and through. And if you are a C# programmer or want to be one, this is a must have reference.
| 
