Rating: 
Summary: Worthless
Review: After reading and re-reading this book for most of a year, I have yet to glean any useful information from it. The author has a very wordy writing style, which tends to obscure an already complex subject. He spends many pages essentially repeating what is in the InstallShield online help, giving lots of detail on what to do, but nothing on when or why to do it.
Rating:
Summary: New book by Baker probably more appropriate
Review: Although I haven't read either book, I wanted to point out that a new book by Baker, Getting Started with InstallShield Developer and Windows Installer Setups it probably more appropriate for those that gave the negative comments. I don't see it available on Amazon yet, but I will order it as soon as it is.
Rating: 
Summary: Great information but...
Review: Baker has written a book that provides everthing you want to know about Installshield and the Windows Installer service. It's a shame his editor let him down: Duplicate words, missing words, and misplaced words muddy what otherwise would have been clear and comprehensive information.
Rating: 
Summary: Not useful for InstallShield Professional users
Review: Don't buy this book hoping to get any insight into InstallShield Professional. The two products are so dissimilar that about the only useful information in it would be in regards to the InstallScript language. I have yet to locate a book that deals exclusively with InstallShield Professional. For InstallShield Professional, the most useful source of information I've found is the knowledgebase (http://support.installshield.com/kb/).
Rating: 
Summary: Sitting on my shelf!
Review: I stopped reading it half way thru. It was taking way to long to get the information I want it. Did not help me dealing with different Operating Systems (95,98,NT,2K). Very important to know how to handle the particular OS and IE, and I did not see any info about it. How to handle ADO, DAO MDAC's etc..I have used Express, Standard and now the Pro Windows Installer and InstallShield is very buggy anyway, so be carefull. Check the News Group, it's loaded with emails for help. That's were many answers that helped me came from. Wait till the book's price is half off!
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS !
Review: I unfortunately have this cursed book because of my ignorance. After reading it I became even more confused and used Install shield just as bad or even worse than before due to my greater confusion. I feel cheated and injured. Now I can't even sell it to get my money back. It's best to burn it and go on with my life. Most things in this book are Install Shield related but in a very round about way and just plainly splattered all over the place without any coherence to whatever you might be trying to do. It's like reading a book upside down with the pages in the wrong place. :) <--- before :( <--- after
Rating:
Summary: DO NOT BUY THIS !
Review: I unfortunately have this cursed book because of my ignorance. After reading it I became even more confused and used Install shield just as bad or even worse than before due to my greater confusion. I feel cheated and injured. Now I can't even sell it to get my money back. It's best to burn it and go on with my life. Most things in this book are Install Shield related but in a very round about way and just plainly splattered all over the place without any coherence to whatever you might be trying to do. It's like reading a book upside down with the pages in the wrong place. :) <--- before :( <--- after
Rating:
Summary: Lots of information -- poorly organized and written.
Review: I'm a senior software engineer who is trying to learn about InstallShield and Windows Installer technology. While this book contains alot of useful information, I found the book to be very poorly organized and poorly written. In a book like this I expect the author to be give an introduction/overview and then to build from there in a logical manner. The book should explain why things are as they are and not just how they are. This book fails at this. If you already know InstallShield and/or Windows Installer and are looking to firm up your knowledge, this book may be able to fill in some gaps and firm up your knowledge. If you are trying to learn these products this book will likely be confusing, cumbersome, and frustrating. It is a shame that this is currently the only book available on this subject. There are a number of editors (technical editors, copy editors, etc.) listed in the credits. I can't believe the number of grammatical and other errors that they let through.
Rating:
Summary: Terrible Book, intended readers are InstallShield pros
Review: I'm really disappointed in this book for several reasons. First, 98% of the book is written for people who have intricate and detailed information about InstallShield and Windows Installer. Here's an example: "You tell the Windows Installer how to process a custom action through the Type attribute in the CustomAction table." You are left baffled as to how I, the developer, would know how to access the CustomAction table, much less get to the Type attribute, much less how to start to accomplish whatever that line meant. ONLY THE EXPERTS MIGHT FIND THIS INFO FROM THE BOOK HELPFUL. The second huge disappointment is after reading 450 pages, there are exactly 2 examples for the student. What a truly waste of money to get 2 examples in 450 pages!!!!
The author should re-title the book "The official guide to InstallShield for Bob Baker and other members of the technical staff at InstallShield." No joke, that's the intended audience for this book!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Terrible Book, intended readers are InstallShield pros
Review: I'm really disappointed in this book for several reasons. First, 98% of the book is written for people who have intricate and detailed information about InstallShield and Windows Installer. Here's an example: "You tell the Windows Installer how to process a custom action through the Type attribute in the CustomAction table." You are left baffled as to how I, the developer, would know how to access the CustomAction table, much less get to the Type attribute, much less how to start to accomplish whatever that line meant. ONLY THE EXPERTS MIGHT FIND THIS INFO FROM THE BOOK HELPFUL. The second huge disappointment is after reading 450 pages, there are exactly 2 examples for the student. What a truly waste of money to get 2 examples in 450 pages!!!!
The author should re-title the book "The official guide to InstallShield for Bob Baker and other members of the technical staff at InstallShield." No joke, that's the intended audience for this book!!!!!!!!!
| 
