Rating: 
Summary: A must-read for anyone writing for NT
Review: Disclaimer: I wrote one of the inside cover blurbs. Don't expect me to slam the book.The Native API Reference not only shows you the neat and very useful things that NT can do but does not expose through its Win32 personality; it also tells you which areas are covered by documented Win32 APIs, lessening, one hopes, the gratuitous use of officially undocumented functionality. Right from the start, you will find the NtQuery...() functions fascinating, and if you write kernel-mode code, you will *love* having a complete reference to the Zw...() functions -- no more cursing the horrible DDK documentation. Intended audience: If you don't know what a handle is, or how Win32 deals with I/O, synchronization, and the like, then this book is not for you; read Richter's _Advanced Windows_ first. My only wish is for MTP to have chosen a font slightly larger than Flyspeck 3, and maybe less of the black splotches that make the book's pages look like an unbroken string of obituaries.
Rating:
Summary: A must-read for anyone writing for NT
Review: Disclaimer: I wrote one of the inside cover blurbs. Don't expect me to slam the book. The Native API Reference not only shows you the neat and very useful things that NT can do but does not expose through its Win32 personality; it also tells you which areas are covered by documented Win32 APIs, lessening, one hopes, the gratuitous use of officially undocumented functionality. Right from the start, you will find the NtQuery...() functions fascinating, and if you write kernel-mode code, you will *love* having a complete reference to the Zw...() functions -- no more cursing the horrible DDK documentation. Intended audience: If you don't know what a handle is, or how Win32 deals with I/O, synchronization, and the like, then this book is not for you; read Richter's _Advanced Windows_ first. My only wish is for MTP to have chosen a font slightly larger than Flyspeck 3, and maybe less of the black splotches that make the book's pages look like an unbroken string of obituaries.
Rating:
Summary: A must for any hardcore developer
Review: Execellent coverage of a very little know subject. It covers what it advertises and nothing more. Only thing I would like to see is a table equating some of the Win32 calls with the Native API calls, and perhaps a CD of the source code. A must for any reference shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Too terse (charitably speaking)
Review: Good things first: the book's well produced (easy on the eyes, etc.) and structured. Bad things second: Even for a reference it is too damn terse. I mean, there's hardly a word of explanation in it. Maybe five pages of sample code. Who needs a reference like that, especially for something that's not documented anywhere else? Anyway, having this book cannot hurt anyone, and so if you can get it for $10, go for it! Otherwise I'm not sure. No human readable information in there, so think for yourself. Peruse it first, I guess... PS. About previous reviews here: some people (no names mentioned ;) ;) have to realize that their very names on a review will discount the review, as everyone will think that they simply praise one another as a professional favour. Just a thought.
Rating: 
Summary: I'm so mad, I decided to leave a review here
Review: I'm so sorry that the previous review didn't appear here before I bought this book. Maybe it's just me, but this book is NOT good. It doesn't even have any explanations at all, page upon page of dry description, nay, *enumeration* of functions and parameters. "HANDLE hFile: file handle", how helpful is that? OK, there are mayby a dosen pages in the whole book with a bit of code, but this is absolutely insufficient! I've run into one of the very positive reviewers here on-line somewhere and told him it was rather low to post such a glowing review when the book clearly isn't really good, so he said in response, well, it's a reference. I know it's a reference! but even references have got to have a code snippet after a function description. This API that the book presents is by definition UNDOCUMENTED! How are you going to be able to use it if the use isn't shown anywhere? Is there a programmer's guide that I missed? I don't think so. I feel ripped off, and I highly recommend to those contemplating purchasing this manual to take a careful look and evaluate on their own, and not go by the positive reviews here. I am appaled by the tactics that the publishers are resorting to these day in order to enrich themselves, and I'm enraged by how some people with a little bit of name recognition are willing to partake in the racket. I'd give this thing minus 5 if I could as it is a very dishonest book in my opinion. A book like that would have been acceptable if offered as vol II with some kind of Programmer's Guide being vol I, but in the absense of such, it's a ripoff.
Rating:
Summary: Good Reference not much MEAT to it
Review: Ok, usually I do not write reviews on books that I get, because I just don't care to. This time I have to. Not too long ago I received this book, and too my suprise it was TINY. I wasn't looking for a beginners book, but at the same time I was looking for a good reference book. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a complete reference, this isn't the book for you. Here is my break down on different categories,I feel are important to me. Content Layout: 5 stars
Amount of Content: 1 star Value for the Money I Spent: 1 Star
Readability: 3 Stars If this book was priced at $20.00 then I would give it a rating of 4 stars, because then the content would be worth the money spent. At $50.00 dollars, this book is the biggest rip off. Alot of the W32 function calls are not even in this book. About 95% of them. I think they could have added a whole lot more into the book. Now unfortunately, I have the pleasure of having to find another API reference book, after I have already spent $50.00 on this one. If you are a programmer looking to perform special tasks with the api, don't waste your time with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Native API background
Review: Things to note: 0. Read the reviews after mine. People are right about what they say. 1. Native API is (or now was) officially unpublished. Microsoft does not want you to know about this API. In fact, the publisher almost did not publish the book for fear of legal issues. 2. Usually, you need to talk to Microsoft to learn of Native API calls. This book is easier than dealing with Microsoft. 3. Native API evolves. Only Microsoft (and those who've obtained the proper source licenses) know of the new API functions that were added after this book went to print. 4. Native API will help you do a lot of black-magic kernel-mode things, without having to hack/patch the OS. (think memory pools, devices, etc.) 5. This book will not teach you how to do program kernel mode modules. Yet, cnsider this book to be an ESSENTIAL supplement for kernel mode things.
Rating: 
Summary: Ecellent.
Review: This book is a must have for every person taking NT development seriously. This book should have been published by M$ years ago. It gives great insights how the WIN32 api is mapped onto the NT kernel functions. It leaves out some informations, that is described better at other places (EventPairs) but its definitely worth its money. What i am missing most is an URL where the code shown in the book could be downloaded from - this caused me to give only 4 stars instead of the deserved 5 ones for the rest of the book.
Rating:
Summary: Badly Needed Reference to the Dimly Illuminated World of NT
Review: This book is the first and only reference of its type. It delves deep into the harsh and uncompromizing world of NT internals. No other book documents these APIs as clearly or acurately (Not even Microsoft's own documentation such as it is). This is suprizingly refreshing especially given that much of this information ISN'T DOCUMENTED AT ALL _ANYWHERE ELSE_!!! Thus even a mediocre reference would have been a welcome reprieve. However, there is nothing mediocre about this rendition. It is important to note what this book is not. It is not a beginners reference to win32. It will not teach you the how and why of windows programming, and it is not a good starting point for learning about NT internals (However, it is essential once you have understood the basic material and want to do more). For developers wanting to learn about basic windows programming I recommend "Win32 System Programming" by Johnson M. Hart (ISBN 0-201-70310-6). For those interested in the how and why of 2000 internals I suggest chapter eleven of "Modern Operating Systems" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum, 2nd ed. (ISBN 0-13-031358-0). Chapter 11, pp. 763-851, is a case study explaining how the concepts of OS theory as described in the rest of the chapters apply to Windows 2000.
Rating:
Summary: Must-have reference
Review: This is an extremely useful and well written reference book. It's not for the faint of heart or the newbie, though. For the experienced programmer wanting to learn more about what's under the hood, and experienced driver programmer, it's an invaluable companion. I strongly recommend it if you fit the above criteria.
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