Schaum's Outline of XML

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Trash
Review: The book is hastily put together and overall seems a confusing mess, which is the state your mind will be in after reading it.
For example the Chapter on DTD's has incomplete tables and waffle strewn all over the place.

This is surprising because usually Schaum's books are okay.

Good XML books are hard to find. I think this is because they seem to be written for a target audience of HTML Web designers who the authors believe will find technical language hard to understand.

The author, in attempting to dumb-down ends up producing muddled waffle, which leaves the reader frustrated and disillusioned.

Although my background is in Java programming, I do believe that all readers no matter what their background would benefit more from tight, concise well-set out technical prose.

As such I recommend the XML Pocket consultant by William R Stanek. The book is clearly set out and to the point. It's clarity reminds me of programming classics such as "The C programming Language" by Kernaghen and Ritchie and "A Programmers Guide to Java Certification" by Mughal and Rasmussen

I gave this book 1 star only because I'm not sure if you can leave the option blank. Remember - although a book may be inexpensive, the wasted time spent trying to work your way through it is infinitely more costly.