Good book but obsolete
347475
This is a good book but unfortunately, it is obsolete. It is better to buy opening base.
3960995
This is an absolutely amazing book stuffed full of ideas and philosophies for thrift.  At over 900 pages it is a massive tome.  Sadly, in this day and age a good 1/3 of the information is outdated.  It's jarring to realize how much the world has really changed since the early 1990's.  Articles about things like letter writing, film in cameras, long distance calling service, mail-order catalogs, whether or not one should buy a computer etc etc are outdated and useless.  The many articles that offer direct pricing comparisons or addresses to write for information are similarly obsolete.  However the remaining 2/3 of the book consists of timeless concepts and ideas.  You'll definitely learn something, and putting these concepts into action is half the fun!  I checked the book out from the library, but I don't ever want to give it back, so I guess it's time to buy.  I only dropped a star because at 900 pages, sifting through the outdated information to find the good information can be somewhat aggravating.  But keep in mind that even with 1/3 of the info being irrelevant, there are still a good 600 pages of non-stop awesomeness!
4809842
I like the user-friendly diagrams and the industry training (vs. academic) spirit with which this book is written.  The topics are covered with a no-frills approach and this is generally enough for those working in industry.  Additionally, the order in which topics are covered is excellent (ex. three chapters of electrical fundamentals are introduced before safety is introduced, since the safety makes more sense in context of three chapters' learning).

My one huge problem with the book (and it is indeed a minor gripe) is that it wastes about three full pages on audio cassette decks (!!!)  The copyright date of the book is 2007 and I've not known anyone to use the ridiculous, outdated, high-maintenance, low-fidelity, prone-to-wear technology of a cassette deck for well over a decade!  Publisher, please cease your coverage of outdated topics which are no longer in use.

All in all, however, I think this book is great!  ;-)
1689396
It's a good book.  Worth reading for the adult ADD sufferer, parent of an AD(H)D kid, or other such support person (spouse, therapist, teacher, social worker, etc.).  Beware that it's a bit outdated, so when Dr. Mat discusses medications (only one chapter about how they're not necessary and should only be used as a last resort), he only mentions Ritalin and Dexedrine.  Of course there are now other options, like time-release Adderall and non-stimulant Strattera.

Some of the information is still valid and useful, but keep in mind that this is copyright 1999 and printed in 2000.  15 years is a long time in recent neuroscience and psychology research and developments.
3476628
I realize that Corky Bell is one of the most recognized authorities on turbocharging, but I think that this book is fairly outdated by now and does not give adequate coverage of today's modern, computer controlled vehicles.  The books most recent publication is listed as 1997.  Think of how much cars have changed over the last decade.  It looks like over time he has attempted to keep it timely, but even these are outdated now and are incorporated merely as footnotes to each chapter.  I also hate to admit such a non-scientific, emotional response, but looking at a bunch of photos of cars and engines from decades ago just doesn't motivate me to go out and modify my car.

The book does provide a good overview of turbocharging and how it works.  I do think it will serve as a good primer for people.  However, I am looking forward to buying some of the more recent publications out there.
3642652
I have to give this only three stars, because it is now outdated (see also Rethinking Java EE Patterns).  However, given the assumptions outlined, the information is meaningful, still.
548961
Overall, I would rate this as a very good purchase, but it is a bit outdated for its time.  It was published quite a while ago.  I would say it is a very good book if you are not that well versed on Technical Training development.  There are some excellent flow charts and information that would help even the most savvy developers.
3335592
I love Robin Williams' books and this one was no exception when it came out. However, anyone doing web design in 2007/8 needs to have a companion book to counter the now incorrect suggestions in this book. Tables are not longer considered the only way, or really even "a" way to build web pages. Web standards have become essential if you want to comply with accessibility or just be able to make changes to your site. And if that sounds like only geeks would care, that's just not the case anymore. I would recommend finding this book used, look through it for some good ideas, and have a copy of one of Eric Meyers' books around for understanding CSS (an essential these days) and web standards in general.

I'm hoping Robin comes up with a new edition taking out nested tables and adding in more than the 4 pages of CSS. That's not to say it needs to be a CSS book (there are more than enough of those out there), but since we have to go in that direction, we could use a little more help in applying the principles she's advancing with the standards of the day. As soon as it comes out, I'll have my order in.
509160
This is a good book. It was very important when it came out.  It is dated however and we need a new book on the subject since JUnit is up to version 4.6 as of this writing.  Following examples from this book from the start you would want JUnit 3.8 to avoid the confusion.  Then you would have to learn the differences between 3.8 and 4.6 which are substantial.  Where have all the programmers gone?  Books use to be up to date, now we are stuck with many 5 year old books with reviews from 2004.  This does not keep programmers informed and secure in their jobs.  Time for a new updated edition on this one to make it truly useful.
684556
This is a helpful book in many ways, however it is out of date. I wish I had checked when it was printed, so I would have known that many of the phrases that were commonly used then, are quite awkward now. However, much of the information remains useful. Also, I planned to use this book when working in a third world country, however it would be much more useful in a tourist's back pocket.
1208662
It was a great book when originally printed but some things are quite outdated now.  Still a good read though
2615943
This is a good book overall, but it's outdated.
A lot of the information is incorrect
It wasn't very organized. I would of liked to see the "Prosper" information here
the "lending club" over here. It would of made it easier to understand and grasp the overall concept of the book.
3860711
The previous editions (including the 3rd) of the book are all obsolete! This edition presents the language from a modern C++ perspective (post C++/98 standard), with emphasis on applications of the standard library, primarily the standard containers and algorithms. The standard library is still very under-utilized till this day, with many programmers still keep reinventing the wheels and laboring on things already provided by the library. With the C++/03/0x standard on the horizon, one is definitely much better served by upgrading to this edition and switching to the better way of programming C++ in terms of the standard containers and algorithms. By taking adantage of them, one writes more concise, more elegant, more robust, and in most cases more efficient code.
4104731
I think the ideas in the book are good, but the book is old and needs to be updated to be more useful.
603845
I had this book in 1978 when I bought my first kayak. Much of it today is terribly outdated as far as the equipment is concerned.  The basics are still relevant such as paddling techniques etc.  I bought it strictly as a nostalgic thing.  I love it but I'm sure there are newer, more relevant books out there.
3743838
I didn't need to purchase this book.  It is great, but it is outdated.  I bought the Revised edition at the same time, and found that is the only one necessary.  They are very big!
2385711
I know that HTML5 is a moving target, but still, this book felt more like a draft than a "definitive guide." This is exacerbated by the fact that it is now fairly outdated.

A little background--I have been making software since the late 90s. I used to be pretty strong in Web dev, but for the last several years, I've been focused on other things. What I was looking for was a one-stop, comprehensive overview to refresh my knowledge. This book probably gets you like 85% of the way there for that, mainly due to its being as I said a bit outdated. For instance, there is no coverage of Web workers.

The other minor beef I have is the examples. I've actually done a lot of technical writing myself, so I know it's always a challenge to balance between simplicity and focus on the current thing being taught and at the same time being somewhat realistic and relevant to real work in the field. For me, this book was a tad too much on the simple side. In fact, in some areas, it felt like not much more was being offered over just reading the specs themselves. Actually, a few times I had to look up the specs to really get a better idea of what a thing was meant for. It's almost as if the author really didn't understand or, at least, value the purpose of the element, so he just barely covered it.

A good thing to do for a book on an emerging technology is to offer online updates. Even if it were nothing more than minor corrections/additions, it would help keep the book relevant for longer.

For all that, it did serve its purpose for me as a good starting point for updating my knowledge. I can't strongly recommend the book. I'd suggest looking for something more recently published (as I should have done). If the publisher and author were to offer an update/supplement, as I said, it would make this book more viable and recommendable.