A must read for C# developers
595918
Anyone who is writing C# on a daily basis has to read this book. In 50 very easy to read short modules, Bill shows you how to improve your C# code. I have been coding with C# since 2002 and I learned many new techniques about Generics and the new language features from 3.0. With LINQ, I *finally* know why an implicitly typed local variable is better and the implications of not using IQueryable. A wealth of knowledge. After you read your C# 101 books, read this one next! It will make you a better developer.
2952521
C++ (more so than Java or C#) is a complex language with a rich memory model and deep copy semantics.  Therefore, designs in industry are often flawed in many ways.  Scott Meyers does an excellent job of capturing this complexity and describing the dos and don'ts in 55 concise items.  Additionally, he does a great job relating the examples to design patterns and provides insight into the latest language constructs (boost / TR1).  Finally, the quality of this book is right up there with books from Alexandrescu and Sutter, except I think Meyer's has a much better writing style.  In any case, this book is worth far more than the monetary investment
4518589
C# and Managed DX9 are arguably the easiest way to write understandable 3-D code.  You don't have to mess with all of the convoluted C++ jargon and strange uses of variables that are initialized after passing them to methods.

I cannot stress enough how useful this book has been in the current game I am working on (a 3-D RTS).  The chapters on User Interface and how to write a custom GUI have been particularly useful with where i'm at now.

This book would have also saved me tons of time earlier in the development process as he goes over such simple things as handling device lost states (such as when the user minimizes your game) and how to display an accurate framerate (I wasted tons of time on that last year!).

Tom also shows you how to write networking code to make a multiplayer game as well as how to do things such as have a nice skybox, multiple levels, loading screens, player selection screens, font output, and even the use of Shaders (to make objects shiny).  He also shows how to do mesh animation using mesh hierarchies - which is very important if you want your model to be able to have different moving parts that animate (such as for walking).

This book covers a wide breadth of topics that any new programmer to game design will find useful.  If you pair it up with his Managed DX9 Kickstart book (which you should read first probably), it will take you to the point where you can write your own framework for just about any game you want to write.  It does not cover really advanced topics such as pathfinding algorithms and fancy AI code, but it will give you a broad overview and allow you to write several fun games (I'm especially fond of Blockers).
483432
I really like this book as it covers C# as well as general coding practices and problem solving very well.  Easy to read with good examples.
2937659
I wasn't sure going into this book how useful it was going to be. I'd consider myself an intermediate in ASP.NET and C#, but to fill in any gaps and to catch me up to version 4.5.1 (from 3.5 that I'm used to), I decided to give this book a shot. The reason I'm reviewing it is because after reading it, I feel the author deserves the recognition. There are few programming books that are easy and enjoyable to follow, and that don't feel like a chore reading. This is one of them. Imar does an excellent job explaining the concepts, and then putting them into action with the Planet Wrox practice site. He even manages to capture and explain any questions you might have or quirks Visual Studio has while building the practice site in the Try It Out exercises. There were more than a few occasions I questioned why VS2013 was acting a certain way, only for him to explain it immediately after.

I'd highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn ASP.NET in C# and/or VB.NET, or to anyone looking for a refresher if you already know the technologies. It'll definitely be worth your time.
1095057
Excellent series on ASP.NET 4.5 and C# with Visual Studio! Cuts through the clutter and shows you exactly what you need to do in a variety of applications!
2036279
I am on chapter 14 and I cannot state enough how well this book is written. Jesse writes in a manner that just simply makes sense.  I have tried to read 2-3 other C# books and cannot get past the fisrt 2-3 chapters w/out putting them down.  I come from VB/COM+. I have a lot to learn regarding true oop and his book is helping me get there.  I work with some very seasoned OOP programmers who also cannot state enough how good this book is. Nice job Jesse!
1295198
The only C# book that I have two of...
One at home...
One at work...

You will probably need a more basic book if you are a beginer.
But I would make this my second book.

If you are coming over from C++, then make this
your first book on C#

This book is one of the worlds best kept secrets on
learning C#.  I'm lucky that I took a chance on it.

Not only are the visuals great, but the selection of topics are great also.
2891892
I am a 'VBscripter' and have just decided to dabble in C#. I have to say that I am sooo please that I found the Head First series. The teaching method is way ahead of any other book I have found for this subject matter; you will find that as long as you follow EVERY STEP they present, your brain will suck in the info like a sponge. The secret in the training method is the constant practical exercises and re affirming and repeating of information, as well as the visual style which embeds important text into the images (of which there are many!). I've already noticed that stuff is sinking in and I'm only through 30 pages. I'd reccommend this book to beginners and intermediate. You won't get alot from it if you are advanced in C#, but for the former, it is essential that you add this to your collection.
556000
Very good introduction to C# language and object oriented programming. The examples are simple enough to be understood  yet convey the purpose and syntax. Too many programming books present very elegant, optimized code that is a trick to decipher much less learn from. Good book!
552210
Most C# books are so verbose that after a while you tend to skim over parts just to finish the book, this book however is shorter and to the point, so you have a chance of actually finishing it. This book focuses on those C# issues that are new/hard for people that are relatively new to object-oriented programming, like classes, inhertance, interfaces and not much on topics familiar to any experienced developer like conditional logic, looping logic and branching. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn C# and object oriented programming.
4870419
This book overcames my expectancy. The author is very clear in each detail and explains everything you need to know about GDI+
and Windows Forms.
I guess this is the right book to learn windows programming using C#.
3710049
I'm about a thrid of the way through the book and it seems to really tailor to anyone's needs by teaching the information in many different ways. This is a huge help for me because I am the guy who didn't know anyhting about C# programming before I picked this book up and now I'm more conifdent about my knowledge.  I would suggest the Oriely line for others.
1542277
I have read a lot of C# books, such as wrox and apress, none of them is as good as this book. Comes with lots of examples that can take your C# programming to the next level, and also I've got the Safari version which comes with the videos and make things so clear and understandable.
2795667
Excellent book, but it is not for beginners. The book is written for experienced C# programmers interested in improving their skills and the use of the language for a higher level of efficiency and elegance. It is not a big book, but it is loaded with valuable information that you'll use and refer back to often. The book presents a wealth of practical information in a practical way, with sections like "practical advice", "improve productivity", "mini-topics" and "most-frequently-asked questions." It is more of a summary of new practices since .Net 1.1, but it would be a great companion with a lot of things you can use every day. The author did a great job of explaining each of his 50 items and gives sufficient code examples where needed to communicate the advantages and disadvantages of the details.
1362602
This is one of the most helpful software engineering books I've ever read.  It is most useful for people who have some real world experience in .NET development. I couldn't have gotten so much out of the book without my last year of work developing API services for a major thermostat manufacturer.

I've encountered a lot of the pain this book hopes to remove. I devoured this book. I read 10 chapters of it while on "vacation" and don't regret a minute spent reading it. I'm excited about taking the concepts one bite at a time and trying to integrate them into my real work. Great book.
101200
This is not for a beginner as stated in the forward.  I was hesitant to buy a "Bible" book, but this one is great, covering all the important aspects of programming C++ on a Windows platform.  My favorite thing is the coverage of C++, including Win32, MFC, ATL, WTL, .NET (MC++). If your looking to write more than "Hello World!", then grab this excellent book and let the well renowned author, Tom Archer, take you for an adventure.
 I read Tom's other book "Inside C#" and it was excellent as well.
His books are to the point without fluff.