Murach's C# 2005

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 812 pages
• Published by: Mike Murach & Associates May 31, 2006
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1890774375
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1890774370
• Book Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 1.7 inches
• Weighs: 3.6 pounds

Reader Reviews
This review is from: Murach's C# (Paperback) This is actually my third C# book, after Programming in the Key of C# by Charles Petzold and Programming C# by Jesse Liberty. I'm learning C# as my first programming language, basically just for fun and out of an interest in programming. I bought Murach's C# as a way to reinforce the basics that I've already learned, and it's doing a good job of that. And I suppose if you are already a programmer and are learning C# (but already know C++ or Java, etc.), then this book is a good intro. But is this really a good book for a beginner to start with? I'd have to say no. It seems more like a good book to go back to once you already know some things about C#. As I read the chapter in which the "C# Essentials" are introduced, I felt like that's all that was happening: they were being introduced. Here is what the data types are, here is what an if statement is, etc. One page for each topic, and then the authors move on. Furthermore, they introduce some methods of the Math class before they even cover what methods are (or how static methods differ from instance methods, and so on). If I were reading this book as my first intro to C#, I think I'd be very confused. I feel like I can understand what's being said only because I've read two other books on the subject already. One advantage this book has over all other books I've seen is that it takes the time (two chapters) to introduce you to Visual Studio (the development environment for C#). This is great since programmers will presumably be using this IDE as opposed to an external text editor, for example. Two complaints I have about the book are these: 1. The paired page format is nice, but at the same time it leads to a lot of redundancy. Often the points made on the left-hand page are repeated in bullets on the right-hand side. Sometimes there's a bit of new information on the right side, so I still felt obliged to read it anyway. 2. It is often difficult to tell which parts of the right-hand page correspond to the left-hand page. The left side is paragraphs of text, but they are not broken up to indicate that we should direct our attention to the right side. I often find myself reading the left side and getting too far ahead before I look to the right side (or vice versa, I continue reading the examples on the right side until I reach a point that I haven't read the explanatory text on the left yet, which can be confusing). My ultimate opinion is that this book is a good reference or refresher for those who already know another language, or who want to 're-learn' C#. It is not the best book for a complete beginner. For the beginner with no prior programming experience, I highly, highly, highly recommend Petzold's Programming in the Key of C#. He takes the time to explain everything in great detail, and you will learn so much. It is an excellent foundation for reading other books, such as Murach's C#. Comment | | (Report this)