I am taking VB.NET for the first time and don't have any previous programming experience. I find this book GREAT. It provides step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow and understand. Applications used in this book are wonderful and I even use one for my daughter's Math practice!

This book is best when used not as a reference by the experienced programmer, but as a guide by beginner. Highly recommend this book if you are a beginner. :-)

I'm an engineer who's dabbled in Visual Basic and other languages on and off for several years, self taught. I received this book as part of a class I'm taking on VB.net to enhance my skills and have found it to be pretty disappointing. The tutorials are fine for illustrating certain simple concepts that the author is trying to illustrate, but what's completely missing is any elaboration on the concepts and other ways to apply them. I found this to be particularly true in her presentation of object variables, among other things. The author could have really enhanced the book by including more discovery exercises, carefully constructed to lead the student to apply the concepts discussed in the tutorial, but for whatever reason she didn't. Also, as others have mentioned, it's an utterly lousy reference source. It's virtually impossible to go back and find things once you've read through them - no appendices with functions, etc, or references back to the text. It just has the index, which isn't terribly complete. If you're a complete programming novice (never seen a Do Loop in your life), then this book might be OK. If you're like me and have just the slightest programming experience, this book won't do it for you and you'll be back back at Amazon looking for a better book on VB.net.

Look lady, I don't know what your problem is. Perhaps the fact that you don't know how to install a DVD-Rom drive makes you feel inadequate about buying this book to begin with. It's a college textbook; it's supposed to be formatted so that anyone can understand the instructions. Nobody really gives a flying toaster if it's beneath you. Step off your high horse and get a freaking life. This book was awesome.

Do not let the fact that the book comes with a CD convince you to buy it. Because I did and it turns out that the Cd was for a Dvd Rom and it has a 60 day trial, of course I did not find that out until I opened the book and I can not return it and my computer only has a Cd Rom. I refuse to spend extra money for a Dvd Rom just for this book of instructions that is formatted for a baby's comprehension with a 60 day trial 'Dvd'. And after I brought this book my school book store received the same books but with the full version of vb.net, Why didn't they package it like that in the first place?! hmmm maybe to rip people off first, who really knows for sure.
Now I just take good notes and use the school lab and the teacher provides sites to go to for more info. I don't even use the book, its just sitting there taking up space and its money down the drain.
Don't buy this book.
I repeat do not buy this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don't buy the book. Don't be fooled!!! Like me.

Like every book I use, or read, I don't judge it by the cover, but content speaks loudly. While one reviewer puts users in extremes, I am at niether. I am no novice, but also, while I have built my own machine, I'm not interested in knowing every in and out of the project on which I'm working. ...

I was required to buy this for a class and have to say that the book may walk you through the tutorials in an okay manner, but it falls far short of what any true technophile might want in that that the author just spouts out information and how to perform certain tasks without giving full explanations and there isn't even a glossary. So much for reference...about as good as [a software company's] help files...

So, for the techies, I'm not buying this is the best reference. For those not so interested in the fine mechanics, but definitely in learning the program solidly with at least some minute understanding, it falls short here also. It is not only as dull as your tongue covered in chalk, but doesn't explain very well why the reader is doing certain tasks or what the base purpose of these simple tasks really is. I'm already looking for other reference materials and we're only five weeks into a fifteen week class...

...bummer. If you're able, shop around and read the reviews carefully.