This past summer, I decided I wanted to get into app programming. I have an ipod touch and a first generation ipad, my wife had just gotten an iphone, and – much as I dislike Apple – I had to admit that all these gadgets were pretty nifty! I just had three main problems: I [...]

Murach’s C# 2010 $54.50 from Murach & Associates Recently I needed to pick up C# programming; it was shortly after I read (and was impressed by) Murach’s SQL Server 2008, so I decided to see if they had a C# book (Murach is a small publisher that puts out limited number of titles). As it [...]

HTML5 Step by Step $34.99 from Microsoft Press I’ve reviewed several books lately that introduce the new elements in HTML5; each of them assumes that you already have a working knowledge of html and css and simply want to know about the changes. But what if you’re brand new to web programming and want a [...]

HTML5 and CSS3: Develop with Tomorrow’s Standards Today by Brian Hogan $33 from Pragmatic Bookshelf The Book of CSS3 by Peter Gasston $34.99 from no starch press There’s really no reason why HTML5 and CSS3 have to be grouped together; they’re two completely different things. The first is the latest code for marking up the [...]

Microsoft SQL Sever 2008- Implementation and Maintenance by Mike Hotek $69.99 from Microsoft Press Until recently, I’ve never done much with databases, but since my job now involves dealing with SQL databases I thought it was high time I learned! For this, I used three very different books: The Manga Guide to Databases for a [...]

Murach’s SQL Server 2008 for Developers by Bryan Syverson and Joel Murach $52.50 from Mike Murach & Associates When I started my current job, I didn’t know much about databases in general, or SQL in particular; I took the usual databases class in college and taught Access for a few semesters, but that’s about it. [...]

The Manga Guide to Databases by Mana Takahashi Illustrated by Shoko Azuma $19.95 from No Starch Press This book has either a minor plot hole or a lying fairy, but I’m not sure which. Since my job now requires that I use databases, I’ve been learning the basics of SQL; I have several excellent, yet [...]

My New iPad: A User’s Guide by Wallace Wang Published by No Starch Press (an imprint of O’Reilly Media) List $24.95, $15.44 from Amazon, $9.99 Kindle edition For many people, the iPad is the most complex electronic device they’ll ever own. Neither buying nor using it requires a computer (although rearranging your icons is a [...]

The Linux Programming Interface A Linux and UNIX System Programming Handbook by Michael Kerrisk, published by No Starch Press (an imprint of O’Reilly Media) As someone with several degrees in computer science, I’ve used Linux quite a bit; it’s my preferred environment for doing C++ programming. However, I’ve never formally studied the operating system; rather, [...]

HTML 4 & 5: The Complete Reference (iPhone/iPad universal app) by O’Reilly $1.99 from the app store Ever since I got my ipod touch, I’ve been a fan of O’Reilly’s ebook apps. For only $4.99, you get a technical book that would normally cost over $30 for the ebook version and over $50 in paperback. [...]