Head First C#: A Learner's Guide to Real-World Programming with Visual C# and .Net

The one thing that most (nearly all) technical books have in common is that they are B-O-R-I-N-G. While this works for many people looking to just get to the meat and potatoes content, if a newbie or beginner wants to be able to LEARN from a book they are at a loss. That's where the 'Head First' line of books comes in to play. If you have never read a Head First book you are in for a treat when you sit down and start reading. Nowhere in a HF book will you be bored as these books aren't looking to just teach, but teach in a FUN, interesting way. It's tough to explain a HF book other than it's an experience in itself. Filled with a design, content, and writing that jumps out at you, these books are looking to get you excited to turn to the next page and/or chapter and want to keep reading. I think that the C# Head First book is one of the best I have had the pleasure to read. With over 700 pages of content spread over 15 chapters, this is a wonderful book for newbies that want to get coding right away. Filled with all the stuff that you would expect from such a book: basic programming constructs and declarations, object oriented discussion, file IO, exception handling, delegates, and even the newest M$ technology LINQ!! If you are new to using C# and want to learn in my opinion possibly the best way possible, pick up this book FIRST and use all other guides as references. If you want boring books that are full of drab info and light on the enjoyment, this isn't for you (highly unlikely). A pleasure to read and easy to learn from, this is one great book on C#. ***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I don't know how to program, I'm not a professional in the computer industry. I'm just a guy who wants to make a game, and is willing to put in some work toward making that happen. I have tried to read several books on C++, but I always get bored. I wish this book were about C++. It pulls me right through the pages with interesting text and easy to follow pacing. In most book, by chapter three, if your lucky, you've made a "Hello World" program. In Head First C#, you've made programs that could actually be useful, even if they aren't that great. It is much more engaging than other programing books that I've read, and I have no reservations recommending it to anyone interested in learning C#.

Have you ever read a technical book that took two pages to explain how to write "Hello World"? Did you then say to yourself maybe a bit excessive but I know they are going to hold my hand and guide me through all the concepts in the book only to discover ideas popping in out of nowhere with no introduction or explanation? Have you ever picked up a book weighing a ton and then wonder where is the rhyme or reason and continuity to the book? Did they write the book to show off? If you answered yes to any of these questions or just looking for a book that actually teaches concepts rather than building a wall to make things difficult then this is your book. Think of the best teacher you had in High School or College that finally believed in your abilities and took the time to guide your progress. This is what the Head First series is all about and this is what the C# book is all about. They hold your hand all the way through the book. There are many facets to the book. All the Head First books are very graphical in nature. They introduce and explain each concept in detail and in words you can understand. Each section has examples to work on. They mark up the book with circles and arrows around examples where they provide additional notes to help clear the air. There are notes everywhere you turn. There are photos of people in the book asking, "Why do it this way when you said X on the previous page", followed by an explanation. There is a "There are no Dumb questions" section where they really do ask the questions you would be afraid to ask in a class setting but are important to understand in order to remove any confusion. Every time I thought to myself, "why are we doing things a particular way or I'm missing something", I would turn the page and discover the question answered in detail. They really anticipate what you are thinking. I don't know how they do it. One last thing I have to mention. These books are fun to read and relaxing to read because you know they are not going to surprise you with any idea that does not include a detailed explanation. Having said that it still takes a commitment on the readers part. It is not easy to become proficient in a language like C#. You can go through the book saying to yourself that you understand everything because of the clarity of the explanations. Unless you do the examples and maybe even re-read chapters and make your own notes then you can still walk away with little to show for it. Finally if all I said wasn't enough then I have to add to my review that all the people behind the Head First books are truly committed to helping people and providing support. Visit their web site at [...]. If you ask a question in the forums the author often responds. If not the author then the editor. I have never seen this type of support from any other publisher. If I have any complaint it is where were these books ten years ago.

I've worked my way through the first 5 chapters of this book and have been throughly impressed with this book. The book makes learning C# extremely entertaining and most importantly for me, my retention of the subject matter has been better than with more traditional style text books. The labs are challenging yet very much doable with a little extra thinking on your own part. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn C#.