Ebook: Professional C# (Beta 2 Edition)

The worst-written and most repetitive technical book I've read. Reads like the first rough draft: did anyone edit this book?

This book mentions twice in four pages how amazing it is that C# lets you use "goto" to get around its strict "switch" statements. Both times, the concept is introduced as if to a newbie, and both times, the authors praise Microsoft's infinite wisdom in allowing this. Twice in four pages! Other things repeated over and over at the beginning of the book include the concept that C# is managed code, how .NET saves the world, that C# is like Java, and that C# is not like Java.

Also, consider the following example method:
// This function takes an int array (a reference type)
// and an int (a value type).
static void SomeFunction (int[] Ints, int i)
{
Ints[0] = 100;
i = 100;
}

Amazing, huh? The cleverly named "SomeFunction" takes two arguments and inexplicably sets one and part of the other equal to 100. I imagine they left figuring out _why_ "as an exercise for the reader."

I'm not trying to whine. Some technical books -- The PickAxe, an introduction to Ruby, comes to mind -- have meaningful examples and concise, clear text and are a pleasure to read. _Professional C#_ is just the opposite.

For a book that supposedly requires previous programming knowledge, it sure drags you through the basics of computer science over and over. (That said, do NOT start programming for the first time with this book as your guide. Quite a few times, I remember thinking, "Wow, I'm glad I'm already familiar with the concept of ______ because this is a horrible explanation!")

Someone said this book was long, and that meant it was complete. No, that just means it's wordy and repetitive. You've been warned.