Good book if you can choke down "Managed C++"

Updated Review:
After a year of programming real world projects with .NET, I had to change my opinion on this book. As the author acknowledges, there is ALOT of existing C++ code and libraries. Trying to port existing code or using Interop techniques is not always the best solution. I'm glad to have a reference to Managed C++ that helps me compile C++ solutions to .NET(I would like to see a tiny bit more on mixed mode, c runtime linking, and C++ idioms that Just Don't Work). I still believe this is not the simplest book for learning C#, but those books have become a dime a dozen. This book is one you'll be glad if you need to using existing software.
Original Review:
Ok, I'm a C++ developer that has a hard time stomaching what MS has done to my beloved language. However, I am very interested in the .NET initiative( and C# ) and wanted to get the perspective of a C++ expert, especially one with a COM background. I read this book and found it quite good, except for the examples in "Managed C++"( in which there were many ). Granted, I was warned, but seeing C++ twisted like that reminded me of Bilbo's line ...butter scraped over too much bread... . The "Managed C++" examples were truly distracting. The author had to explain why the plumbing overhead, we learned to detest in COM, now exists in every line of code in "Managed C++"( my words, not his ).

Other Reviews

• C# No, C++ Yes
• Gem of a book - pays for itself in days
• Quality book that offers a lot of insight into .NET
• Good book if you can choke down "Managed C++"