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Beginning C# Objects: From Concepts to Code Review by Deron Dilger
Good for those new to Object Oriented Programming
I just finished reading B.C#O.F.C.t.C and it is about the 5th C# book I've read as I try to restart my programming skills (VB5 last tool really used) with C# and .NET.
This book is a very good starting place for those who are new to Object Oriented Programming (OOP) and who want to start developing a strong OOP mindset. Being that I had a sorta-OOP background with VB5, some of the stuff was a rehash, but I think a person totally unfamiliar with these concepts would find the introductory pace helpful and properly paced. Plus the authors strong bias towards how to design (and reconsider/redesign) your classes with business needs in mind and good OOP design methods will well serve such readers into their later experiences.
The C# language introduction is acceptable as long as one understands you are giving up some in depth training (it is a beginning book after all) for the extra emphasis the authors put on OOP design (e.g. the cover UML diagrams while most other C# books barely touch on such design tools/notations).
The example they build out throughout the book (a Student Class Registration program) I found completely uninteresting and that made me prone to skim the code examples, not really thinking them through as I think you need to do to learn from these types of books. I can see why the authors selected such an example when they are explicit about their intention for the book to be useful to college classes in computer science departments. I also see the pros for an example that is built upon bit by bit over the course of the book. But for me, the large structure interferred with my ability to focus on my areas of interest.
In short, a very good book for those coming fresh to C# and OOP, but if you like me have exposure to either, you're probably better off with two books (e.g. Jesse Liberty's C# programming books from O'Reilly for C#, OOP + UML book for training on those items). I do agree with the authors that understanding how to take it from concept to code well means "thinking" OOP from the start. This books will probably help nurture many OOP neophytes into such expert OOP C# developers.