Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: Highly Recommended
Comment: I read a lot of tech books and only write reviews on the ones I really think offer value. This is one of them. If you want to learn LINQ from some guys that know their stuff, this is the book for you. It's very readable with great code examples..VB coverage is much appreciated by me! I've also looked at some of the other LINQ books. This is the only one I took the time to read cover to cover. Very easy to read with great coverage of the topic. Highly recommended.
Mark Dunn, MCT, MCAD, MCDBA, MCSD.NET
Microsoft MVP, Visual Basic
Microsoft Regional Director
President, DUNN Training and Consulting, Inc.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A great book from start to finish
Comment: I've read every LINQ book that i"ve come across and on the whole, they are all really good. As a subject area, the coverage is amazingly well done. This book is a natural fit b/c in every important respect, it's excellent.
First off, it's easy to read. Learning the basic mechanics of LINQ isn't all that difficult. Learning advanced LINQ mechanics is still pretty straightforward. However understanding why certain approaches should be used over other ones, understanding potential pitfalls (getting something back you weren't expecting) and ensuring your code performs well after you get back more than a few records, well, that takes some effort. I think this book helps you accomplish each of those in a manner that's very clear and very straightforward. [As a stylistic note, I think really understanding Lamda expressions, which admittedly aren't a linq feature per se, is challenging at first. This book did not shy away from them and went at them head one. B/c learning them isn't a linear process (at least it wasn't for me or anyone i know), you often make no real progress, then have a moment of understanding that gets you to the next level. That type of learning is best facilitated by seeing several examples - seeing several ways to accomplish something and then reverse engineering the differences. The extensive number of examples really makes that process a lot simpler].
Another really strong point is the examples themselves. In the LINQ to XML coverage, there's an example of how to create a RSS feed from a collection with one linq query. It's beauty is its elegance and b/c most developers have given writing RSS a try, it's a great juxtaposition to show how powerful and useful LINQ can be. That example isn't alone though - there are several others that extend beyond the cliche'd Hello World samples that leave people wanting for more.
The coverage of each topic is superb as well. At no point did I finish a chapter with unanswered questions in mind. Often, authors will make an assertion "you should do it this way b/c otherwise you'll open up security vulnerabilities" or whatever without explaining what the downside is that they are talking about. I know it's a seemingly unimportant thing, but I found that they always explained the points they make, even the minor ones. It's a typical example of the attention to detail the authors put into this book.
Having co-authored several books, I know how hard it is to write a book with a unified writing style. The editing for this book is done in such a way though that it looks like one author wrote it. Yes, there are some differences in their individual writing styles, but it's all close enough that it really does feel as though one person wrote it. That is a huge plus and again, it's just one of those small things they do that shows a serious attention to detail.
So it's easy to read, they cover everything really well, they selected great examples and explain them well and they start out with general coverage and move onto very detailed coverage - making it ideal for both a LINQ newcommer or a seasoned vet.
It's a great book and IMHO, the authors are to be commended for putting it together. Although I've found all of the LINQ books I've come across to be very good - this one made an impression and it's excellent from start to finish.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good and complete book
Comment: A good book, very complete and full of infos. All topics are well and deeply explained. I give only 4 stars for two main reasons
1. I don't like the writing style. It is too friendly, I prefer a formal and clean one.
2. Some explanation is 'obscure' and needs to be rewritten, for example the SelectWith extension method.
Anyway it really worths to have a copy on your desk.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Linq Book
Comment: I am a newbie both in visual basic and Linq, and I have to say that this book is really great. It provides a LOT of understandable explanations, that are so useful for who's not a guru already.
There are tons of examples, plus quite a lot online resources that can be extremely useful.
Great book, probably one of the best on LINQ subject, and it's definitely worth the price
Customer Rating:
Summary: Clear and cogent instruction on a central technology
Comment: Linq in Action is a clear and deep presentation of a technology that, even in its first incarnation, is increasing the productivity of programmers, and setting an even higher standard for dynamic websites and programs. The authors, who were instrumental in the development of Linq, proceed in an intuitive path from the basics of the technology, all the way to very sophisticated ideas and examples. The authors also participate online to answer questions and add even more material for an even more through presentation. I recommend this book for any developer or aspiring developer.
Paolo
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