Introductory & Beginning Books

WordPress For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

Lisa Sabin-Wilson

Amazon Price: $16.49 List Price: $24.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: For Dummies Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $15.44

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Are you a wannabe blogger? A seasoned pro migrating your blog to WordPress? Looking to do more cool stuff with your existing WordPress blog? Then this fun guide is for you! WordPress for Dummies is a veritable smorgasbord of WordPress information, ideas, tools, resources, and instruction on everything you need to create and maintain your dream blog.

Unlike other blog hosts, WordPress gives you the ability to create a blog that is tailored to your own tastes and needs. Sure, the codes, tags, and terminology can seem a little intimidating at first, but WordPress for Dummies breaks it all down to show you just how intuitive, friendly, and extensible the software really is. This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to:

• Sign up for a free WordPress account
• Set up and use a hosted blog with WordPress.com
• Install and set up the WordPress.Org and WordPress.MU software for single- and multi-user versions
• Find great themes, plugins, and consultants that will help you achieve JUST the kind of blog you want
• Use tags to work with WordPress templates
• Combat challenges with comments, trackback spam, and “splogs”
• Add special technologies to your blog, such as RSS feed, podcasting, vlogging, and photoblogging
• Find online support, tips, and resources for WordPress software

Whether you want to keep family and friends updated on your latest adventures, post pictures of your new puppy, or communicate your passion with millions of readers worldwide, WordPress for Dummies is your passport to creating the kind of blog that will keep your visitors coming back for more!

Learning Perl, 5th Edition

Randal Schwartz, Tom Phoenix, brian d foy

Amazon Price: $26.39 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: O'Reilly Media, Inc. Amazon Marketplace: 33 new & used starting at $14.14

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 291 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An introduction to Perl 1 out of 5 stars.
5 of 15 people found this review helpful.

This book is a gives a gentle introduction to Perll; by the time you have gone through this book, you would have touched on some very simple operations and common language idioms found in Perl. This is not a comprehensive guide; on the contrary the book is selective about covering only those constructs and issues that one is most likely to face early on in programming with Perl.

This does not collect any of the more powerful feature in Perl like Reference; Data Structures; Manipulating lists of list.

I would not recomend this book.

very good book for anyone new to perl 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I recommend this book to anyone who is new to perl. The only thing I thought could have been better though was add more examples after each chapter. But other than that the book explains the basics very good.

Editorial Review:

In this smooth, carefully paced course, a leading Perl trainer teaches you to program in the language that threatens to make C, sed, awk, and the Unix shell obsolete for many tasks. This book is the "official" guide for both formal (classroom) and informal learning. It is fully accessible to the novice programmer.

Python Programming: An Introduction to Computer Science

John M. Zelle

Amazon Price: $36.00 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Franklin Beedle & Associates Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $26.75

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Languages & Tools -> Python
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Languages & Tools -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This book is designed to be used as the primary textbook in a college-level first course in computing. It takes a fairly traditional approach, emphasizing problem solving, design, and programming as the core skills of computer science. However, these ideas are illustrated using a non-traditional language, namely Python.

Although I use Python as the language, teaching Python is not the main point of this book. Rather, Python is used to illustrate fundamental principles of design and programming that apply in any language or computing environment. In some places, I have purposely avoided certain Python features and idioms that are not generally found in other languages. There are already many good books about Python on the market; this book is intended as an introduction to computing.

Features include the following:
*Extensive use of computer graphics.
*Interesting examples.
*Readable prose.
*Flexible spiral coverage.
*Just-in-time object coverage.
*Extensive end-of-chapter problems.

Java 6 Illuminated: An Active Learning Approach (Jones and Barlett Illuminated)

Julie Anderson, Herve Franceschi

Amazon Price: $105.95 List Price: $105.95 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Jones & Bartlett Pub Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $73.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

With a variety of interactive learning features and user-friendly pedagogy, Java 6 Illuminated, Second Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to programming using the most current version in Java programming. Throughout the text the authors incorporate an active learning approach which asks students to take an active role in their understanding of the language through the use of numerous interactive examples, exercises, and projects. Object-Oriented Programming concepts are developed progressively and reinforced through numerous Programming Activities, allowing students to fully understand and implement both basic and sophisticated techniques. In response to students growing interest in animation and visualization the text includes techniques for producing graphical output and animations beginning in Chapter 4 with applets and continuing throughout the text. You will find Java 6 Illuminated, Second Edition comprehensive and user-friendly. Students will find it exciting to delve into the world of programming with hands-on, real-world applications!

OpenGL(R) Programming Guide: The Official Guide to Learning OpenGL(R), Version 2.1 (6th Edition) (OpenGL)

OpenGL Architecture Review Board, Dave Shreiner, Mason Woo, Jackie Neider, Tom Davis

Amazon Price: $52.20 List Price: $64.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Addison-Wesley Professional Amazon Marketplace: 49 new & used starting at $40.00

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Web Development -> Web Design -> Web Graphics
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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Graphics & Multimedia -> OpenGL

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Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

OpenGL^® Programming Guide, Sixth Edition

OpenGL is a powerful software interface used to produce high-quality, computergenerated images and interactive applications using 2D and 3D objects, bitmaps, and color images.

The OpenGL^® Programming Guide, Sixth Edition, provides definitive and comprehensive information on OpenGL and the OpenGL Utility Library. The previous edition covered OpenGL through Version 2.0. This sixth edition of the best-selling "red book" describes the latest features of OpenGL Version 2.1. You will find clear explanations of OpenGL functionality and many basic computer graphics techniques, such as building and rendering 3D models; interactively viewing objects from different perspective points; and using shading, lighting, and texturing effects for greater realism. In addition, this book provides in-depth coverage of advanced techniques, including texture mapping, antialiasing, fog and atmospheric effects, NURBS, image processing, and more. The text also explores other key topics such as enhancing performance, OpenGL extensions, and cross-platform techniques.

This sixth edition has been updated to include the newest features of OpenGL Version 2.1, including:

• Using server-side pixel buffer objects for fast pixel rectangle download and retrieval
• Discussion of the sRGB texture format
• Expanded discussion of the OpenGL Shading Language

This edition continues the discussion of the OpenGL Shading Language (GLSL) and explains the mechanics of using this language to create complex graphics effects and boost the computational power of OpenGL.

The OpenGL Technical Library provides tutorial and reference books for OpenGL. The Library enables programmers to gain a practical understanding of OpenGL and shows them how to unlock its full potential. Originally developed by SGI, the Library continues to evolve under the auspices of the OpenGL Architecture Review Board (ARB) Steering Group (now part of the Khronos Group), an industry consortium responsible for guiding the evolution of OpenGL and related technologies.

Learning jQuery: Better Interaction Design and Web Development with Simple JavaScript Techniques

Karl Swedberg, Jonathan Chaffer

Amazon Price: $35.99 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Packt Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 26 new & used starting at $33.66

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

jQuery is a powerful JavaScript library that can enhance your websites regardless of your background. In this book, creators of the popular jQuery learning resource, learningquery.com, share their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm about jQuery to help you get the most from the library and to make your web applications shine. For designers, jQuery leverages existing CSS and HTML skills, allowing you to dynamically find and change any aspect of a page. This book provides a gentle introduction to jQuery concepts, allowing you to add interactions and animations to your pages-even if previous attempts at writing JavaScript have left you baffled. For programmers, jQuery offers an open -source, standards-compliant, unobtrusive approach to writing complex JavaScript applications. This book will guide you past the pitfalls associated with AJAX, events, effects, and advanced JavaScript language features, as well as provide you with a reference to the jQuery library to return to again and again. This book begins with a tutorial to jQuery, followed by an examination of common, real-world client-side problems, and solutions for each of them. A detailed reference rounds off the book, making it an invaluable resource for answers to all your jQuery questions. Who this book is written for This book is for web designers who want to create interactive elements for their designs, and for developers who want to create the best user interface for their web applications. The reader will need the basics of HTML and CSS, and should be comfortable with the syntax of JavaScript. No knowledge of jQuery is assumed, nor is experience with any other JavaScript libraries required.

Introduction to Mathematical Programming: Applications and Algorithms, Volume 1 (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac®)

Wayne L. Winston, Munirpallam Venkataramanan

Amazon Price: $128.76 List Price: $160.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Duxbury Press Amazon Marketplace: 44 new & used starting at $70.00

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Statistics
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Subjects -> Science -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Very helpful book 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

This isn't your regular review here, because I'm guessing we all "have" to buy this book when we take the course.

This book is very helpful for students of all levels. I took it for an "operations research" class after more than 7 years of not studying any math. Still, the first few chapters offer a recap of algebra needed for the course. In the subsequent chapters, everything progresses slowly with lots of examples, (which is helpful if you miss a class or two).

Good luck with the class using this book then.

Editorial Review:

Authors Wayne Winston and Munirpallam Venkataramanan emphasize model-formulation and model-building skills as well as interpretation of computer software output. Focusing on deterministic models, this book is designed for the first half of an operations research sequence. A subset of Winston's best-selling OPERATIONS RESEARCH, INTRODUCTION TO MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING offers self-contained chapters that make it flexible enough for one- or two-semester courses ranging from advanced beginning to intermediate in level. The book has a strong computer orientation and emphasizes model-formulation and model-building skills. Every topic includes a corresponding computer-based modeling and solution method and every chapter presents the software tools needed to solve realistic problems. LINDO, LINGO, and Premium Solver for Education software packages are available with the book.

Introduction to Computing Systems: From bits & gates to C & beyond

Yale N. Patt, Sanjay J. Patel

Amazon Price: $94.20 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $78.00

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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> Algorithms -> General
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Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Programming -> C -> Algorithms

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Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Introduction to Computing Systems: From bits & gates to C & beyond, now in its second edition, is designed to give students a better understanding of computing early in their college careers in order to give them a stronger foundation for later courses. The book is in two parts: (a) the underlying structure of a computer, and (b) programming in a high level language and programming methodology.

To understand the computer, the authors introduce the LC-3 and provide the LC-3 Simulator to give students hands-on access for testing what they learn. To develop their understanding of programming and programming methodology, they use the C programming language. The book takes a "motivated" bottom-up approach, where the students first get exposed to the big picture and then start at the bottom and build their knowledge bottom-up. Within each smaller unit, the same motivated bottom-up approach is followed. Every step of the way, students learn new things, building on what they already know. The authors feel that this approach encourages deeper understanding and downplays the need for memorizing. Students develop a greater breadth of understanding, since they see how the various parts of the computer fit together.

Introduction to Java Programming, Comprehensive Version (7th Edition)

Y. Daniel Liang

Amazon Price: $103.50 List Price: $115.00 By: Prentice Hall Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $100.11

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I'm shocked at the high reviews for this book 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I highly recommend the Deitel Java: How to Program book instead.

Liang over and over again introduces terms that he has never defined. He does not tell you why code is the way it is. He is terse, and there is just no true explanation.

The layout of the text is also in black and green, and that's it. His code is hard to follow compared to the Deitel book.

I'm truly shocked at how people seem to like this book. It's unintelligible in my view. I dread reading it and actually read the Deitel book instead.

Editorial Review:

Groundbreaking fundamentals — first approach enables readers to understand the basics before being introduced to more challenging topics. Liang offers one of the broadest ranges of carefully chosen examples, reinforcing key concepts with objectives lists, introduction and chapter overviews, easy-to-follow examples, chapter summaries, review questions, programming exercises, and interactive self-test. Now uses standard classes only. Offers new chapters on data structures, JSF for visual Web development, and Web services; includes a new standalone chapter on the full GUI library. Uses UML diagrams in every example starting chapter 8. Includes additional notes with diagrams. Comprehensive coverage of Java and programming make this a useful reference for IT professionals.

Introduction to Programming Using Visual Basic 2005, An (6th Edition)

David I. Schneider

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

The Best of the Bunch - by far! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful.

I really must take issue with the contributor who described this book as garbage.
Having decided to learn programming on my own,I tried several "beginners" books without much success. I could complete most of the projects offered by these books which were, by and large, well intended and well-written. And yet... somehow I never really got to grips with the language. That is - until I bought David Schneider's book. Sure its old fashioned but, in my opinion, thats one of its major strengths. It lays down a solid programming foundation following a logical well-established pattern. The best way to learn programing is by doing and there is an abundance of graded exercises to complete to ensure the message really sticks.
I can't understand why Dietel'a book on this subject is so popular. Yes it's good - but not as good as this one!
.

Editorial Review:

Based on the newest version of Microsoft's VB. NET, this revision of Schneider's best-selling guide is designed for readers with no prior computer programming experience. The author uses Visual Basic .NET 2005 to explore the fundamentals of programming, building a strong foundation that will give students a sustainable understanding of programming. Offers a broad range of examples, case studies, exercises, and programming projects to give readers significant hands-on experience. Includes a new section on Graphics. Provides fully updated example text and data, including tax codes, social security forms/data, baseball statistics, and more. Contains all new, robust, interesting programming projects. Updates screenshots throughout using Windows XP. Bundles Visual Basic .NET Express automatically with each copy of the text. A useful reference for both beginning and experienced programmers who want to learn more about the latest version of Microsoft's VB. NET.