Others say...

"Not exactly what I am looking for"
This book states "Even if You have never programmed before you will be amazed at how easy it is and how much you can do." I disagree. I am a c++ programmer but never used VB before. I read the first 200 pages then the book start going too fast for me to handle. The book starts slow which is good but not enough examples and practices over the easy areas. Then it goes to other topics with pace dramatically increased... it loses me in no time. I bought this book hoping it can teach me VB, so far I haven't learn enough to create any working program yet... I need to know enough VB to hand in a class room assignment in 4 days.. I guess I have to learn VB online by myself... book isn't that great for beginners.

"if you don't know what OOP is, then this book is for you..."
honestly, if you are just looking for code samples, reference, algorithms...etc This book is not "it", in my expierence the web is by far the best reference which no book can begin to compete with...and oh did I mention it's free? However, if you are a shaking just born programming newbie with no clue what "class, method, event" are or does; then this book will ease you into VB world until you are ready for for what you REALLY want to do with VB albeit database or internet worm to annoy us. Personaly, This books has the BEST explanation what OOP is about and some simple code to proof it. I stole Peter Wright's "class, method, events" analogy and used it in my classroom; Most of the dumb confounded looks went away when I mention the word "class"

"For Novices Only, Illiterate Blather Otherwise"
Why on earth can't authors of programming books (and their publishers) get in into their heads that somebody picking up a book promising to introduce the reader to programming language x or y is fairly likely to be an industry-experienced programmer and college or university educated? Peter Wright could do with some elementary courses in clear and grammatically correct writing. I didn't spend my time and money to be told that "There are actually lots of different types of numbers." I know what integers and floats and doubles are, and I suspect many of Mr Wright's other readers do as well. What I did expect, however, was that the author would quickly and precisely show me how to declare and use these in VB. Likewise for the other standard programming stuff - arrays, functions, and what have you. So, if you have ever programmed before, and prefer your programming books in the style of K & R's "Intro to C", you are quite likely to toss this book aside, with disgust, and move on elsewhere. Merits 3 stars because of two reasons: (1)Despite the non-stop prattle, the bad writing, the lack of organization, and other defects, the author does seem to be enthusiastic about teaching VB, some of which can be catchy for complete novices. (2)I have seen WORSE computer books -- far, far worse ones I am afraid, and, for all its shortcomings, the author does seem to know his subject even though he decided to adopt the "let us dumb it down" approach in his presentation of it.

"Good buy"
Good book to learn on your own

"This is the one that finally started me off in VB"
I read this book from cover to cover more than two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Before this book, I've read Sams' Teach Yourself VB 5 in 24 Hours. While that gave me a taste of VB, it didn't give me enough to write standalone programs or enough to allow me to solve problems with VB. Wrox is a favorite of mine ever since I got this Beginning book. I have come to understand and develop programs with VB because of this book. Lots of great examples. Though no CD comes with it, it's really a blessing because it forces the reader to enter in these small snippets of code. I've referred back to it for definition and code snippets. A great learning tool as well as a great reference for those little things that one forgets sometimes. So many people have borrowed it from me, it has finally been lost. I'll have to order a new one. *sigh*