Rating: 
Summary: If you want to get something out of a computer book!
Review: I have found most computer books either confusing or very unhelpful. This book starts at the beginning and covers topics in an easy to understand manner such that at the end of the book you feel like you are ready to begin programming and to move further on. John Smiley uses an excellent classroom techique of writing that asks those "stupid" questions that are really on your mind. Things get sorted out in a very logical manner. I realized how helpful Smileys books were when I tried other Visual Basic books to further my knowledge and found they were alot of very confusing syntax with no explanations. If you want a book you can read cover to cover quickly and finish feeling really good about your progress start here? Way to go John!
Rating:
Summary: Great for Beginners!
Review: I have been trying to learn to program for many years. However, all books on the subject forget what it is like to REALLY be a beginner. You need to start from ground zero and John Smiley actually remembers this. Not only does he remember it but he actually makes you feel that you have great hope of becoming a programmer. He doesn't act like it is a secret cult that only a few can join. He totally believes that anyone can learn to program if they are willing to give it their all and his books give you a feeling of accomplishment. Please read and use all of them.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding! This book really TEACHES programming!
Review: I learned one programming language (REXX), and never thought I would be capable of learning another because it took me soooo long to finally "get it" with REXX. Then along came John Smiley's VB book. With this book, you do not need to know anything about typical "Programming" or "Coding". This book is written so well in laymens terms, that you can't help but learn to do real programming, just by reading it. The style used in this book actually puts you in a classroom with the author, and makes you feel like one of his students which in turn actually makes it fun to read. Not the normal "techie" book, that you have to labor to get through. I will buy John's other books, and I know I will learn! Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: More than superb
Review: This book might be your passport to Visual Basic 6; if you are a beginner as I was a year ago, missing this book is tantamount to missing the very meat of Visual Basic.The book is just simple to understand and will never bore you - so rush up aspiring beginners!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining way to learn to program
Review: This book was the most straightforward, and at the same time entertaining, book that I've ever read on programming. it lays out the basics in a way that's easy to understand and that keeps you going through the book. Highly recommended for someone starting out int he field of programming, as you get good results right off the bat.
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Summary: BRILLIANT EFFORT- BEST WRITER SO FAR
Review: As a keen student VB programmer, I started this book and could not put it down! It was so engaging and it delivered the 'beans' in no time at all. Buy this brilliant book if you are a beginner. There are 2 negative things about it though - 1. It is by no means a reference book for established programmers it offers a hands on active approach for those interested in participatory learning; 2. Secondly, it was so engaging that my 8 month old son had to miss his tea-time snack so I could satisfy my hunger for one more chapter in the book. I simply love this book. Great author- I am not at all surprised that he is a lecturer! He is a good teacher- trust me!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book for Beginners
Review: This may not be the book for Int. or Adv. programmers (and the book never says it is) but I am an absolute beginner. I've done networking and Exchange for my entire (short career) and I wanted to see what VB was all about. I got so much out of this book that I will continue to increase my knowledge of VB simply because when I want a solution to a problem (ADSI related, Exchange, etc.) I want to find my own solutions. Very good book and well written. Good baby steps and details. Highly recommended as a first VB book.
Rating:
Summary: My Expectations Were Met
Review: I purchased this book after reading several of the glowing reviews included on this page. The book was every bit as good as I'd hoped. The format was entertaining and easy to understand. I have always learned best in the classroom setting and this book provided that setting. I'm going out today to purchase Smiley's book on Visual Basic Objects. Wish me luck!
Rating:
Summary: A great place to start
Review: Ths is an absolute 'must read' for the beginner, like me. I read and worked through this book before working my way through Microsoft Visual Basic Deluxe Learning Edition, and I am much better off for it. This book assumes no experience and therefore starts the reader off with good habits -- better than those of the author of the Microsoft book. This book is readable, well indexed, and a valuable reference.
Rating: 
Summary: Irritating
Review: I may be alone in my assessment of this book. As someone with just a Basic programming background (and that some 20 years ago), I found this book incredibly irritating. Smiley never got beyond the most basic concepts. The convention of being a student in a programming class may have made for an entertaining read for some, but for me it was like talking on the phone with someone who stutters: I wanted to reach through the pages and get him to spit out something meaningful without having to read through 25 pages to cover a minute quantity of information. These 700+ pages of, "There were no other questions, so I said that prior to taking a break I wanted to talk about the flower box I had displayed on the classroom projector," drove me nuts. This book was a complete waste of money! The SAMS Visual Basic in 21 Days was no picnic, but I learned more in the first 100 pages than I did in Smiley's entire 5 pound book.
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