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Summary: First VB book
Review: I found the use of a ficticious classroom to be distracting. Linda said this, Rhonda asked that along with "that's a good question Linda" statements in the book are not value added comments. I also had run time errors in the disk that came with the book. On the other hand, I don't have another VB book to compare this book to, since this was my first.
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Summary: The simplest, yet most comprehensive book for vb intro .
Review: I have read a lot of 'how to program' books for various languages, yet none of them were nearly as effective as 'learn to program with vb'. Mr. Smiley paces the material so that rather than making a useless program right from the start, you actually learn usefull skills for developing your own programs. There is very little flash here, but a whole lot of substance. If you have never programmed before, let alone used vb, this book is an excellent starting point.
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Summary: Explained for the least computer knolaged person
Review: The Basics of this book are simple, the author knows what he is talking about when he try's to explain objects to you unlike other books that tell you what to do and then expect you to know what you are doing this book looks at the point of view as if you don't he explains with an amount of patients that's anonamaml This is a very well detailed book that I think will teach even the most uneducated person to program
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Summary: Thanks to everyone!
Review: It's been over 9 months since my book has been out and I posted my first comment here at Amazon.com, and I thought it was time to update you on what's happened since the book was released.First of all, I want to thank everyone for buying my book, Learn to Program with Visual Basic. Sales of the book have been tremendous, both here at Amazon.com and elsewhere. Your purchases, positive reviews and email you have sent to me have confirmed my belief that I could write a programming book like no other---and have inspired me to continue writing more. My goal is to write a series of books that will painlessly lead you to a Microsoft Test Center---where you can take and pass the Visual Basic Certification test. I'm about halfway to that point, having just completed my Visual Basic Database Book, and I'm working now on a Visual Basic book on Objects and Classes. I'm pleased to say that this book is being used to teach and learn Visual Basic all over the world---look for foreign translations soon. I have received email from people as young as 12 and as old as 85 saying that my book has gotten them over the hurdle of learning a programming language---something they could not surmount with any other book. People who have read my book include Trappist Monks, grandmothers, Electrical Engineers, world renown weather forecasters, and high ranking officials in Microsoft (Bill G. perhaps?) I have also received emails from instructors in High Schools, Colleges and Universities who are using my books in their classes. If you are an instructor, feel free to email me and I can have a review copy sent to your school. Furthermore, I can offer you instructional support material if you need it---please feel free to contact me. Special thanks to the many people who have posted reviews here at Amazon.com. I always post reviews of books I read, and I appreciate you taking the time to post one about my book. Just remember, if you are going to post a review, keep to the point, tell people why you did or didn't like the book, and please include an email address so that others may contact you about it (I do when I review a book!) Don't use this forum to take knocks at me because you received a 'D' in my class, you don't like my publisher, or you distrust technology in general---you can always contact me via email for that. And if you have trouble believing the glowing reviews posted by the readers of the book, check out the reviews posted by Amazon.com itself---those reviewers are tough! Speaking of sending me email, feel free to do so. I love to hear from you, and I religiously answer each and every email. I have a sincere desire to see you learn how to program, and I will do whatever I can to make sure you are successful in that endeavor. I can also point you to a website I've set up in support of the book, and which includes some additional material that wasn't included with the final cut. John Smiley
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Summary: Some useful Information
Review: Some useful information. My major complaint, as I had with his examples book, is it took so long for the publisher's to realease it, and finally ship it. I waited weeks and with no money to buy another book on vb , it caused a hardship and alot of wasted time.
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Summary: Great Programming Starter Book !!!
Review: I have tried learning programming from a variety of books in the past. Most books I found, taught procedure without the whys or whens to use a procedure. So, I found I could write one heck of a For,,,Next Loop procedure, but never knew when or why to use it. Professor Smiley teaches you not only the way to learn VB, but he teaches you the various whens and whys of programming. No Beginning programming student should be without this Book in his/her library. I strongly endorse this book and only hope Professor Smiley will teach a course at a location near me or write another book to advance what I learned from this book. Thank you Professor Smiley !!!
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Summary: This is all a hoax
Review: I have never read the book, but i think the author came here and posted al these reviews.
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Summary: This Should NOT be a Unique-Style Book!
Review: I suppose there are others out there, but Mr. Smiley's book is the first I have encountered with the simulated classroom-approach to teaching, complete with classmates and appropriate questions and answers. I'm about halfway through and want to say I totally agree with all the 5-star ratings this book has received! If you want to learn the foundations of VB6 in a clear, intelligently-constructed manner, I can't imagine anything better unless you took a class with Mr. Smiley. I realize it is not a comprehensive textbook, but I feel confident that this book will provide the basic knowledge needed to facilitate understanding the more complex aspects of the language. I'm so glad I came across this book while browsing in Amazon.com! Why don't more authors use this approach? And not necessarily just for "beginner" books, but for any level? After all, isn't that the way we learn - through demonstration of how something works, and then asking appropriate questions and receiving appropriate answers? This is truly an excellent book!
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Summary: This is an excellent foundation book for a beginner in VB.
Review: Learn to Program with Visual Basic, by John Smiley, is a masterpiece. This book focuses on the beginner. AND IT NEVER LOSES SIGHT OF THAT! Have you ever started a book on Visual Basic only to feel like the author, by about page 100, sort of forgot you were new to Visual Basic programming? You know. The writer starts writing as if you were already an expert. Remember how discouraged you felt? Well, Learn to Program with Visual Basic simply doesn't talk above your head. IT GUIDES YOU UP TO A LEVEL OF SKILL THAT IS USEFUL AND PRACTICAL. You will actually feel good about your progress. PLEASE BUY THIS BOOK!!! It is well worth it.
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Summary: Absolutely the best beginners Visual Basic book available
Review: If you are a newbie to Visual Basic and want to learn the "basics" before attempting to learn real world programming techniques in database access using things like SQL, DAO, ADO, this is the book. An easy read and FUN...something that is missing from a lot of educational books.
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