Rating: 
Summary: Great Beginner Book!
Review: Learn to Program With Visual Basic 6 by John Smiley is an excellent book for anyone just testing the Visual Basic waters. Take it from me, a person with only minimal programming experience (if it could even be called that). So many books out there claim to be for beginners, yet require at least basic knowledge of some sort programming, somewhere. Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6, however, takes you by the hand from day one and walks you through the entire process. And it's easy enough to understand so that anyone can do it, experience or no. I definately reccomend this book to anyone who wishes to start to learn VB.
Rating:
Summary: Best Instructional Book I've ever read!
Review: If you are new to programming or Visual Basic, this book is this place to start. John Smileys approach to teaching Visual Basic makes learning to program seem almost effortless. The classroom setting of the book does actually give the "feel" of being instucted in a classroom! The questions the students in the book "asked" were more times than not the ones I would have asked. I also liked the fact that the book just did'nt dive into coding but instead covers the entire process of creating a real-world application from design to implementation.
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Summary: The only book a non-programmer needs to get started in VB
Review: I went through several different books that claimed they would teach me VB prior to reading this one. None of them did much more than confuse me, as they assumed knowledge that I didn't have. John Smiley's approach to this book is quite simply, spectacular. The instruction reads like a novel set in his classroom, and the students ask every stupid question that pops into your head while trying to grip the lesson. This approach makes the reader feel like maybe he can learn this, and makes it fun. I wish John Smiley would write a book on Java!
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Summary: Complete Visual Basic pack - software and powerful tutorial
Review: This book is the complete package to begin programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 6. This book, and the CD that's included, will teach you how to program in Visual Basic 6 from scratch. No previous experience of any programming language is required: all you need to get started is contained in this book. What's Included: * Microsoft Visual Basic 6 Working Model Edition * Full guidance on building a fully functioning Visual Basic program from top to bottom What's different about this book? * The Learn to Program Series assumes no prior knowledge of programming. We teach you completely from scratch * This book gives you the background knowledge on what programming is, and guides you through the steps that professional programmers take when they're tackling any project * This book builds a complete Visual Basic program in a series of easy steps, with each step fully explained and placed in the real-world context of writing a program for a real end-user * In this book we follow a working program's development in a familiar context - a classroom. You learn about Visual Basic programming alongside a class-full of people who come to Visual Basic, like you, completely fresh. You'll learn the theory of Visual Basic, put it into practice in numerous examples, and use this knowledge to build a fully working Visual Basic program * This book uses a unique narrative style to transport you right into the middle of a classroom full of fellow learners, and makes the material come alive like no traditional tutorial book can After reading this book, you'll have hands-on experience of the fundamentals of Visual Basic programming, and the knowledge to put these techniques into practice.
Rating:
Summary: The BEST Visual Basic book ever written
Review: Learn to Program with Visual Basic has to be the BEST way to learn Visual Basic. The approach taken is one of the most brilliant ever thought of to teach. I have been programming for a year and a half, and the first chapter taught me a lot more than any other book I have read. This book gets my full endorsement and recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Original and excellent!
Review: This book is an excellent introduction to programming with Visual Basic. Starting with an idea for a real-world program and going through the complete life-cycle of requirement gathering, design, development and maintenance. The book is written in an almost conversational manner with a "virtual classroom". The book starts with a short look at DOS and Windows, then gets the reader familiar with using the Visual Basic IDE. It then goes on step-by-step to cover all aspects of programming in VB (Events, data types, controls, selection structures, loops, error handling, registry functions, debugging and more) to produce a complete program. Each chapter has a summary and quiz. Not for experienced VB coders, but definitely the best of its type for beginners. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book!
Review: Terrific book, I agree with all the rest of the reviewers. A very refreshing and readable "learn to program" book. I found this book to be excellent far better than any other "learn to program" book. I am a professional educator, and this book is designed for the person who wants to learn Visual Basic and programming concepts on their own rather than attending a class! Excellent book...
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Summary: Wanna-be programmers....LISTEN UP!
Review: This is absolutely the best way to "get your feet wet" in programming. John Smiley is a brilliant teacher. I studied 5 other VB books before getting this one and "Learn To Program with Visual Basic" beats everything else...hands down!
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Summary: This is the best Visual Basic book I've seen!
Review: Re: New book, "Learn to Program With Visual Basic", by John Smiley I used to program in basic, out of enjoyment and necessity, but sort of got out of programming when Windows was getting popular. A couple of years ago, out of a new necessity, I decided to learn Visual Basic, a Windows language. After two or three years of reading different books (as time permitted), and not learning much, i was about to give up. I didn't seem to be able to find any books with the VB basics, that I could understand. I could copy the programs in the books and make them work, but I never really understood how or why, and certainly couldn't write my own programs. I've just finished the new book, "Learn to Program With Visual Basic", by John Smiley, and it was fantastic. For the first time, VB isn't just something i can memorize how to do, but it actually makes sense. It's an easy, fun language, IF YOU KNOW THE BASICS - which I'm now comfortable with. I was skeptical about buying this book, since i'd already read so many others that claimed to be written for the absolute beginner, but now I consider it the best programming investment i've ever made. It was almost like a good mystery, I sort of hated to get to the end. I understand Professor Smiley will have some follow-up books out this year. Please let me know as soon as they're available - I WANT THEM ALL, the concept of these books is so great, and John Smiley's style is so readable, logical, and informative. I can hardly wait for his next! Thanks again, DKS
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book-reads like a novel!
Review: Best book on programming I've ever seen. Very well-written and entertaining style. I read 85 pages in one sitting, 75 more the next. I've been trying to teach myself programming for years, and never made it past the 3rd or 4th chapter before. THIS is how it's done.
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