If you want to learn to use Microsoft's new C# programming language quickly, you can perhaps do no better than C# Essentials, a compact and extremely intelligent guide.

While most of today's programming books seem to be trying to outdo one another in sheer page-count, this one bucks the trend with an extremely concise yet entirely thorough treatment of C#. It is an efficiently packed, language-based guide that's perfect for those with some previous object-oriented programming experience. It covers all C# language keywords, with particular attention to class-design constructs. Short code excerpts, rather than full-length programs, are used to illustrate every feature of the language, from basic design types to data types, class design constructs (including all the details of inheritance) and the basics of the .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR). You'll learn how to model classes correctly using the most advanced features (such as reflection and attributes) which help make C# particularly powerful and elegant.

Advanced topics include a guide to making Win32 API calls from within C#, new threading options and how to interoperate with legacy DLLs and COM objects in C#. At just 200 pages, this text still manages to cover a lot of ground with the specifics of C#, with many of the features that help give C# its personality as a programming language.

Admirably concise, yet filled with expert knowledge for exploiting both basic and advanced features, this title earns high marks as a tutorial for learning Microsoft's latest programming language. It's sure to be a useful choice for any experienced programmer tackling C# for the first time. --Richard Dragan