This book explains how to use XML over HTTP to build distributed applications, by wrapping procedure calls in XML and establishing simple pathways for calling functions. XML-RPC can be considered as a simpler version of SOAP.

The first two short chapters are dedicated to defining what XML-RPC is and the details of the XML-RPC protocol. The remainder of the book explains how to build clients and servers using Java, Perl, PHP, Python and in ASP. A final chapter highlights where to find public XML-RPC services as well as design guidelines for application development. Most usefully a discussion on how to choose between XML-RPC and SOAP is provided.

Overall, this book is rather lightweight and you will only get true value for money if you are considering developing XML-RPC clients/servers in more than one language. If that were the case, I would recommend this book.