This is not an MFC book, nor is it one of those books that you pick up and think "Hmmm, another 'Made Easy' book which is anything but". This book actually does what it sets out to do.

Using the Windows Eiffel Library, the book not only documents extremely well the library, but gives plenty of well thought out and well documented code examples. It really does take the user by the hand and leads them up the tricky path that is programming for Windows.

The CD, which comes with the book, is well thought out and helps no end in learning about this library.

There are two definite advantages to this book.

1. The book assumes you know how to switch on the machine and install from a CD.
2. That you may have a smattering of programming knowledge, but not much.

Based on these two premises, the authors have the basis for a damned fine book - they assume nothing.

Unfortunately though, that does mean that if you do know how to program, then probably this book will seem possibly demeaning.

Now, you may be wondering why with all the good I've said, it's not gone above a "recommended" rating. Simple answer is that while things are well documented, I could not get quite a few of the later chapters' code examples to work on my freshly installed XP box at work - which really drags things down. The attention to detail was marred by the code not working properly.