"Neither a "how-to" book nor a rehash of Microsoft's documentation, this latest addition to O'Reilly's Nutshell series goes to the source of the language and APIs to present content in a way that professional programmers will value above all other books. ... [This book] was written for the working C SHARP programmer who will be able to find answers to most questions of syntax and functionality that he or she encounters on the job. Experienced Java and C++ programmers encountering the C SHARP language and the CLR for the first time will be able to put this book to good use." Linux Magazine, July/August 2002 "...a 'fast-packed, no-fluff' introduction to both elementary and arcane features of C SHARP and .NET...Serious C SHARP programmers will find this to be an invaluable handy reference." PC Plus, November 2002

Peter Drayton is an independent consultant, helping early-stage companies define and build systems that take advantage of technologies such as .NET, SOAP, XML, and COM+. Peter is also an instructor for DevelopMentor, where he teaches Essential C SHARP.NET. Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Peter now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Julie. He spends his spare time researching .NET and tinkering with a small flotilla of computers cluttering up their a partment. He can be reached at peter@razorsoft.com. Ben Albahari is cofounder of Genamics, a provider of tools for C SHARP and J++ programmers, as well as software for DNA and protein sequence analysis. He is author of A Comparative Overview of C SHARP, a frequently cited comparison of C SHARP with C/C++ and Java that was recently named by DevX as one of the top 10 .NET sites. Ben is a resident of Perth, Australia, and in his spare time enjoys composing music on his computer. He can be reached at ben@genamics.com.