Lies My Music Teacher Told Me: Music Theory for Grownups

Average customer rating:

Ambiguous scale step one!

Helps to uncover misconceptions, but horrible attitude.

Interesting read, but most of the "lies" aren't really

Controversial? No. Worthwhile? Perhaps!

A musical mythbuster extraordinaire

Lies My Music Teacher Told Me: Music Theory for Grownups
Gerald Eskelin
Manufacturer: Stage Three Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1886209251

Book Description

A number of musical misconceptions are explored and exploded in this humorous and lucid discussion of the relation between the human perception of music and traditional systems of music education. Drawing on his extensive background in the music world, the author marshals an informal yet rigorous logic to guide the reader through the practical experiences and careful thinking that led him to his conclusions. Updated and refined in the light of reader feedback and more recent thinking, nagging questions such as Why does formal musical training seem not to pertain to musical success? and Why is there such a dramatic disparity between what one is told about music and how one actually experiences it? are re-addressed. Seekers of musical truth stand to profit from this light-hearted assault on the more nebulous assumptions of the musical community.

Customer Reviews:

Ambiguous scale step one!.......2007-06-12

Reviewers please stop talking about whether or not scale step one should be called root or tonic. Some scales don't have intervals that make up a major or minor triad in which case the scale would have no tonic, but it would have a final sometimes called a root. I hope this clears the debate, and we can see more in depth reviews on here.

This book doesn't have to be as solid as a text and it's not. It's not as dull either. A lot of non-text theory books are way worse when they read like, "you don't need to know the complexities of why this works just know that it does." Thankfully this book is a welcome relief from both norms.

It all depends on politics and temperament if you're going to like this book or not. As a musician I would rather read a book that talked cover to cover about nothing but the why, how and when to use inversions in all the possible diatonic and chromatic settings, but that's just me.

Helps to uncover misconceptions, but horrible attitude........2007-04-08

I found this book to be helpful in uncovering misconceptions that we music educators may be teaching. The author had some problems understanding music as it was taught by his educators, and I can understand how he misunderstood AND how the teacher(s) may have misconstrued the concept. I think it's been helpful in how I approach teaching older beginning students, since their way of thinking is mostly formed and more difficult to change.

I did not like the author's blatent bad attitude. The book is full of negative tone. The author probably should have gone through therapy to resolve his issues before writing his book. This book mangles musical concepts with sideways thinking. His explainations are more confusing than it would be to learn the concepts correctly, and are sometimes just plain incorrect.

Interesting read, but most of the "lies" aren't really.......2007-01-03

It's an interesting book to read, and if you know only the basics about music theory, it might seem to shed fresh light on the topics covered. However, most of the "lies" the author brings up aren't really lies. To use an analogy (something the author likes to use), if I told you I watched the sun rise this morning, the author might tell you I'm lying. He would then reveal the truth of what really happened; that the earth rotated so that my position, in relation to the sun, made it APPEAR that the sun rose in the sky, when in fact it did not. Most of the "truths" would be presented to students in a good college-level music theory class. But, even if you already know the "truth" he is revealing, he presents it in an engaging manner, making the book fun to read. (and much fun can be had by arguing with the author in your head!)

Controversial? No. Worthwhile? Perhaps!.......2006-07-27

Apparently this book is a lot more controversial than I thought, judging from the profusion of Amazon reviews, both positive and negative, some showing rampant misunderstandings of music theory (worse than Eskelin's!). Yes, there is a little problem with Eskelin's tone in the book. (Eskelin talks down to his audience, spends too much time trying to justify himself through his credentials and ego-puffing anecdotes, and tries unsuccessfully to use simple English and simple concepts to explain music theory--the result being occasionally almost incomprehensible prose and sometimes bad grammar.) No, the "revelations" in the book are not so revolutionary or controversial that the book deserves its title. And yes, he sometimes mixes up musical terms, and even gets a few facts wrong. (You're waiting for the "But", right? Be patient, it's coming!)

I am a music theory professor, and have talked at length with many music theorists about theory pedagogy, and even have presented a paper on theory pedagogy at a conference. In my experience, in most music theory classrooms and private studios, too little emphasis is put on the way of teaching that Eskelin tries to model in his book. Eskelin, having not thoroughly studied the history of music theory or current music theory research, theory pedagogy research, and music perception and cognition research, ultimately is not as successful as some more experienced writers/teachers might be. And yet some of the alternatives to traditional ways of presenting musical fundamentals that Eskelin discusses in the book are still quite worthwhile. (Note: Most of the material taught in the book is simply musical rudiments, building blocks, notation, and practical information. These are not really music theory, which studies the structure, form, design, aesthetics, meaning, and interpretation of real music, and also speculates more abstractly about musical structure and aesthetics.)

Eskelin perhaps conflates the concepts of musical meter and time signature. But his general approach is a good one, even if oversimplified. Basically, all meters can be categorized based on the relationships among three related pulse streams (felt or implied beats, not necessarily heard beats): the measure (or bar), the main beat, and the beat's first level of subdivision. The reason why it is called a time signature and not just a meter signature is that it tells a musician more than just the meter (information that is encapsulated entirely into the top number of the time signature). A time signature tells how the meter will be written in note values (what note value gets the main beat, information that is encapsulated into the bottom number of the time signature), and even sometimes a general tempo range for the piece. Although 2/2, 4/4, and 2/4 are all simple duple meters, pieces written in cut time (2/2) are typically felt differently from pieces written in common time (4/4) or 2/4, or else we wouldn't have music written in each of these time signatures.

One particularly important point that Eskelin makes is that some less sophisticated musicians think that scales are merely technical exercises, when in fact they are tonal resources--systems of potential harmonic relationships within a key. While Eskelin blindly perpetuates Hindemith's conflation of the terms root and tonic, his espousal of emphasizing this perspective when teaching about scales is still good advice. To accomplish this a teacher can tell students to write their scales in thirds, or descending, or in a random order, always without using the key signature (using accidentals instead) or using a different key signature entirely, or to name the nth scale degree of any key using the proper accidental. Teachers can also have their students memorize all of the diatonic intervals using singing exercises that are structured like games. (I know that these are not revolutionary ideas, but I wish that my theory teachers had done this with me!)

There is one important error in Eskelin's book that I must point out in this forum. Eskelin provides the just ratios for all of the diatonic scale degrees and intervals, including the just major third 5/4 (the interval from a major triad's root to its third). (And yes, there are just ratios for dissonant intervals too, because dissonant intervals are formed as a result of the combination of consonant intervals. This is why it is a system of just intonation, and not just a scale of just intervals.) Eskelin then tells anecdotes of how he trains singers who are used to hearing equal temperament how to lock in their harmonies as justly tuned chords. When Eskelin tells us that singers have to place the third of a major chord higher than in equal temperament it becomes apparent that he has not done his math homework. The just major third 5/4 is less than the equal-tempered major third 2^(4/12) =~ 1.2599, meaning that it is lower, not higher. (I also have trouble with the notion that we all somehow hear everything in equal temperament all the time in our imaginations, but--since I can't tell you the alternative tuning in which people imagine music--that's an argument for another day.)

If you are the type of person who believes everything that is presented in black and white print, then this book is not for you. If you are the type of person who reads skeptically, critically, and analytically, then this book may or may not interest you. (You will probably find Eskelin's ideas somewhat less exciting than promised.) If you have had a relatively poor musical education, then this book might be enlightening. If you want to improve your way of teaching music, then this book may have a few hints that could help you. I still find myself recommending this book despite its obvious flaws, simply because it brings together a lot of information from many different sources (mostly uncredited) into a quick and easy read.

A musical mythbuster extraordinaire.......2006-03-11

Reading this book changed the way that I listen for intonation. As a harmony vocalist in rock bands, if I am not locked with the chord and with the vocalist, I stand out instead of supporting the front man. I now listen for things that before I never would have. The intonation concepts are worth more than the price of the book. Add in the theory ideas (debunking the idea that the minor mode is simply the sixth mode of the relative major is a great one) and this book becomes golden.

Customer Reviews:

Post-humanism and the Techocracy........2007-01-23

_Representations of the Post/Human: Monsters, Aliens and Others in Popular Culture_ by Elaine L. Graham is a disturbing book which attempts to make sense of what it means to be human in a developing society where that category is frequently challenged from a post-modern perspective. In particular, this book examines many of the recent developments in science and technology and considers what they have to say about what it means to be human and the possibility of post-humanity (or "post/humanity" as the author calls it). I should note from the beginning that I am not sympathetic to the author's point of view, as she would likely classify me among the "technophobic". I tend to think that the ensuing technological developments are largely leading us in the direction of dystopia (the only place where any "utopian" thinking will lead). While the author does not seem to advocate an overly strong "technophilic" attitude, she does seem to argue that a more positive approach is called for because it will enable us to move beyond traditional categories. This is where she applies her post-modern perspective, repeatedly arguing that man (and by this she means white males, solely) has been responsible for oppression (particularly of other cultures, homosexuals, and women). Her feminism and post-modernism at times comes across as shrill and hysterical and thus I cannot take it all seriously. (Assuming she actually does support some of the views suggested in this book.) For example, I tend to think that many of the proposed developments in genetic engineering (and other scientific and technological developments in general) represent violent crimes against nature and the natural order. I also tend to think that these developments are being exploited by a technocratic and corporate elite (who are effectively hornswaggling the masses with utopian claims and overbold prophecy). While the author might agree with me on some points (for example, she castigates the Human Genome Project as relying excessively on corporate interests and overlooking Third World suffering), she would likely find my understanding of "nature" and "natural order" as reactionary and oppressive. Nevertheless, despite these glaring differences in perspective, I still found much of interest in this book. In particular, it showed me that coming developments in science and technology will indeed challenge our notions of humanity and it also revealed to me some of the dangers of supposing that the prospects of such developments are all positive. The Nineteenth century belief in "progress" and "humanism" is largely outmoded. The atomic age brought an end to all that, and more recent developments have even challenged further these original naive faiths. This is why I believe that it is necessary to bring back the notion of "transcendence" in a process of what the author would likely call "re-enchantment". The author seems to argue that such a program is reactionary. So be it.

To begin with the author considers various reactions to digital technologies. For example, among those who argued that technology was leading towards disenchantment were Jacques Ellul and Martin Heidegger (though the author will later argue that Heidegger did not entirely mean this) (as well as the Unabomber who is not mentioned) who the author would refer to as "technophobes". Others have argued that technological "progress" is leading towards totalitarianism. On the side of the technophiles, some such as Michio Kaku and Ray Kurzweil have praised technological progress and advocated technocracy, others have advocated transhumanism (including ideas such as cryogenic freezing to achieve immortality and downloading one's consciousness into a computer), and some have argued that with technological progress a "re-enchantment" is possible. The author also considers the possibility of monsters (who were originally believed to testify to man's transgressions) and the idea of "science as salvation" (mentioning the possibility of relating modern day technoculture to Gnosticism, an understanding which I believe is particularly important!). Concerning "monsters", the author will argue that while these were originally taken to be manifestations of man's transgressions against the natural order and the consequences of sin (as for example seen in the writings of Saint Augustine and the French surgeon Ambroise Pare, writer of _On Monsters and Marvels_) that they came to represent "the Other" and were outcasted and scapegoated. Relying on the theories of Foucault and other post-structuralist thinkers, the author attempts to show how teratology (the study of monsters; from the Greek teras = monster) relates to the representation of "the Other" in society. In the next section of this book, the author brings up some important examples of "monsters" from science fiction, popular culture, and myth. The first of these is the monster from Mary Shelley's _Frankenstein_. While the author seems to obfuscate the point a bit, I think the message of _Frankenstein_ was clear, when man transgresses the natural order, monsters ensue. Victor Frankenstein, the scientist in the story who creates the monster, is deeply steeped in various hermetic, alchemical, and scientific learnings, and his quest to usurp the power of the Divine and nature is apparent. It should be noted in this though, that the monster himself is not evil. In fact, he tries to fit into human society, despite his apparent defects. The author also considers the Jewish myth of the golem, an intelligent creature devised by the rabbis and intended to relate to man in the same way that Adam related to God. The golem of course is an important precursor of the robot (the term "robot" first appears in Karel Capek's play _R.U.R._, and Capek was deeply versed in the legend of the golem). Throughout history, many mentions to talking statues or visages are to be found (especially in the ancient world), and these along with the golem legend serve as important prescursors to the robot. Also, it should be noted that the mathematician Norbert Weiner, who developed the theory of cybernetics, was very much learned in the Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism, and in particular wrote about the golem. Finally, the "laws of robotics" devised by Isaac Asimov should be mentioned in the context of robots. The author next considers various developments in genetics, artificial reproduction (and reproductive technologies), and artificial intelligence, mentioning some of the points I noted above about the Human Genome Project. The implications of some of these technologies are horrifying in their attempt to demolish the dignity of man (they certainly raise the specter of "eugenics" into the Twenty-First Century consciousness). Regarding artificial intelligence, the author mentions such writers as Hans Moravec. However, it should be noted that any artificially devised intelligence will ultimately lack a soul. The author then devotes a chapter to the series _Star Trek_, mentioning the roles of the character Data and the Borg. Following this, the author considers the prospects of transhumanism. In particular, the prospects of nanotechnology are discussed (beginning with Feynman's famous lecture and given form by Eric Drexler). The author also discusses the role of the computer and the internet (mentioning the various responses to the internet) and relates this to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The author also discusses various possibilities for re-enchantment, relating modern technological developments to paganism and Gnosticism, as well as hermetism. The author then discusses the role of the "cyborg" (part machine, part human), especially in the writings of Donna Haraway. The author ends with a discussion of various spiritualities that are emerging in the post-modern world.

Much of what is presented in this book is interesting, but ultimately horrifying. For those who believe in a natural order, it is very clear that technological developments are encroaching upon it. In the Twentieth Century, the atomic bomb (the ultimate destructive weapon) was the greatest product of scientific achievement, and ultimately lead to much harm. In the Twenty-First Century, the greatest product of scientific achievement is likely to be in the realm of genetics. It too has the potential to do great harm.

Book Description

The true, behind-the-scenes story of television's happiest couple, andHollywood's most tumultuous marriage.

Fifty years ago the magical union of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz enthralled American audiences who couldn't got enough of the fiery redhead or her sexy Cuban husband. But off camera the situation couldn't have been less comic, with backstage battles, oversized egos, drinking, philandering, and the demands of phenomenal success undermining what was once a storybook romance.

With exclusive access to family members (including daughter Lucie Arnaz) and rare photographs, Desilu is the first candid, inside account of a celebrated, complex, passionate, but ultimately tragic relationship -- as well as a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Desilu Studios, the Golden Age of Television's most powerful production empire.

Customer Reviews:

TMI (Can that be so in a book?).......2007-10-03

I wanted to learn more about life with Lucy & Desi, but I felt this book was too detail oriented on the people that worked with them. There were some looks into their lives but I guess I wanted something else. This book was not the personal story I was looking for.

Great book about a great couple.......2007-08-29

From the time I picked this book up I could not stop reading it. I learnt so much new information about Lucy and Desi as a couple and a business partnership that as far as I am concerned will never be beaten.
As you delve deeper into the book you learn more about their private lives and how difficult it must have been for them both to go into work each day and do their jobs as only they knew how.
It is had to write review without giving anythin' away but anyone who is a true Lucy and Desi fan should have this book on their bookshelves at home. I know that I am.
Thanks to the authors and to Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. we have an insight to a great working team both on and off screen.
I definitely rate this book as worth buying. I LOVE IT!!!

Desi-Lu-Lu.......2007-08-20

And to think that all this time, I have admired Lucille Ball, when it was Desi who was the brains and the business master of their production companay. And Desi was liked by most who knew him, wheras Lucy was aloof. Even though the book points out that Desi Arnz was a drunk and a womanizer, I think that I would have rather met him than the domineering, silent and spoiled Lucille Ball. The book just went into soooo much detail about the business end of Desilu Productions and how each of the 4 main characters in "I Love Lucy," just did not get along, especially Bill Frawley and Vivian Vance. Just a bit too much repetition. Still have great admiration for the show and what went into a weekly 1/2 hour sitcom, that was the first of its' kind. But my concept of what the actors were really like has been shattered over and over. Would have loved to sit down and have a drink with Desi as long as Lucy wasn't around to curse at him etc. etc. I am shattered. Give me Carol Burnett any day. She is pure class.

A Walking Tour of Classic Television Production.......2007-04-08

For anyone considering a career in television, this is a must read.
You will then understand the roots of modern television technique.
This is a great book to better view the television industry up close, and through the lives of two of the best known television personalities of all time. Plus I now know how and where modern television was born.
Highly recommended.

The Ultimate I Love Lucy Book!.......2007-02-28

If you are truly interested in Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and how the created "I Love Lucy" and the Desilu dynasty, this is the first and best book on the subject. It's a must-own for Lucy fans who want to know the real story, not the pap you find in other unauthorized biographies. Sanders and Gilbert's attention to detail supports every contention and the multitude of interviews, with all the principals who were still alive to talk, makes this book come to life. I have read this book a couple of times and it's a staple in my library. One final note, make no mistake about Sanders and Gilbert -- they love Lucy and Desi and the brilliance their collaboration produced. It's all there in black and white (just like "I Love Lucy").

Amazon.com

Perl in a Nutshell strives to be a perfect set of socket tools for the active Perl programmer. By and large, it succeeds, providing endless and well-thought-out lists and tables on the language's modules, flags, and extensions. The authors briefly address basic learner's questions--such as the difference between a hash and an array--but these concepts are not the purpose of the book. (Those new to Perl would be better off with others in the O'Reilly Perl series, such as Learning Perl, while programmers making the switch to Perl can pick up the nuances of the language with Programming Perl.) This book is pure Perl reference, briefly covering Perl/Tk (for GUI Perl programs on Unix and Windows 95/NT) and Perl for Win 32.

The authors do start at the very beginning, and even in a self-described "desktop quick reference" find the time to comment on less urgent--but still interesting--Perl-related matters (like how to find online help amidst the "Perl culture"). The format of the book makes sections on topics such as Perl debugging easily understandable, illustrating how to make an interactive and timesaving environment.

Of particular convenience is the outstanding section on the standard Perl modules. A four-page "quick look" allows you to easily scan through short definitions of all the modules and find the entry you're looking for. An index with full definitions for each module follows, showing you how to use each module and providing a more in-depth explanation (and often, examples). Perl in a Nutshell concludes--as you might expect--with an excellent and well-cross-referenced index. --Jennifer Buckendorff

Book Description

This complete guide to the Perl programming language ranges widely through the Perl programmer's universe, gathering together in a convenient form a wealth of information about Perl itself and its application to CGI scripts, XML processing, network programming, database interaction, and graphical user interfaces. The book is an ideal reference for experienced Perl programmers and beginners alike. With more than a million dedicated programmers, Perl is proving to be the best language for the latest trends in computing and business, including network programming and the ability to create and manage web sites. It's a language that every Unix system administrator and serious web developer needs to know. In the past few years, Perl has found its way into complex web applications of multinational banks, the U.S. Federal Reserve, and hundreds of large corporations. In this second edition, Perl in a Nutshell has been expanded to include coverage of Perl 5.8, with information on Unicode processing in Perl, new functions and modules that have been added to the core language, and up-to-date details on running Perl on the Win32 platform. The book also covers Perl modules for recent technologies such as XML and SOAP. Here are just some of the topics contained in this book:

Basic Perl reference
Quick reference to built-in functions and standard modules
CGI.pm and mod_perl
XML::* modules
DBI, the database-independent API for Perl
Sockets programming
LWP, the library for Web programming in Perl
Network programming with the Net modules
Perl/Tk, the Tk extension to Perl for graphical interfaces
Modules for interfacing with Win32 systems

As part of the successful "in a Nutshell" book series from O'Reilly & Associates, Perl in a Nutshell is for readers who want a single reference for all their needs. "In a nutshell, Perl is designed to make the easy jobs easy, without making the hard jobs impossible." -- Larry Wall, creator of Perl

Customer Reviews:

I've used Perl for several years and love this book.......2004-05-03

Exactly as advertised, "Perl in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference" is a great reference book if you already have a basic understanding of Perl. Although it does have a section that it refers to as an "Introduction to Perl" it is actually a pretty cursory introduction and there are better books for learning the basics of Perl.

The book does have an excellent section on installing Perl including installation on both the Unix and Windows platforms. I've worked with both platforms and the installation process is well documented including how to install modules. This brings us to the large chapter on getting and installing Perl modules. I have spent hours sometimes trying to find an appropriate module for a special situation. This chapter lists all the most common modules and includes descriptions of what they do. This alone makes it a valuable resource for anyone involved in Perl.

The authors also include a lot of technical information including command line options and environment variables as well as a section on program structure, data types, special variables, operators, expressions, subroutines, filehandles, and just about anything else that you might need a quick refresher on.

Functions are listed both by category and by alphabetical order with descriptions and syntax information. I had a couple of problems on a large project recently and it took three days to get an answer through the forums on the Internet. The answers to all of them are right here and I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had had this book then.

A lot of other information is available in the book including CGI programming, Webserver programming, database programming, SOAP, Network modules including Net, Mail, NNTP, FTP, and LDAP, Perl/Tk, Win32 Modules and Extensions, OLE Automation, and ODBC Extensions. This book will be the one I keep close at hand when working with Perl and deserves its location on my desktop instead of in the library. "Perl in a Nutshell" is highly recommended for Perl programmers from basic to advanced level.

A handy reference, but..........2003-12-14

This is a handy reference, but if you have a limited budget you should probably go with Programming Perl and the Perl Cookbook before this one. This is a fine reference but it doesn't have the depth that the other books have and the information on the modules is available online through CPAN. I have the entire Perl library on my bookshelf and I hardly ever pick this one up.

Great reference!.......2002-09-06

I am not a beginning programmer nor am I what you would call an expert. Having a background in PHP made Perl easy to learn, so I didn't need a book that would "teach" Perl. All I needed was a good reference to figure out the differences between PHP and Perl. This book did exactly that! I was able to start programming within a day and I have referenced this book more times than I can count during my most recent development efforts. The binding is nearly worn out! I recommend this book to intermediate programmers that only need a small boost to get to work. If you're a beginner, buy this book to use after you learn the basics and you'll find it to be one of the most valuable tools on your desk!

High Level Descriptions with Few Samples.......2002-07-24

This book is full of alphabetical high level descriptions (which are always ambiguous) of Perl language statements with few or no illustrative examples (which always help clear up ambiguity).
It is a waste of money.

Missing basic syntax rules. I wonder if the authors use Perl.......2002-04-30

My 2-star review is from the perspective of an intermediate Perl user. From my exp. with 'Unix in a Nutshell', I expected this book to be all I needed in my briefcase at work. As it turns out, I'll take the "Camel" (Programming Perl) and leave this uninspiring book at home.

Let me give you an example: I was poring over a (slightly) complicated regular expression, trying to figure out what was going on...there seemed no rhyme or reason to it.....there were way too many spaces and yet the pattern was matching!! I then noticed the "x" option on the end of it: /reg-ex/x Thinking this could be the culprit, I broke out Perl:NUTSHELL...I found the appropriate table and it said: this option used to Enable Extended regular expressions. Ah-ha! But wait, what are Extended regular Epressions, and what is the deal with all these extra spaces in my reg-ex? I forwarded a bit and found the section about Extended Regular Expressions. And I found.........nothing. As it turns out (after looking in the Camel), the "x" means that all whitespace in the pattern is ignored, hence all the darn spaces. I made a point to look (again) for this bit of syntactic info in Perl:NUTSHELL, and it is not there. So what is the use of this book then, considering it is missing such a BASIC SYNTAX rule? Good question.
Another gripe: where's the freakin examples? While I don't expect NUTSHELL books to EXPLAIN the examples tutorial style, I do expect some basic usage examples to help me with commands I havn't used (again, see Unix in a Nutshell)!!

Another quick example for you Perl non-gurus (like myself): I came upon the Perl "filetest" operator "-t"....but the test had no following argument (e.g. the file's name), so I was confused. Off to the Nutshell. Oops. Nothing there except the shortest little description possible. Sigh. Back to the Camel, where I found that this particular file test operator defaults to a filehandle, , and not the usual variable which is $_ (perl's typical default). Hello? This isn't important!? Totally ridiculous for a supposed "reference" book.

In conclusion, this book seems to have zero "learning" value, being so terse (not to mention boring) and having so few examples, and only mediocre reference usefulness. Don't buy this one, buy the other O'Reilly books on Perl (Learning Perl and Programming Perl are high quality, as is Perl Cookbook). You might have to lug the Camel around (dromedaries are heavy), but it is superior to this inconcise man-page in every way (has a big reference section + a big 'learning' section).

PS. this is the 1st ed. Maybe the 2nd will be worth the money.

Average customer rating:

2nd edition didn't document all the changes in 5.6

A great book for VB Scripters

Very useful VBScript reference

Good Reference Book

NUTSHELL

Vbscript in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference
Paul Lomax , Matt Childs , and Ron Petrusha
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: B00008CM4D

Amazon.com

Because it applies the concise and popular Nutshell format to Microsoft's preferred scripting language, VBScript in a Nutshell is a valuable learning resource and reference. Focusing on the core language rather than on any specific application, this book teaches how to write clear, efficient VBScript code. Whether developing for the Web, automating Windows, or customizing Microsoft Outlook, this book will help the reader do a better job.

Though it caters to new users, VBScript is mainly a reference book. Each piece of the core VBScript specification (plus the Dictionary and FileSystemObject objects that make up the Microsoft Scripting Runtime) is described in an alphabetized entry. For each statement, function, operator, and object, the book gives a quick description of the element's syntax, concise rules of its proper use, information on returned values (if any), and some examples of the language element used correctly in practice. Two additional sections on each language element will be valuable to novices and anyone stumped by errors: a "Rules at a Glance" section that documents correct usage, and a section called "Programming Tips & Gotchas" that highlights common mistakes. --David Wall

Topics covered: Core VBScript and the most important object models on which it operates, including Microsoft Internet Explorer and the Windows Scripting Host. Tutorial material and reference entries explain structure, syntax, and program design.

Book Description

Lightweight yet powerful, VBScript from Microsoft® is used in four main areas: server-side web applications using Active Server Pages (ASP), client-side web scripts using Internet Explorer, code behind Outlook forms, and automating repetitive tasks using Windows Script Host (WSH). VBScript in a Nutshell, Second Edition delivers current and complete documentation for programmers and system administrators who want to develop effective scripts. Completely updated for VBScript 5.6, WSH 5.6 and ASP 3.0, VBScript In a Nutshell, Second Edition includes updated introductory chapters that will help you keep current with the significant changes since the first edition was published. New chapters introduce the Windows Script Component for creating binary COM components, and the Script Encoder. The main part of the book is a comprehensive reference focusing on VBScript essentials with an alphabetical reference to all statements, keywords and objects, and a section of notes and solutions to real-world gotchas--various undocumented behaviors and aspects of the language--to help you avoid potential problems. Each entry in the reference section details the following:

The keyword's syntax, using standard code conventions
A list of arguments accepted by the function or procedure, if any exist
A discussion of how and where the keyword should be used within the scripting environment
A discussion of the differences between the operation of the keyword in Visual Basic or VBA and in VBScript

Regardless of your level of experience programming with VBScript, VBScript in a Nutshell, Second Edition is the book you'll want by your side--the most complete, up-to-date, and easy-to-use language reference available.

Customer Reviews:

2nd edition didn't document all the changes in 5.6.......2007-04-25

I've been a big fan of the 1st edition for years and found it very helpful. I use Regular Expressions a lot in Perl and found VBScript's support for RE's a bit lacking (could not extract the submatches). I was pleasantly surprised to find that this capability was added in VBScript 5.5. I bought the 2nd edition of this book because it claimed to cover VBScript 5.6. Imagine my surprise when the SubMatches collection isn't documented at all.

Overall I'm quite disappointed in the 2nd edition.

A great book for VB Scripters.......2007-02-12

This text is excellent for folks working on VBs projects. It contains good examples, great information about syntax and also warnings for "gotcha's" -- it's great!

Very useful VBScript reference.......2006-07-17

This is not intended for beginners in scripting or VBScript in particular. But for anyone with even moderate programming or scripting, this may be all you'll need to become familiar with VBScript.

Written in the spare, terse style of all Nutshell books, the book is very dense in terms of information. The major aspects of VBScript's versatility are explored (though there are no references to HTML Applications (HTAs)). The major functions are explained and there is a complete reference.

An essential volume for anyone using VBScript.

Jerry

Good Reference Book.......2006-02-01

This is not the book to learn the basics of VBScript, but it's exactly what I needed; a good reference book. I got tired of trying to find syntax of commands and functions online. Now I have it at my fingertips.

NUTSHELL.......2005-12-06

I don't have this book, I've never read it. But the negative reviews for it are out of line. People have reviewed it claiming it isn't for the beginner or for learning VB Script. NO KIDDING!! It is called NUTSHELL for a reason. It is a reference book, NOT a learning book. Don't give bad reviews for a book because you were too stupid to realize you bought the wrong book. That's just as bad as buying a Java book and complaining that it doesn't have any Javascipt examples in it.

Perl in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (International Edition)

Average customer rating:

Perl in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (International Edition)

Manufacturer: Shroff Publishers India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8173660735

Product Description

Publisher: Shroff Publishers IndiaEdition: First International

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