Rocky,
Just a quick note of thanks for the book - I read the first framework book (and caught about 10% of what was going on) and this 2nd edition for VS 2005 is even better. I hope to catch a whopping 15% this time around.
I want to point out how valuable the very first chapter has been for me. It is pretty easy to get documentation on how to build X or Y - but a discussion where the author walks through the reasons for particular decisions is really the kind of stuff I need to be thinking about. The why is as important as the how when it comes to designing and building one's own applications.
The book reads like a discussion among professionals - I love the 'take or leave it' approach - its like you aren't trying to sell the framework or push it onto anyone - but rather discussing it as an alternative and so everything comes across as so open handed and flexible. The fact you throw in alternatives and short discussions on how things could be done differently really adds to the understanding of the material.
I hope as you consider future editions of the book that you'll take careful notes at key decision points and include even more of the decision making process and alternatives. Every portion of the theory you've discussed has been great.
There are many programming books out there:
1: General application design books.
2: Specific "How To" technology books.
The Expert Business Objects book ties these two things together at what has to be the least understood part of the development process for me personally - that is, how to use the technology one knows with the design principles one knows.
Bravo.
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