C# Essentials by Ben Albahari
An introduciton to the Microsoft C# programming language, and the Microsoft .NET Common Language Runtime (CLR) and Base Class Libraries (BCL) that support it. The book's compact format and terse presentation of key concepts serve as a roadmap to the on-line documentation included with the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK; the many examples provide much-needed context. In addition to overviews of C#, the CLR, and the BCL, C# Essentials includes coverage of: every C# language element and its syntax, in reference format; the major C# datatypes, with code examples; basic C# programming tasks; interoperations with legacy Win32 APIs and COM components, and the use of C/C++ style pointers within the managed context of the CLR; and common development issues. "C# Essentials" is a way for experienced programmers to get up to speed quickly on the language best suited to developing Web applications and services on the new Microsoft .NET platform.