If you’ve been reading long, you might remember that I’ve been a fan of ASP.NET AJAX in Action since the original was published. By avoiding heavy reliance on drag ‘n drop methodologies, the Manning book leaves readers with a deeper understanding of the framework.

Without understanding the underlying mechanisms well, developing successful solutions is as much a function of luck as it is skill; especially when it comes to debugging and maintenance. So, I think a comprehensive book like this is absolutely essential.

Now with more Encosia

Already being a fan of the book, you can probably imagine my response when I got an email from Alessandro asking if I’d like to participate in the Second Edition. It was certainly the easiest decision I made that day, to say the least. I’ll be helping add new examples, writing about ASP.NET AJAX 4.0’s new features, and discussion about automating things like script compression.

Though the book is still several months away from completion, three chapters are already available via the Manning Early Access Program (MEAP) for pre-orders. In fact, one chapter of the book is freely available, so be sure to check it out.

For a full ToC, the MEAP, and more information about the book, head over to the ASP.NET AJAX in Action, Second Edition page on Manning’s site.