As with previous Petzold's Programming Windows books, this book tells you the nuts and bolts of windows programming, in C#. In details explained real well. I especially enjoy the little pieces of history as introduction in each chapter. Petzold even give you a brief math lesson when explaining Bezier curves. But this book does not give you a real-world-app, but the knowledge of details that make you build one. The appendix of math and string class will be helpful for anyone doing real programming.