Grinder Smith wrote:

>The book that I am still working to get the files for
>is:
>"Programming And Customizing PICmicro
>Microcontrollers", second edition, Myke Predko, 2002
>
>This book comes with a PCB for the El Cheapo
>programmer and a 'full' CD of files from the book.
>
>
>According to Myke, it became more of a new book than
>just a second  (my short version from memory, I do not
>quote the book here).
>
>  
>

    I started out learning about PIC's using the second edition, after 
not having programmed at the microprocessor/microcontroller level in 20 
years.

   I'm of two minds about it - it does contain a lot of info, and the 
projects are OK.  Some of his programming philosophies seem just bizarre 
to me, though.  At one point, he says ( in essense, I don't have the 
book anymore ), that you should just use absolute mode, because 
relocatable mode is too much of a pain.  I can't for the life of me 
understand why - relocatable mode is FAR easier to manage, especially 
when building more complex projects. 

   It's also in severe need of some editing - the effort to make it a 
"covers everything, at least a little bit", ends up making the book 
fairly disjointed, and the material doesn't flow together terribly 
well.  It would have been much better as a set of books - one for the 
low end, one for the mid range, and the remainder for the 18F's.  Sure, 
it would have lost the tight "connection" between the families, but it 
also would have saved the endless page flipping if you're just 
interested in one particular family at a given time.

   But, I guess I got something useful out of it, so it wasn't a total 
waste of money.

- Rich

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