# Any opinions on the Rails \[Rough Cuts\] books from Safari

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [August 4, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430 "2006-08-04T20:21:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 8:21pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/1 "2006-08-04T20:21:54Z")

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Either -

Ruby on Rails: Up and Running or  
Rails Cookbook

I’ve heard so many negative things about Safari pdf’s and the whole  
program I’d like to get some feedback.  
I have AWDWR(2nd edition), RubyforRails(Manning), Programming Ruby(2nd  
edition), so I’m not even sure I actually need another book but maybe  
the approach or content is somewhat uniuqe.

TIA  
Stuart

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 8:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/2 "2006-08-04T20:41:26Z")

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Stuart Fellowes wrote:

> Either -
> 
> Ruby on Rails: Up and Running or  
> Rails Cookbook
> 
> I’ve heard so many negative things about Safari pdf’s and the whole  
> program I’d like to get some feedback.  
> I have AWDWR(2nd edition), RubyforRails(Manning), Programming Ruby(2nd  
> edition), so I’m not even sure I actually need another book but maybe  
> the approach or content is somewhat uniuqe.
> 
> TIA  
> Stuart

I just downloaded the “Rails Cookbook”… it’s currently in beta and  
perhaps I shouldn’t make any judgements yet, but I’m not satisfied with  
it.

Beta here apparently means “10% complete and poorly written”. If I had  
known what was actually in it, I wouldn’t have bought it. Best to wait  
until they get around to putting some real content in it and hope that  
they rewrite some copy as well.

However, I would definitely recommend “Rails Recipes” from the Pragmatic  
Programmers.

Rein H.

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/3 "2006-08-04T20:51:57Z")

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Yes I have that one… Excellent book.  
Stuart

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/4 "2006-08-04T21:00:47Z")

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Could you post a Table of Contents of the books,  
O’reilly doesn’t include it on their catalog  
pages.

Thanks.

Greg

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/5 "2006-08-04T23:37:35Z")

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I got Ruby on Rails: Up and Running and it is pretty bad. I got it  
before I got AWDwR because I didn’t know any better at the time and  
found that it was so bad I had to get AWDwR to actually learn anything  
about building a rails app. There just isn’t anything worth reading in  
it. It is poorly put together, poorly written, and way behind the  
other books. My advice is to stick with the pragmatic programmers  
books and don’t waste your time or money.

-Jake

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**Author:** ![zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/z/e99b99/32.png) [@zanoni](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/zanoni)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2006, 12:19am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/any-opinions-on-the-rails-rough-cuts-books-from-safari/101430/6 "2006-08-05T00:19:38Z")

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On Aug 4, 2006, at 2:19 PM, Dark A. wrote:

> Ruby on Rails: Up and Running

this is probably the best introduction i’ve seen\*, including AWDWR  
and any of the 10 zillion articles on the subject. that said, it is  
an introduction – if you’re already comfortable with rails, this  
probably isn’t for you.

if i were looking for something for someone who’s interested in  
learning rails, this is the book i’d go with. until recently, amazon  
was claiming the paper form would be available some time this month,  
but at the moment they don’t have a date.

-faisal  
-disclosure: i was a reviewer on this book, but i have not seen the  
final published book.