Charles Severance

This book is written in such a way that if you knew nothing about computers or the internet you could still build a dynamic webpage to run on Google AppEngine. It isn't your typical textbook that's dry and goes on forever about technical details. The author uses real life examples and explains things in a way that makes you feel as if you're reading a story rather than a textbook.

In my opinion it's really important to use the video series associated with this, but this is one of the best "getting started" resources I've run across.

Interesting and useful.

The books title should be: "Learning How to Build a Website Using Google App Engine". Chapters 1 to 4 have nothing to do with GAE but treat basics of HTML, CSS, HTTP and Python. Anyone who has some experience in these will be bored. This would be ok, if it wouldn't be 98 of the whole 234 pages. Pages 205 to 234 deal with installing the GAE SDK on Windows XP, Mac OS and Linux, so at least two thirds of this part of the book are irrelevant for any given reader. The last third is a no-brainer show more and covered by the GAE-website.
If you want to learn how to build a simple website on Google's infrastructure and have no experience at all, you might learn something from this book. If you are a programmer/webdesigner go get some real stuff. show less