essential asp.net

for those who don't know, asp.net is microsoft's solution for dynamic, scalable, database driven web pages. although many might disagree, i believe that asp.net is better than java-based web pages for the following reasons: a more simple programming model, a first-rate integrated development environment (ide) in visual studio .net, and better scalability. i'll concede that java-based web pages are a tad bit faster than asp.net, but i believe that's its only advantage. anyway, i'm currently reading an excellent book on asp.net programming entitled essential asp.net by fritz onion. essential asp.net goes in-depth to explore the nuances of asp.net and is loaded with code examples and best practices. this book is truly essential for asp.net developers and i highly recommend it. btw, essential asp.net also available in a vb.net version.