Getting started with MVC 3, including a rundown of the new project dialog, directory structure and an introduction to NuGet (PowerShell inside Visual Studio 2010)
Controllers and Actions
View and ViewModels Models and Databases, including using NuGet to install Entity Framework Code First
Forms and HTML Helpers
Validation and Data Annotations
Membership, Authorization and Security
Ajax
Routing, including routing to Http Handlers
NuGet, including using it from the Dialog 'and Package Console, creating a package, custom PowerShell actions and running from both a local repository and the Web
Dependency Injection
Unit testing
Extending ASP.NET MVC with filters and Extensibility points
I've recently started working with MVC 3 about a month ago and not longer after started reading this book.
I really liked the style of the book in that it is meant to get you up and running in short time without dwelling on things you probably generally know. The chapters are written by different people so you can really take advantage of different expertise.
Though the most important thing is that the book was instantly useful and I was able to apply what I was learning immediately and since it had enough advanced tips I was aware of some MVC 3 capabilities others on my team were not aware of. The chapter on security was exceptional with lots of good information. The last chapter of the book covers advanced topics in extending MVC 3 Controllers, Views, etc
One thing I really appreciated is that all the code examples are available via Nuget and this is something I would like to see with any coding book involving net programming. Plus there is even a chapter on Nuget and how to create your own packages for distribution.
Writing a good tech book is hard. Too many examples and the reader just types along and doesn't understand what's going on. Too few examples and the reader can read the whole book without even sitting down at their computer. This book suffers from the latter problem. It's a lot of theory and overview and doesn't let you get your hands dirty.
Take for example the chapter on dependency injection. They give a good (even great) overview of the idea and compare the Service Locator Pattern with the Dependency Injection Pattern. They even go so far as describe both property injection and constructor injection. But when it comes time to actually doing it, the authors say "there are a bunch of containers online. Find one you like and read the documentation on how to use it." What a cop out! The author of Pro ASP.NET MVC 3 Framework at least showed you how to use Ninject. Even though we used Unity at work, it was easy to pick up because I learned how to use Ninject. And this isn't the only instance in the book where the authors directed you to go online to figure something out.
That said, the chapters on Routing and Unit Testing were very good.
Of the two MVC books I've read, I thought Pro ASP.NET MVC 3 Framework was better. This book is not recommended.
Good insight into MVC, and coverage of some different topics (like NuGet). It's sort of hard to follow if you're looking for a more tutorial-oriented book. For that I preferred Pro ASP.NET MVC 2 Framework (I'm reading the 3 version next). I've had a hard time wrapping my head around MVC, but it's finally starting to take hold.