Cookbook is a good term for this book. It is an excellent overview of SharePoint programming, with a task focus on the core programming tasks and deliverables a typical programmer is faced with. This means it’s a handy shelf reference when faced with an assignment.
I particularly enjoyed the common approach of “How it works” and “There’s more” to continue exploration. This is a well structured and approachable programming reference book I would recommend.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1849684588/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img