I like the author's introduction: "Processor speed doubles every 18 months, but performance concerns never disappear." How true; it sets the scene that performance is a subjective measure and performance goals need to be agreed upon in absolute terms at the start of any project. The book is filled with clear-cut observations like this, observations that sometime sting with a reality rarely seen in programming reference books.

If performance in a managed environment like .NET is a concern to you, like it was to me, this book is a pretty good read.