Visual Studio Designer for XAML

Question

Does anyone know a good book which deals with how to use the designer in WPF, i.e. targeting XAML and c#?  It seems almost totally non-functional and totally unlike earlier versions targeting for example c++ resource file.  (For example i cannot  work out how to position a control on the window.)  I can mess wit hte XAML directly but surely I should not have to?