Rating: 
Summary: The Incomplete Complete Reference
Review: I have never reviewed any manual I have read, and I've read nearly a hundred in the past couple years. This was by far the most disappointing. I am an avid Flash user, and was excited for this reference for the new version, as this book is the first one available and the manual included with the software is tiny and insufficient. However, this book leaves out SO MANY of the new features of MX that it could easily be marketed as a Flash 5.5 manual. Drawing API: not mentioned. Creating custom components: not covered. System, TextFormat, LoadVars objects: absent. The wonderful TextFormat: nonexistent. Scripting textFields and buttons, samples of using Sound, Color, Array objects, dynamically creating textFields, masks, movieclips-- ALL NOT THERE!OK, OK, so one book can not possibly cover all of Flash (especially a lot of the code), but please don't entitle a book "The Complete Reference..." when it so discouragingly not. It might be a nice beginner's guide, and I'll give it compliments for an entire chapter on creating movies for pocket PCs, but if you've worked AT ALL in Flash, head for a more advanced, comprehensive book.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the New Stuff?
Review: I have not received Flash MX yet. But I read about it. So I went to the bookstore yesterday looking for a reference manual and picked up this one. I was eager to see the descriptions for embedding video, the new testing capabilities (drag and drop, matching, etc.) But I couldn't find anything. Perhaps I missed something. But the book seemed more like a Flash 5.5 manual than an MX manual.
Rating: 
Summary: An absolutely GREAT reference book - a TX user
Review: I have quite a collection of Brian Underdahl's books and I have always found his writing style to be easy to understand, accurate, and entertaining. I'm not new to Flash, but this book did a good job of introducing me to the changes in this new version of Flash. One of the other reviews said this has little coverage of Flash ActionScript, but then I noticed the review is from 2002 and seems to be referencing another book. This one has PLENTY of ActionScript coverage- Chapters 20 to 31 to be exact! And these aren't short chapters! I always try and write up reviews of books I find useful and this one demands a 5-star review. If you're looking for a book that covers Flash in-depth and will get you quickly up to speed (and not just making simple little animations) I can't recommend this book enough. I am a technology consultant in Houston, TX and I have about 30 books in my collection on Flash alone. Only about 10 are used frequently and this is one of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks Video Treatment - A Key New Element to Flash MX
Review: I just got this book - Complete Reference for Macromedia Flash MX by Brian Underdahl. Over all, it's easy to read and understand for a newbie to Flash like me. However, I was drawn to Flash MX because of its new video capabilities. I create video for web sites. This "complete reference" is completely void of any mention of using video with Flash MX. It mentions that you can import video files, but there is no treatment of the subject. Calling this book a "complete reference" while leaving out a section on how to handle video is deceptive. Any review you read on Flash MX will tout video as the new "big thing" in Flash MX. Very disappointing. The book has a lot of good stuff in it, so I'm glad I have it. I'm just disappointed in the lack of video treatment. Kenny Bellew, Minneapolis, MN
Rating: 
Summary: The Best Book for intermediate and advanced designers/progra
Review: I love this book! I have an A.A.S in computer Science with an Emphasis on Web design and programming and found this book extremely easy to understand and use. It has everything you need to know about how to use and create Flash projects for every level user and everything you need to now about ActionScript (the language of Flash) for intermediate and advanced programmers. If you understand JavaScript, VB Script or VB, then action script is a breeze using this book.
P.S.(If your wondering why I didn't give this book 5 stars instead of 4, it's because every book has at least a little room for improvement, therefore I never give 5 stars.)
Rating:
Summary: MX Rocks
Review: I love this program. I got it the day it was released, and since then, I have been locked in a room with my computer. As usual, I purchased a smattering of books to guide me through the wasteland of technical documentation, and Flash MX: The Complete Reference was the first book to arrive. In short, it is a no nonsense look at everything in Flash MX. The author's explanations are super smooth; he really knows how to write. I wish there was more coverage of sound, but in general, I have no complaints. This is a good first book.
Rating:
Summary: So So, Not Bad, Not Great
Review: I picked this book up because I'm very excited about mastering Flash. I have about a dozen flash books as of now, including several references. This book seems to be lacking what other books like Flash MX Unleashed and the Flash MX Bible have. I enjoyed a couple of chapters in this book, but for the most part nothing makes it stand out. If you already own Unleashed or the Bible and you just want more and more information (like me), than buy it. If you don't own either Unleashed or the Bible, consider those first.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I purchased The Complete Reference: Dreamweaver 4 and was extremely happy with the book, but perhaps that's because I was new to Dreamweaver and it fulfilled most of my learning needs. So, when I purchased The Complete Reference: Flash MX, I had high expectations. Unfortunately, those expectations were never realized. Using this book I didn't see much difference between Flash 5 and Flash MX, just a rehash of the old. I was anxious to learn about skins and it was barely mentioned with no instructions on how to alter. Still in the trial period before purchasing Flash MX, I regret my purchase as it now just sits on my shelf, unopened, and I feel that I should have waited until I ordered Flash MX and purchased the book that comes with the program.
Rating:
Summary: Sweet Book on Flash MX
Review: I was so excited about Flash MX that I bought several books before I even received the software. Macromedia Flash MX: The Complete Reference was the first book to arrive, and I am very pleased. The book contains a thorough overview of Flash MX's features, including coverage of new stuff, but it also has great information on some more important development topics, including an entire chapter on developing Flash movies for the Pocket PC. The author's explanations are basically flawless, and I would give the readability six stars, if I could. Sign me up as satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: Less than what I needed.
Review: I went to the store and merely looked at this book. From what I could see your better off sticking with the help in the actual program. I needed a book that would go more in depth on Action Script. When looking at the book I found that many of the pictures and code were almost exactly the same as the help section already in the program. What was even sadder is that the tables were exactly the same as the help section of MX. I was very disappointed with what I saw. It may be a complete reference but its not going to be in my library of Flash books that's for sure. I would give this book a 2 but the other sections may be a lot better.
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