Macromedia Flash MX for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: Don't be a Dummy
Review: Flash MX for Dummies is inexpensive, especially for a book complete with a CD. However, the book is over 90% fluff and very little substance, basically covering even less than the built in tutorials that come with Macromedia Flash MX to begin with. There is almost no hands-on training, using instead refrences to materials on the CD. The reader is assured that even a 'Dummy' can create fantastic eye candy for their website, yet there is no problem solving for when you try something and it just doesn't work. Also, certain blatant errors within the text, such as telling you to copy CD library files to the macromedia/flash 5/Libraries folder become a grim reminder that this is 'Macromedia Flash 5 for Dummies' with a few edited paragraphs here and there. I found myself reading through 50 pages to find a paragraph's worth of useful information. There IS useful information here, just not a lot. A much better choice for a 'beginner' book is Sam's Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash MX in 24 Hours.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly edited, but a few useful tidbits
Review: I'm a designer with very little understanding about websites. I needed to wrap my brain around this huge, complicated program fast and this book does it. Even though I'm taking a class in web design, no one is having an easy time trying to follow along with in class demos and actionscripting. There are no books that can make FLASH MX easy without some prior understanding. But for anyone who is a bit resistant, as I was, this book makes it so much easier. No, not everything is in this book... but I didn't want everything. That's why learning Flash is hard, there's so much! This book get's your head wrapped around the fundamentals and the big picture - now I'm more comfortable knowing I actually understand the basics and the big picture, so that I can move up to the next level. That's my pace, as well as many, many others who would rather not pull out their hair. Again, this isn't really for people who don't know anything at all about Flash. It's really for those of us struggling to "get it" and use it. I wanted a quick reference where I could look up for the 10th time how to do some of the basics. It gives me that quickly and in delightfully non-tech talk. It's easier. It's less stress. It gets you going. For those of you that don't know anything at all about Flash, I highly recommend tutorials so that you can see the program in action.

Rating:
Summary: Understand the Big Picture Fast and Easy
Review: I'm a designer with very little understanding about websites. I needed to wrap my brain around this huge, complicated program fast and this book does it. Even though I'm taking a class in web design, no one is having an easy time trying to follow along with in class demos and actionscripting. There are no books that can make FLASH MX easy without some prior understanding. But for anyone who is a bit resistant, as I was, this book makes it so much easier. No, not everything is in this book... but I didn't want everything. That's why learning Flash is hard, there's so much! This book get's your head wrapped around the fundamentals and the big picture - now I'm more comfortable knowing I actually understand the basics and the big picture, so that I can move up to the next level. That's my pace, as well as many, many others who would rather not pull out their hair. Again, this isn't really for people who don't know anything at all about Flash. It's really for those of us struggling to "get it" and use it. I wanted a quick reference where I could look up for the 10th time how to do some of the basics. It gives me that quickly and in delightfully non-tech talk. It's easier. It's less stress. It gets you going. For those of you that don't know anything at all about Flash, I highly recommend tutorials so that you can see the program in action.

Rating:
Summary: Poorly edited, but a few useful tidbits
Review: The first few chapters got me up to speed on how to get around Flash and make simple animations, etc. However the last half of the book was too cursory and provided very little information on how to publish your Flash documents on the web. Additionally, many areas in this book are not up-to-date for Flash MX and instead actually refer to the Flash 5 version. My final recommendation is look for another intro Flash MX book because this one does a half-ass job, even for a Dummy for like me.

Rating:
Summary: One Happy Dummy
Review: When Flash MX was released, I wanted to get myself up to speed as quickly as possible on how to use all the new features of this new version of Flash. The first book I bought-and the one I still refer to the most often-is Gurdy Leete and Ellen Finkelstein's "Flash MX for Dummies."

Flash is said to have a steep learning curve, and the pursuit of learning a little Flash to liven up one's website has been known to cause more than one otherwise sane and intelligent individual to pull out her hair in fits of frustration and despair. When I was first learning Flash, I purchased and studied a wide variety of thick (and expensive) tombs on the subject, and yet, in spite of hours of agonizing over code and techniques that I never could get to actually work, I finally discovered the clear writing of Gurdy Leete and Ellen Finkelstein. Within a week after purchasing and reading my first "Flash for Dummies" book, I created my very first movie in Flash, and I was thrilled with the end result.

"Flash MX for Dummies" contains just the right amount of clear, concise information, along with step-by-step instructions that will walk you through the creation of your first Flash movie. As you read through the book, you will feel that you have a pair of friendly and competent mentors at your side. The authors have a way of making even the most difficult concepts accessible. Their tone is warm and friendly, yet never condescending.

In addition to providing thorough coverage of the basics of learning Flash, the book also introduces a number of intermediate concepts such as using masks, importing sound and video into your Flash movie, and making use of templates. The chapter named "Getting Interactive" provides the reader with clear and easy instructions for accomplishing such advanced tasks as using the SetMask method to make a movie clip into a mask and dynamically loading music from the web. I also appreciated the section entitled, "Frequently Asked Questions" which provided crystal clear, step-by-step instructions for doing some fun things like creating a custom cursor and making "drag-and-drop" objects.

If all of this isn't enough, the book also comes with an accompanying CD that is packed with resources, including a library of vector graphics you can use in your movies, Flash movies that you can open in Flash and dissect in order to further your understanding of Flash, and even a whole library of sounds you can practice with, courtesy of SoundRangers.

Not only does this book provide you with top-notch instruction for learning Flash, but you won't have to pay an arm and a leg for it. The price of the book is less than half the price of many other books on the same subject.

The book is perfect for those just starting out in learning Flash. At the same time, it provides more experienced Flashers with a wealth of information, resources, and new ideas. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in furthering her understanding of Flash. Buy the book. Then you, too, can be one happy dummy. : )