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Title: Graphics, Animation & Interactivity with Flash 4.0 by James L. Mohler ISBN: 0-7668-1695-8 Publisher: Delmar Learning Pub. Date: 21 October, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $39.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.22 (41 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A secret jewel
Comment: The growing popularity of Flash 4 faces a scarcity of good books. Not only is there no advanced book available, but the beginner level ones seem to look like the manual at best. There are two intermediate level books: "Flash Web Design" and "Flash 4 Magic". These two books are very good, but they mostly present design concepts and step-by-step examples and not a so much needed conceptual explanation of a tool which is not intuitive at all. Here is where this book by James Mohler comes in. It is repetitive in the beginning, some sections suffer from verbose, and its historical perspective on multimedia is poor. Its first chapters will make any intermediate level user feel bored. But then this is where its weaknesses stop. Conceptual explanations, beautifully insights in the way Flash works (so much needed in such a non intuitive tool), and intermediate and advanced features make this book shine and stand alone. Its explanation of the interaction of Flash with JavaScript is unique. Its treatment of ActionScripts and FS command can not be found in any other book (in spite of being the major strenght of Flash 4 -- which leaves the new Adobe competiting product well behind!). By all means you will not be disappointed with this book, especially if you are serious about Flash. It will give you a level of understanding which will distinguish you from your peers. As a reader here commented, "a real advanced book is going to.. [deal with] database integration with other programs like Cold Fusion". I am planning to write such an advanced Flash 4 book using my senior expertise in ColdFusion, Java, and databases. Yet I will need to tell everyone that there is a book which deals with the all basic concepts and the way one should work with this tool, that there is a book which lays out the groundwork for more advanced treatments. And, no doubt, I will be very happy that this unique and clear book exists.
Rating: 3
Summary: Re: Author's attempt to correct errors in this book
Comment: I just purchased the book, having read several positive reviews at amazon.com. My rating is based upon the fact that I've only gotten through the first 3 chapters and have to select a rating in order to post a review.
Although I am a Macintosh based web designer, I purchased the book in spite of a negative review from a Mac user regarding the accompanying CD. As it turns out, their noted problems with the CD were valid. In Chapter 2, I discovered a serious and extremely diappointing problem with the CD. All the text in ch02-02.fla totally disappeared when I tried to test the movie, since BankGothic was not installed on my computer. I had to break apart the text and substitute another font in order to view the movie. I novice to Flash might not have understood the problem and could have gotten quite frustrated.
I e-mailed the author, Mr. Mohler, who quickly responded and offered to break apart all text elements and provide online files for download at a revision site. (see http://www.tech.purdue.edu/textbooks/gaif/ ). Files are available in Bin and HQX format. I haven't had a chance to check all the revised files, but those text-based issues pertaining to the first 3 chapters have been corrected. He also offered to revise the sound files so that they were AIFF, and also is including a list of Errata to alert reader to typo's and other issues which may confuse readers of the book. Both Mac and PC users should take advantage of this list.
I appreciate Mr. Mohler's prompt response to my e-mail and his sincere interest in correcting problems to make the book and CD a good learning tool. I look forward to working my way through the rest of the book knowing that he will make every effort to address any other errors or problems which may be encountered by readers purchasing this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: A cut above the rest!
Comment: This review is a couple of years late, but I just recently re-compared the book to others I have more recently purchased. I don't know if the stars were just aligned correctly or what when this book came together, but I liked it for its content - high quality and relatively succinct. Mohler seems to know quite a bit about the subjects in the book, and convinced me that he is passionate about discussing them. The book is much better than the regurgitation ad blah blah in the second edition.
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Title: Flash 4! Creative Web Animation (3rd Edition) by Derek Franklin, Brooks Patton ISBN: 0201354705 Publisher: Macromedia Press Pub. Date: 09 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
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Title: Flash 4 for Windows and Macintosh Visual Quickstart Guide by Katherine Ulrich ISBN: 020135473X Publisher: Peachpit Press Pub. Date: 15 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.99 |
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Title: Flash 4 Magic (WITH CD-ROM) by David J. Emberton, J. Scott Hamlin, David Emberton ISBN: 0735709491 Publisher: New Riders Pub. Date: January, 2000 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: Flash 4 Bible by Robert Reinhardt, Jon Warren Lentz ISBN: 0764533568 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: February, 2000 List Price(USD): $39.99 |
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Title: Flash 4 Web Animation f/x and Design by Ken Milburn, John Croteau ISBN: 1576105555 Publisher: The Coriolis Group Pub. Date: 10 December, 1999 List Price(USD): $49.99 |
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