Rating: 
Summary: Only if you want to create ultimate flash animations
Review: A very, very well-written book, but unless you have a desire to create some ultimate flash mathematical spinning animations, get a different book. Very theoretical, but I can't imagine actually using any of the techniques for building basic flash animations. Not a book for any basic using of Flash trying to create basic functioning animations - way beyond that.
Rating:
Summary: Only if you want to create ultimate flash animations
Review: A very, very well-written book, but unless you have a desire to create some ultimate flash mathematical spinning animations, get a different book. Very theoretical, but I can't imagine actually using any of the techniques for building basic flash animations. Not a book for any basic using of Flash trying to create basic functioning animations - way beyond that.
Rating: 
Summary: No real-world application
Review: Don't get me wrong... this is a good book for some... but for most this is just another book in a big stack of Flash books that has no real-world application what-so-ever.This book essentially has 3 parts: 1. How the author got into flash.
2. Equations
3. What the author can do in flash. Now it should be mentioned that this book has NO examples and that in chapter one it is clearly stated that this book is not and was not intended to be a tutorial book. Now, having said that, future buyers should be wary in that you really will not be told how or shown how to do anything with this book. The author is essentially saying, "Here are some equations you can use in flash, but I'm not going to show you how to use them, or what to use them for." Those of you familiar with the blue book for automobiles will find that this book reads strikingly similar. By this I mean the blue-book will tell you about cars, but not how to operate or service one. Likewise, this book will tell you about flash and some things flash can do, but not how to do them. To a developer/designer like myself who is actually out creating sites for clients this book offers next to nothing. However, this book is great I imagine for those people who just create visual effects you would never see on a normal website. By this I mean I've never had a client request a snowstorm or a tornado on a project. And I do NOT mean mousetrailers, interface design or any of the good real world creations. This book will also appeal to those who just like to read manuals, in that you don't need to have a computer to do anything related to this book. As mentioned earlier, because you don't actually do anything in this book, all you need is the book (you don't even need flash). This book can easily be summed up in, "Here is an equation, here is another equation, and here is another equation. Here are some things that I did with those equations in which you will never find any real world use for unless you get your own book deal some day and then you can pass them along". This book is only a reading book, and can be read cover to cover without even needing to turn your computer on. Now don't get me wrong, the book is entertaining to read and as stated earlier it clearly tells you in chapter 1 that it isn't going to show you how to do anything. It will, however, give you INSIGHT to programming in flash and enhance your skill in that area. Undoubtedly your math skills will improve as well. For this I give the book 5 stars. However, as I design and develop for a living, I need to know where the real-world application is... and this book has none... for that I give this book 1-star. Thus my review I have given 3 stars. The author is supremely talented in mathmatics and programming and undoubtedly if he sat down and wrote a book that was practical for what flash is capable of turning the web into, it would be a knockout bestseller. Unfortunately this is not that book. Another thing I find terribly ironic is that every flash book to date raves on the uses and superiority of flash over your standard HTML driven websites and yet when you visit any of these books authors websites you find a dinky 2 page site that is HTML driven... kinda makes you wonder eh?
Rating: 
Summary: not for beginners, indispensible for everyone else
Review: granted, anyone who doesn't have a basic hold of flash development (that means actionscript folks) will be lost. However, those who do have a little experience should read it >TWICE. I have found it to be enlightening and enjoyable. Penners methods will help you get a better handle on Actionscript, OOP and even regular daily life. he has developed some really interesting ideas not just about how to use actionscript, but how to approach any substantial task. The book will bring you up to speed on the math concepts you need to create dynamic graphics (2D&3D coordinate systems and trigonometry) and teach you good practices in code desing and project management.
I hope he publishes a second edition (for ActionScript 2) soon, i'd love to see what he does with the language now that it has matured.
Rating:
Summary: not for beginners, indispensible for everyone else
Review: granted, anyone who doesn't have a basic hold of flash development (that means actionscript folks) will be lost. However, those who do have a little experience should read it >TWICE. I have found it to be enlightening and enjoyable. Penners methods will help you get a better handle on Actionscript, OOP and even regular daily life. he has developed some really interesting ideas not just about how to use actionscript, but how to approach any substantial task. The book will bring you up to speed on the math concepts you need to create dynamic graphics (2D&3D coordinate systems and trigonometry) and teach you good practices in code desing and project management.
I hope he publishes a second edition (for ActionScript 2) soon, i'd love to see what he does with the language now that it has matured.
Rating:
Summary: Best FlashMX programming source of real information
Review: I am a pretty discriminating purchaser of books, because I don't have much money to spend. I come from an OO applications programming and systems programming background and I've been using FlashMX since a few months after it came out. I read lots of books that are probably good for Designers working in Flash, but very very few good books for what programmers want to know. This book is the best I've seen yet. Most Flash programming books treat you like you've never written a line of code. This books doesn't start there, but rather teaches real concepts that will translate into code you will need to accomplish what you need to do in Flash. If you're looking for scripts to copy and don't have the desire to understand those scripts, then maybe look elsewhere, but if you are interested in understanding the code you write yourself, then buy this book. You will love it.
Rating:
Summary: Best FlashMX programming source of real information
Review: I am a pretty discriminating purchaser of books, because I don't have much money to spend. I come from an OO applications programming and systems programming background and I've been using FlashMX since a few months after it came out. I read lots of books that are probably good for Designers working in Flash, but very very few good books for what programmers want to know. This book is the best I've seen yet. Most Flash programming books treat you like you've never written a line of code. This books doesn't start there, but rather teaches real concepts that will translate into code you will need to accomplish what you need to do in Flash. If you're looking for scripts to copy and don't have the desire to understand those scripts, then maybe look elsewhere, but if you are interested in understanding the code you write yourself, then buy this book. You will love it.
Rating:
Summary: A definite must-read for ActionScript programmers
Review: I stumbled across this book and was instantly hooked by the clear and conversational tone of the book and the unique way Robert approaches the whole subject of programming motion in Flash MX. He starts right at the beginning instead of assuming that the reader already has a wealth of knowledge in this area. The trig refresher course and the sound OOP ActionScript coding practices alone are worth the price of admission. The rest of the text dives deeply into the workings of some of the most compelling effects I've seen to date in Flash. This is an excellent book and it will inspire and equip everyone who is looking for knowledge and creative tools as opposed to a free lunch and an instant ticket to Flash MX grooviness.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners beware!
Review: If you are trying to learn how to use Flash, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU!!! The inclusion of the word Flash in the title is very misleading - should have said "ActionScript Programming" instead. Penner spends too much time expounding on his philosophical mumbo-jumbo and explaining how HE has reached such a level of excellence! Can you say EGO??? I'm not going to say that he isn't talented, I would argue strongly to the contrary. But, I didn't buy the book to learn about Robert Penner, I bought the book to learn about Flash programming. He does have some very well written ActionScript classes that address the physics of animation. If you've never been exposed to a physics class before, he does a pretty nice job summarizing the topic and how it applies to motion. This book should help a programmer who knows Flash, but not the physics of motion. He does not, however, give you examples to actually tie the classes into Flash or how to format an ActionScript file. If only he had included a chapter on how to incorporate his code into Flash, it would have been a much better book. If you are looking for a book to learn Flash, don't stop here - come back after you've found one.
Rating:
Summary: Beginners beware!
Review: If you are trying to learn how to use Flash, THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU!!! The inclusion of the word Flash in the title is very misleading - should have said "ActionScript Programming" instead. Penner spends too much time expounding on his philosophical mumbo-jumbo and explaining how HE has reached such a level of excellence! Can you say EGO??? I'm not going to say that he isn't talented, I would argue strongly to the contrary. But, I didn't buy the book to learn about Robert Penner, I bought the book to learn about Flash programming. He does have some very well written ActionScript classes that address the physics of animation. If you've never been exposed to a physics class before, he does a pretty nice job summarizing the topic and how it applies to motion. This book should help a programmer who knows Flash, but not the physics of motion. He does not, however, give you examples to actually tie the classes into Flash or how to format an ActionScript file. If only he had included a chapter on how to incorporate his code into Flash, it would have been a much better book. If you are looking for a book to learn Flash, don't stop here - come back after you've found one.
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