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Rating: 
Summary: My first Flash book...
Review: ...Actually, I've been using Flash for over three years, but I needed to get a refresher, as Flash 5 has many new features. This book was an excellent way to get back into the swing of things. This is not a book for intermediate or advanced users. It is purely for those just starting out in Flash, or those getting back into it after some time away. I think the best part about this book is knowing that each chapter is designed to take an hour, and at the end of that hour you will know something new. Some books weigh 30 pounds and require a lot of courage to open. Then, they scare you with long chapters that cover several topics at once. Flash 5 in 24 Hours allows the reader to learn at their own pace. The operative word is "learn." This book actually works. 1) For beginners! 2) For intermediates who need a refresher. 3) For teachers who need a textbook.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, practical, well written book
Review: Although an intermediate-level flash user myself, I found many useful new techniques in this step by step book. Many of the new books are poorly written, read like help files, or contain too much fluff. This book is different - the author does an excellent job in writing, presentation and organization of topics, an A+ job. Skilled, not too basic, not too jargony, he seems to get it 'just right'. Kept me hooked for hours straight reading, that's unusual for this type of book, for me :) He's written it to be read, then used with flash on your pc, a bit at a time, so he walks you through exactly what to do to learn each topic. Great approach. I went to a local bookstore to browse through all the flash books, I bought this one, colin moocks, and others.. this was the first one I'm working on, very well presented and organized. I'm learning new things about a program I've been using for a year + already. Good work, of all the intro texts this one seems to be the best, even good for an intermediate user like myself. nice book - better than the others
Rating:
Summary: The perfect introduction for me
Review: Going into this stuff, I knew nothing about Flash other than what I'd seen surfing around the web. What I was looking for was a simple but comprehensive introduction to the core functionality of Flash -- something covering the basics of animation, tweening, how timelines work and pretty much how to "think" in Flash terms. I wanted something that'd give me a well-rounded introduction from which I could begin experimenting immediately. This book is exactly that. It's very readable (the author should be commended for his clarity of composition); I was able to get through it in about four days. The examples are appropriately repetitive -- by Hour 15, you'll notice the exercises getting shorter but more complex, repeating and building upon the stuff you learned the day before -- and they all work exacly as they're supposed to, which, as an engineer, I can testify is rarely the case with technical books. By the end of the book, I had a firm understanding of the basics of animation, symbols, buttons, timelines, ActionScript and basic communication with server-side applications. Too many books of this kind are long on fluff and short on substance. Not this one. It might not be much to look at, but it's all there. For beginners seeking the definitive introduction to Flash 5, look no further.
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Summary: Excellent Book for Beginners
Review: I had never touched Flash before I opened this book. I was excited and a little intimidated by the software. This book got me even more excited about learning Flash than I already was in the just the first few pages. You can tell the author is passionate about Flash. The excercises and text were so well written and simple to follow that I easily flew through the pages in no time. My confidence grew very quickly as I saw how easy Flash can really be if you what you are doing. If you are thinking about learning Flash- GET THIS BOOK. If you already have experience with Flash, you will probably find this book slow. The book's chapters on actionscripting (programming and interactivity) were not as in depth as I would have prefered. This book left me hungry for more info! A great book to buy with this would be "Actionscript: The Definitive Guide" for users who are interested in learning more about programming Flash.
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Summary: Never judge a book by the cover!
Review: I must admit that I passed this book up many times before I finally bought it and even then only did so because it was on sale. The "sounds too good to be true" title and lack of CD turned me off. I have to say now that I wish I bought it long ago! Whether you are a beginner to Flash or an Intemediate user you will find this book worth the time. Each chapter builds upon the last and teaches you the techniques you need to not only build a Flash site but to do it RIGHT! I especially liked the lessons at the end of each chapter which challenge you to use what you have just learned on your own. That was refreshing because from experience I find sometimes "retaining" the information you just learned is easier said than done. This book is a great value for the money and I think anyone who is interested in learning Flash 5 should seriously buy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Too brief
Review: I was a bit apprehensive when sitting here with hundreds of books to chose from and not knowing the difference between each. I picked Sams' because it said "in 24 hours" which to me, was impression that it would be a "watered down" version of learning flash so that i, as a complete novice would have a brief understanding. Boy was i wrong. Yes, it's true that this book is easy to navigate and rather simple in it's approach, but as I found myself in hour 11 and hour 14 and so on, i began developing a sense of "gettin it" so to speak, and it wasn't so much what i was learning, but how useful that knowledge was, and i felt that from this book i could delve into another more intricate book and have a fairly good understanding of what i need to do. This is an excellent book in terms of value and while it may not be for more "advanced" users, for dopes like me, it's a perfect start.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for one new to Flash
Review: The book teaches you the elements of using Flash but the exercises it instructs you to do are many times pointless...most especially the actionscript programming lessons. The "step by step" directions are confusing...at the end of the book, I was left wondering how I am going to build a usable flash site? Well, I know how to animate a bouncing ball...but what the hell is that going to do for my flash site? This is a confusing and worthless book.
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Summary: 24hrs! its worth every minute
Review: This book is amazingly helpful and useful in every aspect. It's as good as it looks and as helpful as it's front page discribes. It's simple to use layout is a dead giveaway. All you have to do is look inside and you will know that it's easy style is suitable for everyone. I must admit that I haven't read this book to the extend that I know everything about flash but it's good to always know that it's there when you need it. The tasks in this book are easy to get along with. If you are a keen flash user then this book is ideal for you. and those of you who are not keen on this will still find this book a rewarding purchase.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Wonderful for anyone interested in Flash. The pace is never slowed to explain the ins and outs of basic computer use, yet everyone should be able to grasp the concepts explored. It was worth the [money] I payed; get it now for [less]!
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