Customer Reviews

Sams Teach Yourself Macromedia Flash 5 in 24 Hours

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am pretty much a self-taught software user (Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver) and firmly believe in the use of manuals. However, I found the tutorial included with Flash 5.0 software jumped around from topic to topic that I was lost after a few hours. Flash is a complex program and if you have little or no experience with Macromind Director, you'll need all the help you can get. That's when I decided to search Amazon for a better resource and found the "Sam teach yourself series". This is the first time I have ever purchased a book in this series and it is the best $25 dollars I have ever spent. It is well worth the investment -- make time to go through the book at your own pace. The instruction is taught in a logical order, and the writing style is easy to follow. I am currently at hour 12 and cannot wait to go through the rest of the exercises. Buy it and have fun learning! jb

Having used and taught Flash since its earliest versions, I can sincerely vouch that learning Flash is a considerable undertaking. The latest upgrade to version 5 only compounds this fact, yet Phillip Kerman has nonetheless written an excellent resource for getting a good, solid jumpstart. It is very fortunate that this book does NOT gloss over the fundamentals nor spare the reader important exposure to Flash's more complex features. This book is written by someone who intimately understands this product and multimedia development in general. As this book is also thorough and sensitive to the neophyte, I am recommending it as the textbook in my future coursework.

I just spent the last 6 days going through this book from front cover to back. Phillip Kerman has done an incredible job of explaining such a sophisticated and deep program as Flash. Each chapter builds on the last and he does a credible job of explaining the process as you follow along. He also introduces some very important topics near the end of the book dealing with project management and teamwork, two invaluable concepts not always covered in other software how-to books. I feel as though I can now create a reasonably complex Flash site whereas a week ago I felt completely overwhelmed by the power of Flash. There were very few spelling mistakes and all examples worked as described when instructions were followed explicitly. Phillip Kerman has proven himself to be an excellent author and teacher. I look forward to more works from this author in the future.

I have been a long time Flash user but with the release of Flash 5 I decided it was time to learn the more complex aspects of the software. I perused over 16 different Flash 5 books and ended up buying 5 different books on the same subject. I finally got to the Kerman book last.

Without reservation I can promise you this is the only book you need. It is very well written and easy to follow.

I highly recommend it.

Only downside there is no "CD" included like most of the other Flash 5 books but that is a minor complaint.

Most of the resource books are just for beginners, with not much covered on more advanced techniques. This book does a good job of starting off with the basics and then going farther. This book is great for someone who has used Flash and knows the basics, but wants to learn more advanced features. This does not mean that someone who has never used Flash before should pass on this book, no, the descriptions of the basic features are very good. This book will teach you how to use Flash, but then, unlike other books, continue to instruct on more complicated subjects.

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.

...

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.

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.

Wow I'm almost at the end of this book and it's simply marvelous what the author can teach you with such an easy to follow narrative. Mr. Kerman has the ability to teach you advanced stuff with simple step by step examples..he is the best Flash writer I've read. He is the FLASH TEACHER!!..

This book is an uncommon "Teach Yourself in 24 hours" book, because he goes beyond the basics and while you read you feel that you have learned and learned well and understand what you just read.

This is the FLASH book to learn. Then get an advanced ActionScript book and you will be a FLASH PRO..

A WINNER!!

This book makes me feel confident, like I am working with a net. It treats you to the nitty gritty of Flash 5 in Bite size, 2 page chunks. A bit slow and dry starting for me, but a great way to learn Flash. I found the screen shots of the console could be more helpful if I could see them better. Not all Flash developer "gonna bees" have perfect eyesight. Otherwise, I would have given the book 5 stars. It is a well priced entry and advanced level self-teaching guide.