This was my first venture outside Adobe for self paced training for pieces of Adobe's Creative Suite. I was very disappointed with Adobe's Classroom in a Book for CS3, so I felt compelled to look elsewhere. While not perfect, this offering is a vast improvement.

There is a huge difference between Flash CS4 and the previous version. I'm not going to dwell on that here, this is after all a book review. I will say that there is enough of a difference that I was able to treat this book, and the lessons, as if I were a total beginner with Flash.

While there is a nice tutorial about the tools available within Flash, there was little or no mention of some of the integral parts of the Suite, such as Bridge or Device Central that most Flash users will have at their disposal. The good news is that the tutorial for what they do cover is very well done.

The lessons themselves, while at times very childish in their use of graphics, were easy to follow. I also found myself exploring any given topic on my own and trying for enhancements to what was presented. This is the mark of a good lesson: you are able to absorb the basics and feel the need to go on with what you just learned.

I still found that Flash is not the easiest tool to master, but that has nothing to do with the quality of the lessons. That is simply the nature of the application. I found that the book did do what it promised: I can now say I know how to produce simple animation and even blend audio into my production. I do not feel totally prepared to tackle some of the more complex areas that Flash is capable of, such as producing training materials with branching structures, but at least I know what the basics of these things are.

Suggested for beginning Flash users and others seeking a good introduction to this animation tool. If you are transitioning to the new version from CS3, this book will ease the transition for you. You may even get more benefit from the advanced portions of the book. ( )