[.ca] Web Design with Macromedia Studio MX 2004 (ISBN 1584502835)

Way to go!:
I have not been the type of person to look at computer books of any kind. I have suffered through some really bad ones. When I picked up Web Design with Macromedia Studio MX 2004, I was blown away with the way this book in laid out. I found it to be helpful in everyway. The knowledge this author, Hunley, demonstrates in this field is outstanding. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn the right way to do things.

One of the best:
All too often, computer books focus on small pieces of code without addressing the integration of various techniques. This book takes you through projects from start to finish. It focuses on real-world tasks. The book is especially helpful if you are familiar with only one or two of the Macromedia Studio MX 2004 programs. For example, I had used Dreamweaver, but not Fireworks. This book demonstrates the linkages between the two programs and how to efficiently utilize them.

Good for beginners and experienced Macromedia users:
As an experienced Macromedia-based developer, I was concerned that this book would be too beginner for me. Instead, I found that it filled in many of the weak points in my knowledge. I can see where someone who is just getting started with Macromedia's products would use this book to begin to build their skills. The examples take you through all of the major bits and pieces of each program without being overwhelming. For me, the book let me get my feet wet with Freehand, which I don't use (until now), and got me started writing custom behaviors in Flash - something that I can use in my day-to-day development. This book is NOT for someone looking for the nitty-gritty details of rarely used aspects of Macromedia's product line. Instead, it focuses on demonstrating each of the Studio's major capabilities - a job that it does well.