I just bought this book about a month ago. I have experience in C, C++, Java, and Assembly Language programming. I've been messing around with flash mx for awhile and I wanted to get into actionscript. In my opinion, if you have experience in any programming language this book will really help you get into actionscript. It has alot of tutorials that let you see the structure of how things are related. Using flash's methods(functions), creating instances, and dot notation referencing. I would say that it doesn't lead you on any long creation projects. It's alot of one or two pages and done examples. Good for beginning and bad for deep insight. The thing that I think will make this book end up being a great purchase for a first actionscript book is the complete a.s. dictionary in the back. It has a complete def. of every method and how it is used in the back of the book. That is something that will always be good as reference no matter what you are doing. If you have no experience in coding this book should still be able to help you. It's been awhile since I started coding so it's a little harder for me to judge on that note. Pretty good book though.

things needed more of:
xml tutorials, deeper web design creation

I have longed for a total resource like this, for about two years. I thought the Moock book went part of the way but it was from a Javascript perspective and it was kinda feeble as a reference. But this book takes you all the way man and then some.

I thought Actionscript grew up a good load richer with MX, but somehow and amazingly Macromedia chose not to print the Actionscript reference like they used to with Flash 5 and I really missed that. This book supplies it in a really expanded, totally comprehensive form. And not just the reference, but you also get a 400 page section on what Actionscirpt is really all about (like, it's not just Javascript for vector-dogs) covering just about every question on the detail of working with Actionscript, simple, serious, and some scary. And what's best, in language I can make sense of, because I'm a designer and I'm smart differently from back-end developers. For me coding is for real, it's about what I can see and make move.

But that's not ALL you get, oh no. You then get the CD-ROM version of the dictionary, which in itself is something to amaze. Not just explanations of every element of Actionscript, but also real, worked FLAs and SWFs to illustrate the code in action.

For $... I don't get it. I worked in technical books in Oz and I can't think how we'd have done 1200 pages at that price. How are Sham and Glen and Jen and Tim and Scott getting paid out of that? Not to mention the guy who made the ace CD, I hope they get a fair shake.

It would be awesome as just a labor o' love. A thing of beauty is a joy forever and you just made one guys.

I thought this would be a reference. Well guess what, I was wrong. This is a reference in the back half, but a How-To in the front half. I'd say, skip every other ActionScript book till you buy this one. If I'd known this would have tutorials in the first half (yes the first 400 or so pages are tutorials), I wouldn't have bought some of the other ones I have. Combined with the CD content, this book is a great first book for the intermediate animator moving into scripting. And, it will stay usefull for as long as you are using Flash MX. Between this book and the O'Reilly book "ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition" by Colin Moock, you'll have all you really need. Then you can buy the specialized stuff on games or UI or whatever.

There are four novellas in First Night and each of them is great. I particularly liked Renaissance. The writing is just beautiful and Delia's story of renewal is strong and realistic. Honey Clover is very good, very original and had me laughing, scared, crying and celebrating with Vivienne and Brian by the end. Providence was mysterious and effective as a time travel. By the end I felt everything falling into place for Amy, even though a lot is left up to the reader to figure out. Fate and Firecrackers was a nice quick read that sizzled and sparkled. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes romance with edge and originality.

First Night is a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful collection of four romance novellas, each of which represents a season of the year. These stories are mystical, yet grounded in a reality I wish was mine!

Honey Clover by Pauline Shannon and Providence by Bobbi Lerman are opposites in season (spring and winter) and in content (Providence is a time travel; Honey Clover is set firmly in reality with science as a supporting character.) Both stories share lovely writing styles and the authors have created heroines that are smart, alluring and complicated enough to be extremely interesting.

Fate and Firecrackers by Jen Safrey (summer) and Renaissance by Mary Ann Mangini (fall) are also opposites. Fate and Firecrackers is a fast, scintillating read that heats up quickly and explodes at the end. Renaissance is a longer, lanquid story that touches every sense.

The heros are fantastic, the heroines are cool, and the stories are unique. I sincerely enjoyed this book.

If you like cowboys and babies, or lawyers and orphans, or dumb damsels in distress, this isn't the romance collection for you. But if you like excellent writing, smart storylines, exciting --- and I REALLY mean EXCITING --- leading men, then you will love First Night!

This book was not what I expected. Being from a small press, frankly, I thought this book would be ridiculous. I was delightfully wrong. In fact, this book is miles better than the same-old same-old that the big publishers produce by the truckloads.

Each story is symbolic of a season of the year, but you aren't hit over the head by it. It's subtle. There are a total of four stories and each one has a very unique plot. Providence is a time travel about a woman running from the police, who manages to run into a love that transcends time and space. Honey Clover is about a scientist who blooms once she discovers that true love is perfect, even if the man you love isn't. Fate and Firecrackers is about a man and a woman who are so determined not to fall in love that they back into it anyway. Renaissance is about a woman who discovers her self and her life, after she's spent most of her life with a man who took her for granted.

These stories are all so different but they fit together magically.

I love this book and I look forward to seeing more books from these four authors. These people, particularly the talents and creativity of MaryAnn Mangini and Pauline Shannon, are what romance needs these days. I'm enraptured by this book.

This book offers a wonderful look at the historical roots of bird watching. How refreshing to read truly emotional responses to the experience of learning about birds through observation. The wonderful blend of writings underscores the universality and agelessness of the sport.

This book is perfect for short reads -- great to pick up for a moment, either to refresh oneself or to share with a friend. It is a perfect gift for any bird lover -- I have purchased 6 copies to date!

The selections in this book are sometimes hilarious, sometimes very moving, and always fascinating. The introduction is superb--it reminded me that bird watching is an invention, like basketball or football, and that its practitioners write about birds in ways that are determined by historical moment and cultural context. The book taught me a great deal about 18th and 19th Century culture and even more about birds and the obsessive and affectionate pursuit of them for the mere pleasure of seeing them in their natural habitats. This book was a pleasure all the way.

I am not a birdwatcher. But Jen Hill's collection of writings on our avian friends is a new fixture on my coffee table. Despite Hill's seemingly daunting credentials - a PhD candidate at Cornell - An Exhilaration of Wings is not an intellectual tome. From her inciteful and, at times, humorous introduction - she points out that Theodore Roosevelt, an enthusiastic birdwatcher despite his poor eyesight, is the only president on Mt. Rushmore wearing glasses - I began the book wishing she had written it herself rather than culling quotes from others. Through the eyes of nature lovers like Thoreau, Audubon, and Wordsworth, to name just three of over 75 writers, famous and unknown, she tells us of birds and their habits, and arcane bird trivia we never thought we needed to know until now. With an eye and ear of someone who, no doubt, regularly escapes the Ivory Tower, Hill has compiled these quotes into chapters with a relaxing rhythm. Reading just a few is like receiving a neck massage during a stressful day. I will pick up the book again and again. And I begin tomorrow with one more reason to look out the window.

It tells us secrets about Jenny never evealed before.It's a little costly but well worth it.

I found the book to be a great information resource into her life and career start. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the out of order details, found to much jumping forward then back, or back then forward, but other than that, I thought is was a great book and I still love jenny in a big way, she is the greatest.

The title should tell it all: Jen X. It should read Jen O because she is a negative interger. Take away those breasts, and she is just another annoying self serving celebrity with little talent. This book is a must read for airheads, retards, mutants and crackheads. Enjoy!

As a grandmother, watching my children raise families of their own is a wonderful experience. But, as we all know, we need a little help now and then. When I read Cheap Psychological Tricks for Parents by Dr. Perry Buffington I knew help was here! I immediately passed the book along to my daughter and then my daughter-in-law who both have toddlers and school age children.

The book is well-written, easy to read and holds the attention of the reader to the end. As I read the book I was taken back to the time when my children were little (especially in the chapter "Eat Your Veggies"). How many times did I struggle trying to make my kids eat those veggies, and how many times have I watched my kid/parents do the same thing? Well, Dr. Buff
settled that argument - just hide the veggies inside something the kids do like.

Thanks Dr. Buff. Your other books have been great and we'll be looking forward to your next release.

I bought this book after hearing Dr. Buff on the radio (WDBO-AM). He gives tips (tricks) that are obvious but you'd never think about them until you READ them! So I read the entire book in one weekend and earmarked the tips I wanted to try, one at a time.

For me, the most profound was that kids between 7 and 12 can't understand adult logic, even if you use simple words in their vocabulary. The next trick I tried for one of the kid's birthdays - I saved money, bought fewer gifts, and got THE gift that was really wanted, not just a fad gift. The third trick will start this weekend - getting the kids to eat vegetables!

Almost like having a manual for raising kids! Hospitals should provide this books as part of the New Parents gift bag.

My wife and I always joked about losing the 'manual' on childraising. We have been so pleased with this book! It covers every age (we have a 12 and 6 year old) and it's helped us out of many tight spots. We actually learned a thing or two ourselves.

A fun read by a promising up and coming romance writer who seems to know a lot about the track. Highly recommended. This book will change the way you feel about equine romance!

This book reflects the "romantic," often dangerous, and sometimes manic dedication required to be a player in highstakes horseracing. Jen Safrey's heroine jockey is thoroughly modern, smart,athletic, gutsy and stubbornly independent. The book's details about the sport of racing are compelling. The romantic relationship, between jockey and reporter, defies stereotypes and is supercharged, fresh and contemporary. The book's mystery is as fast-paced as the sport it highlights. A warm human-interest story set against a seemingly impersonal and improbable backdrop. A noteworthy first effort by Jen Safrey.

An extremely well-written book. This book combines mystery and romance with the excitement of a day at the racetrack. Cam, our hero, is the kind of guy every woman wants to find. Most romance novels portray the heroines as weak and feeble damsels in distress. Liz, our heroine, is strong, smart, brave and independent - and a non-virgin to boot! A refreshing change! This book also teaches you everything about horseracing behind the scenes. It was clearly well-researched. Romance readers and mystery readers alike will enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.

I'm very critical of some Chinese writers like Amy Tan for their distortions of a life they haven't experienced. But this doesn't apply to Ha Jin, who survived the Revolution and was a soldier. I really like this collection of stories because Ha Jin excels in writing vignettes by injecting fresh details. Anyone who is curious about Communist China should read this book. Skip his novels though.

Ha Jin brilliantly evokes emotion in short stories that may take some an epic novel to create the same impact. His words are sunbeams bouncing on desolate land and you want to continue despite the heartbreak that you may only survive simply to survive. Never to fully live in the light. He is the most eloquent writer and he allows us to view a world not known to most Americans: China under Mao. Be swept away with words and emotions.

I picked up An Ocean of Words from a staff recommendations section of the bookstore. I am glad that I did. This book is a wonderful collection of short stories. This book was great.

The stories all take place on the border of China and the USSR during the early 1970s when the two communist countries actually came pretty close to war. The stories are actually a microcosim of Communist China as a whole.

The stories are wonderful and I highly recommend this book not just to sinophiles but to anyone who wants to read a great collection of stories.

This was a sweet book and I encourage women of all ages to read it. Our protagonist, Dr. Meggie O'Connor moves back to the family farm from New York City after her many year-old marriage fails and she is fast approaching her fortieth birthday. She is a psychologist and restarts her practice in northern Michigan. One of her early clients/patients is Winona Pathfinder, a Native American "healer" whose daughter has pushed her to therapy because she insists she will be dying soon, thank you very much. As this relationship grows it becomes more quickly evident to the reader than to Meggie that it is she who is being healed. Meggie learns a good deal about Winona's life, her decisions, and her reasons for the calm prediction of death and is drawn into the validity of the pipe-smoking, and the Native American 'medicine' ways. In a very subtle way, Winona draws Meggie into a real change of view about who she is and what her value is. Finally, there is a love interest that, in a surprise in the end, makes the story wonderfully complete.

I heard about Winona's Web from my neighbor Gail Korhonen whose book club thoroughly enjoyed it and so I thank Gail for lending me her copy. Suttons Bay,Michigan is a beautiful & familiar place, so I felt right at home with the characters. The story is about a psychologist who has an elderly patient by the name of Winona Pathfinder who is Lakota. Winona is not very interested in being psychoanalyzed and she becomes the therapist & no matter how much the psychologist tries to be scientific & business-like, Winona always has the patience to be both teacher & guide. The story is about death & life. The plot thoughtfully & successfully pits American Indian spirituality & tradition against science. Everything about this story is respectful to the American Indian people & our culture. It is the first book of fiction I have ever read by an Anglo that did not romanticize or dramatize or trivialize Indian people & our heritage and traditions. I was pleasantly surprised by the clever ways that Phyllis Cogan addressed important social & political issues that American Indian people deal with & frequently found myself rereading specific passages with appreciation for the sensitivity and knowledge. I like the people in this book & recognize them among my own friends. These characters are well developed. When I reached the last sentence in the book I was both satisfied & sad because I wanted to continue to travel with them on their journeys. All I could think about was a sequal.

This is a very special book, the best I've read this year. I couldn't wait for Winona's next visit with Meggie to see what lessons she would teach. I especially liked the porcupine hunting scene where Slade gave thanks to the porcupine for giving up its life and the way he made use of the body parts instead of discarding them. The porcupine earrings which Meggie received as a present from Slade were a delicious surprise!

This was a wonderful book which I could not stop reading. I didn't want it to end. Be sure to read the sequel "Compass of the Heart" if you want to follow these characters further.

A TIME FOR DREAMS is a masterful debut and telling of an incident in history that readers will enjoy and savor. ~Beth Coogan for Bookbug on the Web

This is one of the best Time Travel novels I've read. I loved Brenden Ross, he's a wonderful hero. The relationship between he and Audrey was wonderful. If you love historical &/or time travel romances then this is the book for you. I can't wait to read Ms. Hollings future novels!

Jen Holling's book is one of the most interesting and sexy time travels I've ever read. A Time for Dreams is nothing like a first novel: beautiful prose, historical accuracy that isn't obtrusive, sex that's worth reading again and again. Am I the only one dying to know what happens to Gavin? Write another soon, please, Jen!

This book ranks with Norman Rush's Mating and Tim Parks's Destiny as a deep and absorbing portrayal of a relationship viewed from the inside of one person's psyche. The main character is a man in his forties at a turning point in his marriage whose story is told very narrowly in the first person. I don't think the reader ever even learns his name. We are never told anything objectively about his experiences but Grondahl brilliantly puts us inside his head. This book requires some concentration to read since the story is so internalized but the effort is more than worth it.

I generally don't read a lot of fiction unless something original about the story captivates me. I picked this one up for no particular reason and found the subject matter compelling - the odd dynamic in relationships whereby you can spend years with someone and share all levels of deep intimacy and yet still not really know them. Grondahl's work on a pure story level was incredibly satisfying, exploring the complexity of the human psyche and portraying the protagonist's deep introspection and trains of thought with wonderful skill. The story was also written in the first person with no real interference from any all-knowing narrator - no small feat.

All told, this is a thoughtful and thought-provoking piece of work. It is a book you cannot (or should not) read quickly; rather I found myself getting through chapters or even different scenes within chapters and having to stop and think about what I read.

Highly recommended!

In October, I was spending my vacation in Sweden and Denmark. Before my trip I ran across this book and thought it would be interesting. I was spending some time in Scandinavia and wanted to read something with a different view of the world-so why not a Scandinavian author?

Upon my second night in Sweden I began reading this book. I was suprised at how the story pulled me deeper into the book. Sometimes the book seemed complex; but the story flowed so well. It's now January and I still think about this book!

This book was a great find. I hope the US publishers will print more of his books. If they don't, Mr. Grøndahl's books have been translated into German and many other languages; so I will just read the others in German.

While in Copenhagen, I made sure my friends bought the book as well for their holiday in India. This was the only English book by the author I found while in Copenhagen.