I could only read a chapter or two each time I had the chance to sit down and take the time. I was captivated by each chapter and was anticipating the next chapter(s). I live in the Valley that the story is set in. It was fun to realize "I know that spot (setting)" Leon is describing. Each time I started to read a chapter I was transported to that spot as if I was watching the events first hand. It is a fun read. If Leon writes another book I will have a first printing copy in my house.

As Leon's former publisher on MaderaOnline.com I was skeptical when I heard he was going to write the great American novel. Then I got a hold of an early edition and wow!

This book really blew me away. I'm not one to sit down and read a book from cover to cover in one night, but I couldn't put it down. I was drawn into the story like no other book has ever done.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in aviation, the Central Valley or just a good love story.

I've been using ColdFusion for years, and this book (starting with the earlier versions) has always been an indispensable part of my library. The first seven chapters are essential to train beginners, and the complete reference section at the end keeps me picking it up at least once a week. While you won't be using the whole book forever, the completeness of this book will cover you in any situation. Some people that I've trained even say that the book makes for good reading; while it is less bland than most reference books, I wouldn't say that. If you expect to use CF on a regular basis, you need this book or something like it. Add the Advanced version once you're familiar with CF. Unless there's something wrong with you, you can train yourself in CF with this book. If you have previous programming experience, you'll breeze it.

I've been using his books for a while and I can say without hesitation that they are the best and most complete ColdFusion books available. Although it is long, there are plenty of examples to keep one busy and learning. It is about 500 pages bigger than the last edition (ColdFusion 4). Great intro to Dreamweaver and Flash integration. Ben Forta writes great books. I recommend it highly.

Excellent reference. Although aimed squarely at new ColdFusion developers, there is enough meat in this book to satisfy experienced developers. Well-written and easy to follow, Forta shows why he is well respected in the CF community. Note that many of the advanced topics present in previous editions have been moved to the "Advanced" book.