Customer Rating: 
Summary: My favorite of three books on Authorware.
Comment: There seem to be three types of books in circulation about Authorware. There is of course the User's Guide that comes with the product -- a good reference. Then there are tutorials, like "Authorware 5 Authorized" by Kellogg -- a good beginner's step by step how-to. But the best type of book (for me anyway) has been the "show & tell & try approach" type of book, like Nick Roberts' excellent "The Official Guide to Authorware 4." It is very well written in an interesting and casual style -- and you will find the author's enthusiasm for Authorware contageous as you delve deeper into the text. Excellent illustrations compliment the "visual" approach to constructing a piece via icons along a flow line. And you are told the logic of the "what & why" of the step-by-step examples before you do them -- a great aid in understanding (and actually learning) how to utilize Authorware's features. Too many times I've followed the tutorials of other books and end up with a nice looking functional result -- without really understanding along the way "why" I used the steps and procedures I was told to do.And most important, this book came through for me in an area that I have not found in the other books -- variables, functions and expressions. Roberts eases the reader into this area, which is by far the core of Authorware's strength and flexibility. Then the reader gets into two or three chapters that deal with this area in depth. The material was so good I couldn't help but want more, but alas, I think an entire book could be written on just variables and functions.
Even though I use Authorware 5.1, I found this version 4 book 100% useful -- all it lacks is info on how to use 5.1's Knowledge Objects -- which surprisingly is also absent in the newer Authorware 5 books that I have seen. But from what I've heard from other folks, the lack of K.O. information is no great loss. I just hope that Nick Roberts comes out with another AW book one of these days -- maybe on AW 6 when it hits the market.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A must have for Authorware developers at any skill level
Comment: This book contains information about the inside workings of Authorware that will allow you to easily advance to intermediate and advanced programming methods. It even provides the intermediate and advanced developer with inside information about the inner workings of the program; I know of no other guide to Authorware that does this. What is unusual about this book is the clarity with which it is written. It reads unusually smoothly, and sets the standard for which reference manuals should be written. This is a very wise investment for the Authorware developer at any skill level.
Customer Rating:
Summary: super book, I recommend it for anyone new to authorware!!!
Comment: This is a super book for both new users and advanced users alike. Mr. Roberts takes you through all the facets of authorware and gives you super tips for developing your piece for either mac or pc. I had never used a authoring program before, including authorware and after reading this book for couple of nights, I was developing my own stand alone windows based projects. I really wish to thank Mr. Nick Roberts for writing a easy to understand book. Keep up the good work. Cheers Rick
Customer Rating:
Summary: An excellent resource
Comment: This is an excellent resource. New Authorware users as well as experienced professionals will find a wealth of information presented here. The material is well organized and explains simple tasks early, then takes the user into more complex functions. I would like to see a 'volume 2' with more attention to complex tasks as well as some additional models.
If you are trying to understand Authorware, this is a great place to begin!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Simple yet sophisticated and thorough, with helpful hints
Comment: Authorware has a steeper learning curve than most authoring programs. Taking this into account, Nick Robert's `The Official Guide to Authorware 4' takes a beginner through projects of intermediate complexity while providing experienced Authorware developers a leg up on Authorware 4. Don't flinch at buying this terrififc manual for Authorware 4 - the one that comes with the program is virtually useless. This book is written to clarify confusing concepts. It emphasizes what is really important and provides "Hot Tip" markers throughout. An accompanying CD-ROM provides examples to illustrate code and functionality. But because the Robert's explanations are already clear in the book, the CD-ROM is not that essential. On the down side, I would like to have a summary of not just new functions for Authorware 4, but also a comprhensive list. If you are new to Authorware and plan on using this book, plan to spend about ten hours reading the first six chapters (200 pages) and browsing around the authoring system, before you actually start building. This will ensure that you pick up the right building blocks for the foundations of your project. The remaining 14 chapters are task specific, and serve as excellent references.
