This book is exceptional on many levels.
From the very first moment you pick it up and open it, you know you are dealing with the best of graphic design. The pages are laid out with great taste. All the elements work together on the page. You can read the body copy with no pictures jumping up in the way of your thoughts. Then you can look at the bottom of the pages to follow the step by step instruction. Mr. Akselsen and Ms. Hastings deserve an award for their ground-breaking design.
Reading the book copy is like inviting three friends over for dinner to discuss everything from interactive design to using Acrobat's tool. Each chapter starts with background material that is so much deeper than just Acrobat. It's the kind of discussion that makes you think hard about the purpose of your project. Anyone can tell you how to create a link. These authors talk about why and when you should or should not.
Finally, there are beautiful pages that feature the work of accomplished designers who are using Acrobat in ways I would have never expected. Acrobat files that look like Flash pages. Acrobat files that are like interactive Director documents. Acrobat files that are games, puzzles, interactive maps. It made my head spin.
Oh, and did I mention the incredible CD that comes with the book???? You don't just look at the examples and lessons in the book. You can open the actual documents and follow along, take them apart, and see how they were put together. This is better than any Classroom in a Book. And way beyond what anyone else has written about Acrobat.
This book isn't just the best of the bunch for learning Acrobat, it's the book that all other computer books should be aspiring to be like.
