Sometimes as Flash developers we like to imagine that the Flash IDE is no longer needed for our Rich Media Applications. Completely untrue this is. Sometimes it is easier, clearer, and overall smarter to make use of the Flash IDE to solve problems. The most complex solution isn't always the best solution. Also, there are still some things in Flash 8 which can only be accomplished in the IDE.
The Flash 8 Cookbook benefits from the clear writing, consistent format and logical layout characteristic of the O'Reilly Cookbook series. Also a credit to the series' style, the typical Problem/Solution/Discussion format lends itself to quick absorption and easy referencing.
The book is a hand-picked collection of solved problems followed by brief discussions. Even when an Actionscript-based solution may be a far better/easier approach than the method presented, the book doesn't always introduce it. However this strategy is explicitly stated in the beginning so we can't hold this against the book. The proper ruler of the book's success must consider the book's goals. Therefore we look at the quality of content within its stated scope.
Even though there is insightful material in the book to help a developer out of the occasional tight spot, the good material is diluted with lots of fluff. The pages of the book feel artificially filled in a number of ways. Some of the material could have been beneficially substituted with other material. Some of the problems could have been better chosen or consolidated. The descriptions at times sounded exhaustingly wordy for the simple concept it attempted to depict.
A couple of chapters were somewhat too specialized for the average Flash project. For example, the generous amount of pages devoted to the (quite interesting but third-party app reliant) topic group of faking 3D in Flash could have been roped off and used as the basis for another book entirely.
If this were an actual cookbook, it would be titled "Cuisines of the World in a hurry." There would be a how-to on "Preheating the oven to 350" and another chapter right after that one entitled "Preheating the oven to 425." About 50 pages of the cookbook would explore the best methods of skinning and preparing wild rabbits. Of course only hunters would be interested in this, but some cooks are also hunters so its hard to knock the inclusion. We skim past the parts beyond (or beneath) us and find an awesome almond cheesecake recipe that really saves the dinner that night. In the next pages we see a recipe for almond cheesecake with whipped creme on top. Interestingly it's its own recipe. No matter because overall we like our cookbook since it's so easy to follow. However we'll need other books on cooking to really succeed as a cook.
Flash 8 Cookbook addresses in detail many aspects of the Flash IDE which are sometimes underused or misunderstood. The book contains some interesting introductory discussions about 3D, mobile applications, and other topics not commonly associated with mainstream Flash development. This book, a mix between an appetizer and a first course, is best served with meaty texts like Essential Actionscript 2.0 and Flash 8 Hacks.