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Special Edition Using FileMaker 8 Review by Jerry Saperstein
Delivers far less than it promises
The tag line reads "The only FileMaker 8 book you need." In the acknowledgement - even before the main text of the book - you learn you have been lied to in a major way.
The authors take pride in having responded to their editor's request to cut the book's length by 10%, they were permitted to add 50%. Of course, that meant taking content out of this book and putting it into a second title. So they effectively "cheated" the reader out of the box.
This book is allegedly an update of the authors earlier "Special Edition Using FileMaker 7" for the UPCOMING release of FileMaker 8. In other words, the book was revised based on a beta version, always a danger sign. Worse, the reader's confidence is shaken by the incredibly shoddy proofreading and editing. There are many references to FileMaker 7 where, hopefully, FileMaker 8 is intended. No excuse for this kind of sloppiness.
The book is a group effort. As is common in such efforts, the quality of writing is uneven. There is an attempt to cover anything - and the attempt fails in terms of detail. And, bear in mind that the authors have essentially omitted an entire area of coverage and created a second (costly) book that you have to buy in order to get full coverage of the subject. (The second book, "FileMaker 8 Functions and Scripts Desk Referencee" is pretty good, but still the idea that the cover blurb is a lie doesn't sit well with me.)
Overall, my feeling is that the average FileMaker user will be much better served by "FileMaker Pro 8: The Missing Manual". "Special Edition" should be a second choice.
Jerry