From time to time I ask for review copies of books that are outside the normal subject area for ACCU members. These are usually cases where the description makes it clear that the material is relevant to the broader context of producing computer products and I want to try to understand how relevant it might be to a software developer (we should not waste time re-inventing rollers when we can buy excellent wheels).

I had (and still have) a very rudimentary understanding as to what Adobe's 'After Effects' application does. This is sad because the book comes (as stated in its publicity) with a trial version of After Effects 4. What the blurb does not say, but you discover as soon as you start reading the Introduction is that before reading this book the author is adamant (and correctly so) that you should first have worked through the documentation that comes with the full version (even if you are already experienced in the field of videographics and multimedia.) That ensures that the book is of little use to those who want to try out the product before they buy and leaves me wondering about the value of the trial version of After Effects 4 on the CD.

If any reader has the relevant experience, I would be happy to pass this book on to them in exchange for a review (including a novice introduction to the product)