If you're already familiar with HTML and JavaScript and would want to develop desktop applications using Adobe AIR then this is the right book for YOU.

In a nutshell, there are several approaches to developing AIR applications:
1. Using HTML and JavaScript
2. Using Flex
3. Using Flash

Obviously, this book focuses mainly on the first item.

I'm coming from Java Web Development background and I have just started with Flex. I also got interested in Adobe AIR after seeing some examples on the Internet. But since I'm already developing Flex applications for the web, I prefer developing AIR applications using Flex also (so it will be easier to port the application from web to desktop and vice versa).

Even so, I find the book very informative. Most especially the cookbook section where it shows you how to connect to the embedded database, read/write files and so on.

Given that this book is a Pocket Guide, I was quickly up to speed with the capabilities of Adobe AIR in a couple of hours.

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Adobe is advancing sure and certain in their goal to create a solid (and hopefully popular) rich Internet application framework. It is clear that significant progress is being made. Adobe wisely chose the WebKit HTML renderer and promised better JavaScript integration. Both aspects are key to acceptance by a broad layer of Web developers.

I think there are some special points of interest in this little reference:

Chapter 3 contains a good explanation of the generic approach to the script sandbox.

Chapter 4 is a mini cookbook of technical solutions presented in a handy "problem / solution / discussion" format.

Surprisingly, the index is also pretty good -- and needed. This "little" reference is 200 pages!
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