Rating: 

Programming ColdFusion MX is my reference book of choice when i'm doing MX development. The first edition was always on my desk - it's usefulness ensured it never made it to the bookshelf. The second edition (covering MX 6.1) looks to be even better, including new chapters on CFCs, Flash Remoting, and Web Services. As Rob notes in the preface, much of the book content has been revised or completely rewritten - it's not just a reheated first edition. Somehow, even with all the new and updated content, this book has not turned into the typical tech reference doorstop.

Both the first and second editions of this book read consistently from chapter to chapter; Rob is to be commended for his clear and understandable writing style. Unlike many technical reference books, this one does not serve simply as a tag and function listing with limited examples. Rob includes many substantive examples, thoroughly commented, that support the text in each chapter very well. Many pieces of sample code could easily be repurposed in a real application.

This book is a narrative reference that is as easy to skim as it is to read. Newbies and Certified CFMX developers will both gain equally from keeping it nearby. The second edition of the book has now taken the place of the first on my desk!