Others say...

"Get ready to swim"
I'm sure this book is amazing, but it throws your right into the deep end of the pool and and expects you to swim. I started following the exercise in chapter 5 on building a database. Chapter is not broken down into segments. It simply just chugs along telling you what to do as if it were telling a story. There is no break or explanation of why one setting is chosen over another, or what the formula you are entering means.
I followed the instructions to adjust the "Control Style" in a "field control/setup" dialog box, and then found myself asking "well, where did it get this information from?"
My guess is that this book was not meant for me. I'm not sure who it is meant for. A beginner can follow directions, but doesn't really understand what they are doing in each step. An advanced user, I assume wouldn't need to follow directions or a whole chapter on how to build a database.
I was also frustrated by the entire first chapter describing what a database was. Yeah, I get it, original databases were not based in computers. They were in filing cabinets or on spreadsheets. They didn't have "relationships" between files. Just get on with teaching me what I need to know.
Maybe I'm just frustrated by the three days I spent building the sample database, and not being sure why what seems like simple relationships which should be there are not.

"A great comprehensive tome of FileMaker Pro knowledge"
I have been a fan of the FileMaker Pro Bible Series for quite a few revisions now. The goal of the series, as I've come to understand it, is to provide a comprehensive text covering most of the resources and techniques needed to truly leverage FileMaker Pro. This book takes this to a new level with a thoroughness that I believe must be due to this version's author.

No single book can cover every topic in both the simplicity and the depth that every reader may want, but I think this book covers that range better than most I've read. It has invaluable sections introducing the reader to very necessary basic concepts, such as database design and data modeling for FileMaker Pro, and yet gets into lots of more advanced techniques such as modular code design, logging techniques, recursion through custom functions, and more.

I would not suggest using a book like this for learning a subject, like FileMaker, from start to finish. Rather I'd suggest it, as a very comprehensive tome of FileMaker Pro knowledge -- knowledge that would take many years of developing complex systems to learn for oneself -- all presented in an easy to reference format.

From a seasoned developer standpoint, I think the advanced topics and provided examples (by the master of excellent example files, Ray Cologon), are more than worth the price of entry. I highly suggest this book to anyone who uses FileMaker Pro, at any level.

"At last a good FileMaker book!"
The authors of the FileMaker Bible have written the most comprehensive book on FileMaker ever attempted. There are parts of this book that document aspects of FileMaker development that have probably never been documented or explained outside of the actual source code, and this book explains them in a clear, concise and unambiguous language. This book is an essential for every FileMaker developer.

The biggest advantage of this book is that it's very thorough - quite often technical books will explain one side of an issue, or leave out details, or present ideas in ways that could be interpreted ambiguously. When you read a section of the FileMaker Bible, you get with a complete and accurate view of the ideas at hand without confusion or ambiguity.

This book also fills a need from a new developer starting out to someone who's been working with FileMaker for a while. The sections work through from basic to advanced in a way that works well, but also means it's full of snippets of useful information for someone who has a high level of experience in FileMaker.

I'd recommend this book over any other FileMaker book. Most of the other books I've seen either parrot parts of the FileMaker Help (errors, omissions and all), or only cover one aspect of FileMaker. This book is all new material, and leaves no stone un-turned. Well worth the money.

"Difficult to Improve Upon"
I've been using FileMaker for almost 20 years and have read most of the books written for this product. The FileMaker Pro Bible stands tall amongst the others. It's extremely well-written with tenacious attention to detail that is quite valuable to developers of all levels.

Ray Cologon gently introduces concepts and best practices to the new developer in a manner that encourages thorough learning. As you progress through the chapters he not only exposes more advanced topics and techniques but also uncovers deep product behaviors that offers value to even the most advanced developers.

I imagine almost any novice could use this book to springboard their learning curve into successful FileMaker Pro database development. I heartily recommend this book to developers of all levels. It should be the first book for any new FileMaker Pro developer and a cornerstone reference piece for all seasoned developers.

"Keep this one handy..."
Anyone working with FileMaker Pro will want to keep this book in arms reach.

I'm not one to read a book cover-to-cover or even read a manual and I usually dive right in whenever I install a new program or an update comes out. Only when I get stuck or I look for an answer or an alternative way to approach a problem, do I pick up a book or dig through the manual. When I reach that point with FileMaker Pro, you can bet this will be the book I'll search in first.

One example is the section on keys. It's a great help and explores many options even creating unique identification (UID) values. This is so important in maintaining data integrity.

The book is comprehensive and designed to help you become more productive with FileMaker Pro regardless of your skill level. From the what, why and how of databases to data modeling and Cartesian joins to advanced features and building efficient code and efficient solutions, this book is an excellent reference.

Not only is it a reference, but it includes many short tutorials and examples. Advanced features and in depth areas of the book refer back, and point you in that direction, to previous material already covered.

Whether you read the book cover-to-cover or you search the well-crafted table of contents or the index for specific material, you'll find the FileMaker Pro 9 Bible the best FileMaker Pro companion to help you succeed.