Larry:

My complaints about Danny Goodman's HyperCard Handbook are that it is too long-winded, that it occasionally leaves out vital information, and that it has a crummy index. But as computer manuals go, its still better than most and I recommend it to all aspiring stackheads.

The first two sections of the book can be skimmed or even skipped altogether, as can the fourth. The meat of the book is in the third section. In his latest edition, he has added a fifth section that covers the changes introduced in version 1.2.

HyperCard will seem overwhelming at first. All I can say is take it one step at a time, and play a lot. Feel free to peer inside my stacks to see how they work (but don't change anything). Overcome your initial trepidation by actually creating some new stacks with buttons that beep three times or flash on and off. And ask questions or even send me partially working stacks. Good luck!