The Android Developer’s Cookbook, written by James Steele and Nelson To, is many pages of information that all Android developers should have. This computer book is correctly titled because it does read like a cookbook for any developer wanting to create or improve an Android app. As a computer book, the information does read like a recipe for each task you will like to complete.

As a computer manual it discusses the Android SDKs and how to build apps for either an Android phone or tablet. The information contained within this book covers topics such as services that are location-based, app optimization, and improving the security of your app.

For someone new to app development this book will not disappoint. It starts with the basic step of downloading the SDK, and then builds on this by explaining the setup, creation of .xml files and working with plug-ins.

One thing that is useful within this cookbook are the many examples that the authors include. The app developer using this computer book will be able to find examples for all the app development he would like to carry out. This book is packed with quite a number of “recipes” to code, especially for the Android 2.0 platform.

In some instances the examples for coding just have to followed exactly as laid out in the book. App development is quite time-consuming for anything that streamlines the steps needed is heaven sent. Overall, the great thing about using a book that describes Android app development in such a thorough manner is the amount of time it saves the developer.