To help aspiring Android developers get off the ground and develop our next dream app, Android Police has partnered with O'Reilly Media, one of the largest technical book publishers, to give away a multitude of Android books to our readers. Each week or so for the next few months, we'll be giving away a different O'Reilly Android book, asking for nothing but a minute of your time in return.

Developing Android Applications with Adobe AIR

For the fifth contest in the series, we chose to give away Véronique Brossier's Developing Android Applications with Adobe AIR, which was published by O'Reilly just a few months back (in April 2011, to be exact).

As its title suggests, the book is concerned with the development and publishing of Android apps using Adobe's AIR SDK. It opens with instructions on installing the necessary tools, then proceeds to compare AIR on the desktop vs. AIR on Android. From there on out, it's a step-by-step guide to setting up, using, and mastering Adobe AIR, complete with monetization tips and descriptions of various Android APIs (e.g. multitouch, motion sensors, and gallery/camera integration). Here's the official description:

Put your ActionScript 3 skills to work building mobile apps. This book shows you how to develop native applications for Android-based smartphones and tablets from the ground up, using Adobe AIR. You learn the entire development process hands-on, from coding specific functions to options for getting your app published.

Start by building a sample app with step-by-step instructions, using either Flash Professional or Flash Builder. Then learn how to use ActionScript libraries for typical device features, such as the camera and the accelerometer. This book includes ready-to-run example code and a case study that demonstrates how to bring all of the elements together into a full-scale working app.

• Create functionality and content that works on multiple Android devices
• Choose from several data storage option
• Create view and navigation components, including a back button
• Get tips for designing user experience with touch and gestures
• Build a location-aware app, or one that makes use of motion
• Explore ways to use audio, video, and photos in your application
• Learn best practices for asset management and development

For even more information, be sure to visit O'Reilly's site, which features the full table of contents, or Amazon's product page, where you can take a gander at the first few pages of the book. And now, on with the giveaway...

How to Win

You know the drill, folks - simply leave a comment below telling us why you think developers should build their apps with Adobe AIR instead of using a conventional approach.

The winner will be selected by the Android Police and O'Reilly panel after July 21st 11:59 p.m. PT. Be sure to use your real email in your comment, as that's what we'll be using to contact the winner.

Oh, and we try to fight for this every time we do a giveaway, so I'm happy to report that this contest is open to anyone in the world!

Good luck, and may the best aspiring developer win!