A Nice Start

Several neat features, including seamless handling of numbered figures, iPad previewing, and glossary/index support. Perhaps more importantly, this app opens up all sorts of possibilities for learning content, putting teachers of any kind (including student-teachers) in control of a powerful system.
At the same time, many things are missing, as may be expected from a 1.0 Apple product. For instance, tables are static (not even scalable), and there doesn’t seem to be support for mathematical equations. Embedded Keynote files open in a viewer, like a movie, but aren’t that closely integrated in the content. Embedded Pages files preserve some but not all content. Templates are fairly limited. Font size can only be controlled in portrait view. Annotations cannot be shared. And there isn’t that much support for the creation of the multimedia content to be embedded.
Not to mention that many questions remain about licensing, for instance of existing Creative Commons content.

Still, the app may give a jolt to self-publishing in learning contexts and it can help make learning content more engaging than traditional textbooks.

Enkerli about iBooks Author, v1.0