The book "Developing an Ionic Edge," published by Bleeding Edge Press, is a collaborative effort by a group of developers known as "The Hybrid Collective," who provide insights into building applications using the Ionic framework. The authors, including Keith D. Moore, Robin van Baalen, and Anton Shevchenko, utilized tools like Google Hangouts and GitHub to coordinate their efforts, focusing on showcasing Ionic's features through the development of the Trendicity app, which integrates functionalities like Google Maps, OAuth2, and platform-specific UI elements. They emphasize the ease of creating cross-platform applications with Ionic due to its built-in adaptability for iOS and Android, sparing developers from extensive customization for different platforms. The book is aimed at both highlighting the rich functionalities of Ionic and guiding developers through practical implementations, making Ionic a compelling choice for those needing a versatile framework for mobile application development.