RE: why I like the Dummies books - was Boring documentation

["Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>]

My own limited survey of the population yields these results:

* Technical "experts" like engineers and tech writers, people who
understand the field or a closely associated
  one, dislike "Dummies" or "Idiots" books. The dislike varies from
vague unease to downright loathing.
* Highly intelligent people tend to dislike Idiots/Dummies books
* A **large** majority of the general population *loves* Idiots/Dummies
books.

I base this not on sales figures but on reader comments I've heard and
seen online.

Many Idiots/Dummies books are simple and slow, and deliberately so. That
may or may not work for you.

As some proof of my ability to learn complex, highly technical
information, I note that I have an undergraduate degree in chemistry
from a university that has sent many people into medicine and chemical
research. I find that some I/D books are way to simple and slow-moving
for me. 

*Yet*, I just ordered the QuickBooks for Dummies book. I figure that at
the price, it can't hurt. I'll pick up enough material to be able to
learn the rest on my own.

I compare this to a book on Plone that I have, which purports to be "The
Definitive Guide". It is neither definitive nor a guide, and consists
chiefly of a set of loosely connected ramblings and effusions from a
Plone "expert". I would much prefer Plone for Dummies, but alas it
doesn't exist!

JOe 


	 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.	

-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
[mailto:techwr-l-bounces+jmalin=tuvox -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf
Of Keith Hansen
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 7:03 AM
To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Subject: RE: why I like the Dummies books - was Boring documentation

Steven wrote:

"I have seen titles in the series that are simply too complex, or
written by someone who can't write humor and instead lards the material
with desperate gags and japes. Face it--not everyone can write humor."

That's the problem I encountered with the "Photoshop for Dummies" book.
Every page was crammed full of lame attempts at stand-up comic humor at
the expense of substance.  

The author would tell me what a remarkable program Photoshop is.  He'd
show me examples of the wonderful work he'd done using it.  Then, he'd
tell me how complex Photoshop is (too hard for me, most likely) and that
he wouldn't bore me with the details!

By chapter 8, he got around to telling me the stuff I should have
learned in chapter 3.  Perhaps 50% of the book was fluff...Fortunately,
most Dummies books are not that bad!  

I've always found it amusing that the series denigrates the intellignece
of its readers in every title.  Not as bad, however, as the copycat
series, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to..."

Keith
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