From: Bruce Momjian <maillist@candle.pha.pa.us>
Message-Id: <199910210349.XAA12496@candle.pha.pa.us>
Subject: Re: [DOCS] Re: [HACKERS] Outline for PostgreSQL book
In-Reply-To: <3804AAC9.FE9FEF75@wgcr.org> from Lamar Owen at "Oct 13,
	1999 11:52:41 am"
To: Lamar Owen <lamar.owen@wgcr.org>
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 1999 23:49:25 -0400 (EDT)
CC: Dmitry Samersoff <dms@wplus.net>, Vince Vielhaber <vev@michvhf.com>,
	Oliver Elphick <olly@lfix.co.uk>,
	PostgreSQL-documentation <docs@postgreSQL.org>,
	"PostgreSQL-development"@candle.pha.pa.us,
	pgsql-hackers@postgreSQL.org, Jan Wieck <jwieck@debis.com>
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> Bruce Momjian wrote:
> > Actually, I want to make sure the book is accessible on the web.  I will
> > keep your translation idea in mind.  Good point.
> 
> Talk to Philip Greenspun.  Morgan-Kaufman cut him a deal where his book,
> "Philip and Alex's Guide to Web Publishing" is also available free on
> the web (http://photo.net/wtr/thebook).  His e-mail is philg@mit.edu.

I have this from Addison Wesley.  It is online now.

> And you gotta see the quality of his book!  Amazon carries it. 
> (although, I must say, some of his choices for pictures were a little
> over the top....)

Much thanks for sending me this suggestion.

I read it at:

	http://photo.net/wtr/dead-trees/story.html

First, it is very long, so let me give you a quick summary.  He did his
first book for MacMillan, which is like Sams, Waite, etc.  Basically your
fat book for dummies, and had a pretty terrible experience.  You have to
read it to appreciate it.  This reminds me of Thomas's comment that we
need a good, quality publisher for our books.  If the first book that
came out on PostgreSQL was "PostgreSQL for Dummies", Marc would have a
fit.  And I have seen him in fits -- it is not pretty.

He did his second book for Morgan Kaufmann, who is a quality publisher
like Addison Wesley.  Totally different experience, and a different
quality book.

This is required reading for anyone who is interested in the book
writing experience or is considering writing a book.  People, we need to
stay with the quality publishers, if possible.

I am sure there will be a "PostgreSQL Unleashed" book one day, with tons
of graphic arrows and very little content, but let's put it off as long
as we can.

-- 
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  maillist@candle.pha.pa.us            |  (610) 853-3000
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