I am an autodidact. That is a fancy word for being self-taught. That also means I have to be able to harvest data quickly and efficiently to accomplish what I want.
It started in 1991 with a purple cow called DOS for Dummies. Shoutz to Wiley Publishers for stepping out from the crowded market that has been around since ENAC. The “for Dummies” series is different because it is aimed at people who are interested in the “Cliffnotes” of technology. The problem with this series is that they can be too light in how they describe the science behind the magic. They are still good for the quick and dirty of technical subjects ranging from C# to Parenting.
One up is The Bible series of books. Wiley/Blackwell Publishers stepped up and added really great screen-shots. The CD’s in the back are good too.
There are many more publishers that get it done also, but here is the kicker: they are fundamentally over! It costs me $30-$70 to buy a dead tree, analog version of a book that I might find refer to 6 times in one month and NEVER pick up again. What is the alternative?
Cue the O’reilly Safari Bookshelf. This is an awesome idea! I can sign up for a nominal cost and have restriction free access to all of their books. The library is $439 per year and the bookshelf is $220. I can spend $500 in books in 6 months. This is completely worth it! If you can get your company to pay for it and supply your entire tech department… think of the savings!
