Do you read "Dummies" book series?

binarysoul

For many years now, I've seen "Dummbies" series books, i.e. "Netowrking for dummies" and etc. I've never read any simply the title is kind of 'degrading' and I take it at face value. But I could be biased.

So, have you read them? How do you find them?

LarryDaMan

I have read a few of them. Very quick reads, down and dirty. Great for delving into a topic for the first time or for a quick refresher on a topic. Not for in-depth study or reference.

The title is just a marketing gimmick. They are written by different authors, so it is impossible to recommend the books as a series. Do some research on the author before buying.

JDMurray

I've always been intrigued by "Dummies" titles such as, "Beekeeping for Dummies," "Freemasonry for Dummies," "Rottweilers for Dummies," and "Wall Street for Dummies." Do we really want dummies trying these things out?

binarysoul

JDMurray wrote:

I've always been intrigued by "Dummies" titles such as, "Beekeeping for Dummies, [...] Do we really want dummies trying these things out?

Congrats JDMurray! You've just figured out who to blame for the current financial crisis

Some dummies messed up the numbers!

binarysoul

LarryDaMan wrote:

I have read a few of them. Very quick reads, down and dirty.

Here's a section from an actual Dummies book telling you what each icon means in the book:

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"Technical Stuff - Technical information you can merrily skip over.

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Remember - Something you should remember to do.

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Warning! - Something you should remember not to do.

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Tip - A healthy suggestion worthy of note."

Now that's the lord of dummies

LarryDaMan

Listen, I am not an expert on "Dummies" books. But, I think you're getting too caught up on the titles and marketing involved. The supposed charm in these books is that they are informal, easy to read, and for the laymen (Dummy).

Catchy titles and slogans aside, you could find some good info or you may not. Just take them for what there are worth. They are not a comprehensive guide for any topic, but they don't claim to be.

You got me defending these silly Dummies books! Thanks a lot, I obviously need to get a life so I have something better to do on a Saturday morning.

binarysoul

No, I actually like the book. It's using funny language and that's what I need to learn boring stuff

IT Man

The dummies books are what got me into IT. Building a PC for dummies was my first IT book. But I agree, it's a good reference book but not for in depth study.

undomiel

Only one I took a look at was TCP/IP for dummies. It was being used as part of the training curriculum for a call center. It was actually pretty good and had surprisingly in-depth info in it. I would recommend not giving them a complete pass inspite of the title.

jibbajabba

I just bought the SQL 2005 for dummies .. started to read it ...

stupidboy

I tried to read a couple from the Dummies series, I always get hung up on the fake humour and end up putting it down and choosing another book.

I really have problems with books, if I don't like to style I cannot learn. As I am so fussy, I have a subscription to http://safari.oreilly.com to ensure that I get along with the writing style before I print or buy.

jibbajabba

Same here really .. I get bored quite quickly ..

But I enjoyed the Mark Minasi series of Server 2003 VERY much ..

stupidboy

Gomjaba wrote:

But I enjoyed the Mark Minasi series of Server 2003 VERY much ..

I've heard very good things about the Mark Minasi series, I look forward to reading some in the future

dynamik

I haven't gone through any of the IT Dummies books because they seemed to lack the depth I was looking for, but I have some, such as DSLRs for Dummies, that have been great introductions to things I wasn't familiar with.

RussS

We have a few at work. They can be great assistance when delving into something you are not familiar with and need to find the right command to do something.

astorrs

I've read Storage Area Networking for Dummies (which at the time of its release was one of the two best books as an intro to SANs) and Crystal Xcelsius for Dummies - since at the time it was the only book out there - and honestly it wasn't half bad.