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

["Keith Hansen" <KRH -at- weiland-wfg -dot- com>]

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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