Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ucbvax!van-bc!ubc-cs!manis
From: manis@cs.ubc.ca (Vincent Manis)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: comp.edu.books
Keywords: books
Message-ID: <8051@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: 31 May 90 00:56:44 GMT
References: <36600@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> <46117@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Sender: news@cs.ubc.ca
Organization: Bucky Bits Cereal Keyboards, Ltd.
Lines: 58

In article <46117@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> carolh@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
(Carol Hutchins) writes:

>I view the "wordperfect-dbase-123 through DOS system programming"
>books as one category of not much interest.  I would, on the other
>hand, like to hear what books on C++, computer security, databases,
>parallelism, architectures, ..., Those With Foresight regard as of
>lasting importance.

As I mentioned in an earlier article, I find most catalogues not very
useful. Even less inspiring is a typical dialogue with a publisher's
rep: 

Me:  What new books have you got in the pipeline?
Rep: What are you interested in?
Me:  How about operating systems?
Rep: How about _OS/2 For Idiots_?
Me:  I see...you think I'd be interested in it. Actually, I'm more 
     interested in theoretical topics.
Rep: Oh, I see. How about _How To Write An OS/2 Program_?
Me:  No, actually, I was interested in new textbooks on the theory of 
     operating systems. Besides, we don't use OS/2 much around here. 
     Any good texts on UNIX, or TCP/IP, or distributed systems?
Rep: Well, we're just coming out with _UNIX For Idiots_. 
Me:  (represses urge to scream) Look, let's try another area. What about AI?
Rep: (face lights up) Yes, we've got lots of those. How about
     _Artificial Intelligence in QuickBasic_? Or _Artificial
     Intelligence for Realtors_? 
Me:  No, actually, I'm looking for computer science books. Do you have any?
Rep: Yes, we're one of the most extensive computer science publishers
     in the business.
Me:  OK, then how about programming languages?
Rep: _The Compleat Turbo Pascal For Sheep Farmers_?
Me:  Data bases, especially logic programming?
Rep: _The Moron's Guide to dBASE IV_?
Me:  Software Engineering?
Rep: _The Engineer's Guide to 1-2-3_?
Me:  Computer architecture?
Rep: _WordPerfect in the Architect's Office_?
Me:  Functional programming?
Rep: I don't know what that is. I do, however, have a nifty new book on 
     laptop computers. 
Me:  AAARGHHHH!!!!

(any resemblance to the Monty Python `Cheese Shop' sketch is purely
coincidental.) 

It seems pretty clear that publishers don't seem to have much of an idea
of what computer science academics find interesting, or they don't train
their reps. Maybe there's just no profit in CS books nowadays (there
seem to be a lot fewer in the pipeline). I dunno. 


--
\    Vincent Manis <manis@cs.ubc.ca>      "There is no law that vulgarity and
 \   Department of Computer Science      literary excellence cannot coexist."
 /\  University of British Columbia                        -- A. Trevor Hodge
/  \ Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1W5 (604) 228-2394