[comp.text] SGML book

sears@sun.uucp (Daniel Sears) (09/15/88)

Salutations,

Well, it had to happen sometime.  The people who brought you ISO 8879
have come out with a book to help those who found the specification
difficult reading.  It's called "SGML: The User's Guide to ISO 8879"
and is published by John Wiley ($39.95 at Computer Literacy).  Such
a warm, human title.  I particularly like the clever use of the word
"user".  Anyway, the authors are Joan Smith, the president of the SGML
Users' Group and someone named Sculley.  The book is 175 pages long and,
this is the part that just kills me, it has a total of 39 short paragraphs.
The rest is just tables and a mammoth index to, what else, the SGML
specification itself.  To be generous, as I always am in matters concerning
SGML, I included the preface and the bios on the insides of the book cover
in this count.

--Dan
-- 
Daniel Sears                Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Technical Publications      MS 5-42
(415) 336-7435              2550 Garcia Avenue
sears@sun.com               Mountain View, CA  94043

hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (09/16/88)

In article <68471@sun.uucp>, sears@sun.uucp (Daniel Sears) writes:
> 
> Well, it had to happen sometime.  The people who brought you ISO 8879
> have come out with a book to help those who found the specification
> difficult reading.  It's called "SGML: The User's Guide to ISO 8879"
> and is published by John Wiley ($39.95 at Computer Literacy).  Such
> a warm, human title.  I particularly like the clever use of the word
> Users' Group and someone named Sculley.  The book is 175 pages long and,
> this is the part that just kills me, it has a total of 39 short paragraphs.
> The rest is just tables and a mammoth index to, what else, the SGML
> specification itself.  To be generous, as I always am in matters concerning
> SGML, I included the preface and the bios on the insides of the book cover

I've always been told by SGML experts that SGML is easy to understand, since 
it is written in human readable form.

The book therefore does not need to be long.

As far as the price is concerned, it probably reflects the unfavorable exchange
rate with the UK, where Joan Smith is located.

Herman Silbiger :-)