Book give away

[William Barnes]

The book java ranch is trying to give away today is one of those with the pictures of the authors on the cover. I am really biased against any book which puts photos of the author(s) on the cover. I don't know who thinks that putting pictures of unattractive white guys on the cover is going to help sell a book. O'Rielly has the best covers by far. And why else would I buy a computer book except for the cover. I want to be able to say cool things like "you can borrow my camel book...".

[Thomas Paul]

What have you got against unattractive white guys?

[Paul Ralph]

Oh, please. I'm the kind of guy that doesn't mark up the front of his books, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority. A time honored pasttime is adding mustaches and evil beards to pictures of people that you don't like. So buy a copy and add a beard or two. What better cover than a book that actually has 18 pictures on it???
However, I wouldn't suggest practicing by drawing on the pictures that appear on your screen.
Have fun!
Paul R

[This message has been edited by Paul Ralph (edited July 17, 2001).]

[Jim Yingst]

So Christopher, would it be OK if, hypothetically of course, Wrox were to put out a book that puts a few attractive female faces on the cover? (Along with some goofy-looking guys of assorted races, but you can ignore them.) If so, then be sure to buy multiple copies of such a book, if you see one sometime in the future. It's important to let the market know what you want in a book, after all.

[Aakanksha]

Never judge a book by its cover. I just dont understand why such a hue and cry about the cover of the book. It seems that u, Christopher, are one of those people who buy books based on their looks rather than the contents inside. Beautiful covers no doubt add to the appeal of the book but that's it.
Another thing, if u dislike the authors faces so much why don't u put a beautiful cover on the book and use it.

[Rosie Vogel]

I completely agree with Christopher. Before, if there was any picture of the author at all, it was on the back cover of the book. Whose crazy idea was it to move it to the front?
The picture of the author tells you nothing about the content of the book, unless it's a biography. Of course you might say the same about the mice and the lama's and what-have-you on the cover of the O'Reilly books, but they look really cool.
Looking at the computer books in my room I realize it is hard to think of an interesting picture for the cover, but it's not impossible. Take a look at "Thinking in Java"! Maybe I should start judging books by their covers .

[Angela Poynton]

Plus ... two of the guys on the cover of this book aren't "white" in the technical sense. They're quite clearly Oriental! Not that it matters anyway.
Here at work we love these books .. many an hour can be spent looking at their faces and trying to figure out what kind of person they are!

[Thomas Paul]

And besides, it's fun to play "find the geek" whenever you go to a convention. "Hey, wasn't he on the cover of 'Java and XML'?"

[Nathan Pruett]

Man... that would be one ugly guy if he looked like the "face" on the cover of "Java & XML"...

-Nate

[Jason Menard]

I have to basically agree.... I find the Wrox covers somewhat unsettling. Give me an O'Reilly or Manning cover anyday. I do admit that we have analysed a few of the pictures on the cover and say things like "he looks lie a serial killer, you know the kind where the neighbors said 'he was always so quiet'", or, "Hey, he looks like O.J.!", or even "those two look like they'd make a happy couple" , you know, those kind of things.
While on the subject of Wrox books, I have to admit they are not my favorites. Besides the covers, I prefer books written by one or two authors, not 20. There is some useful information in these books, but it generally takes a lot to get to it, the books are just too big.. I do not generally find them pleasant reads. Even the texture of the paper they use bothers me, or something about the paper anyway, can't quite put my finger on it.
Just my .02. Give me an O'Reilly anyday.
Jason

[Thomas Paul]

I meant this one:

[Thomas Paul]

I do agree that WROX books are... different. I love O'Reilly books. I have 9 O'Reilly Java books in my bookcase. I tend to think of WROX books as more a collection of articles... sort of like a really big magazine.
O'Reilly Books I own:
Enterprise JavaBeans
Java Internationalization
Java Servlet Programming
Java and XML
Java Swing
Java Performance Tuning
Java Message Service
Java Cryptography
Java Enterprise in a Nutshell

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:
I meant this one:

#1: Alannis Morissette in drag
#4 & #12: Probably need to get together
#3: serial killer
#14: Doesn't remember writing book at all, thought he was going to be on cover of High Times

[This message has been edited by Jason Menard (edited July 18, 2001).]

[William Barnes]

One of these books has a guy with his hair in pigtails. (Not a ponytail, pigtails. You know the hair gathered over the ears.) Could someone post a photo of that cover so that we can make fun of him. Thanks.

[Peter Tran]

#13 is probably thinking, "Oh crap! I'm the only girl here."

[John Bateman]

Originally posted by Jason Menard:
#1: Alannis Morissette in drag
#4 & #12: Probably need to get together
#3: serial killer
#14: Doesn't remember writing book at all, thought he was going to be on cover of High Times

[This message has been edited by Jason Menard (edited July 18, 2001).]

Oh my god.. I am totally laughin my a$$ off reading this.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Peter Tran:

#13 is probably thinking, "Oh crap! I'm the only girl here."

... "so why can't I get a date?"

[This message has been edited by Thomas Paul (edited July 23, 2001).]

[Glen Tanner]

Hey Nate! My 14 month old daughter has this toy!


[This message has been edited by Glen Tanner (edited July 23, 2001).]

[Jim Yingst]

Java and XML - so simple even a baby can use them.
That is what you meant, right?

[Mapraputa Is]

That is what he meant...



...Of course you might say the same about the mice and the lama's and what-have-you on the cover of the O'Reilly books, but they look really cool.
Too bad that "white guys on the cover" lost in competition with mice and lamas...
[This message has been edited by Mapraputa Is (edited July 23, 2001).]

[Mapraputa Is]

Actually, "Java and XML" guys look more attractive than "XML database" guys.

Probably that's the principal reason why I drifted from databases to Java...

[Thomas Paul]

O'Reilly is changing all their Java books to their old format covers. here is the new cover of "Java and XML".

[Mapraputa Is]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh... I'd prefer unattractive white guys...
Errata: in my previous post "Actually, "Java and XML" guys look more attractive than "XML database" guys"
should be read as
"Actually, "Java and XML" guys look more attractive than "XML database" guys (except M.Kay)"

[This message has been edited by Mapraputa Is (edited July 24, 2001).]

[Mapraputa Is]

Give me an O'Reilly or Manning cover anyday
Hm. White guys from Wrox covers may not look attractive enough (it's a debatable question), but at least they look in compliance with IT professional standards. Manning guys look desperately unprofessional.

[Jim Yingst]

Manning does have a curious theme to its covers. It's amusing to read the "about the cover" section to see them try to explain what these images have to do with the subject at hand. Like O'Reilly in this respect. Still, if you're studying Python for example, it's hard to take a book that looks like this seriously, as compared to this. (But for the record, I like the Manning book to learn from, and another from New Riders for reference, rather than the O'Reilly. Again, you can't judge a book by its cover. But, it can be fun to judge the covers on their own terms.
[This message has been edited by Jim Yingst (edited July 24, 2001).]

[Mapraputa Is]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
it's hard to take a book that looks like this seriously, as compared to this.

No doubts. Your passion for snakes is too well-known.
About Wrox: I would not blame them too much for putting unattractive guys on covers. They hadn't much choice. All attractive guys already moved on our JavaRanch contact page.

[Thomas Paul]

Originally posted by Mapraputa Is:
About Wrox: I would not blame them too much for putting unattractive guys on covers. They hadn't much choice. All attractive guys already moved on our JavaRanch contact page.

Someone in a news group that I participate in wanted to know what I look like so I pointed her to the contact page. Her comment was that she never knew how many good looking Java programmers there were.

[Thomas Paul]

To me it seems that somone at Manning has a hobby and they are using the covers to inflict that hobby on us. The O'Reilly books at least have some semblance of having something to do with subject.

[Jim Yingst]

Manning provides an explanation (of sorts) for their covers here. It seems kind of weak to me, but there it is...
Map- are you implying that once a person has appeared on the JavaRanch contact page, they are ineligible to appear on the cover of a Wrox book? This may create a problem...

[Mapraputa Is]

Not that they are ineligible, but probably severely disinterested. Who may want to become a Wrox author, if he/she is already a member of JavaRanch' elite?

[Jim Yingst]

Who indeed... ? I hear the pay is better - though that doesn't necessarily mean much.

[Mapraputa Is]

See?

Do you still want it? Only think how much er you, guys, look on our contact page...
[This message has been edited by Mapraputa Is (edited August 05, 2001).]

[Jim Yingst]

Hah! Good job, Map. However, I think the new #7 looks scary on either page. Say, I wonder if we can recruit #13 to the Ranch while we're at it...

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Mapraputa Is:
See?

Do you still want it? Only think how much er you, guys, look on our contact page...

Some different folks on this one, also some I left out last time.

• #4: Thought the "I just got out of bed" look would be appropriate.
  
• #7: Disappeared shortly after this photo was taken. Now either in federal witness protection program, or wearing cement shoes and sleeping with the fishes.
  
• #13: "..and this one time... at band camp..."
  
• #14: This guy really looks like someone I've seen on America's Most Wanted.
  

Jason

[Jason Menard]

Originally posted by Mapraputa Is:
[b]Give me an O'Reilly or Manning cover anyday
Hm. White guys from Wrox covers may not look attractive enough (it's a debatable question), but at least they look in compliance with IT professional standards. Manning guys look desperately unprofessional.[/B]

Hey! We all dress like this where I work.
Jason
[This message has been edited by Jason Menard (edited July 25, 2001).]

[John Bateman]

Originally posted by Thomas Paul:

Originally posted by Mapraputa Is:
[b] About Wrox: I would not blame them too much for putting unattractive guys on covers. They hadn't much choice. All attractive guys already moved on our JavaRanch contact page. Someone in a news group that I participate in wanted to know what I look like so I pointed her to the contact page. Her comment was that she never knew how many good looking Java programmers there were.

Doesn't Sun add 10 points to your cetrification exam results if your a 'hottie"?
hehe.. total aside I'm thinking of the Budweiser Beer Commercials they have out now made by "men". The ones where they 'try' and coerce woman out of the house for day son end so men can hang out and drink beer. Like the 3 day "chick flick" marathon and the one woman on the 'board" at Bud drops here head to the table and mumbles "Idiots..."
hehe...
You are a hottie von hot en heimer!!!

(oh I just thought of a new meaningless drivel topic..)
[This message has been edited by John Bateman (edited July 25, 2001).]

[Thomas Paul]

From Manning:

At a time when it is hard to tell one computer book from another, Manning celebrates the inventiveness and initiative of the computer business with book covers based on the rich diversity of regional life of two centuries ago, brought back to life by Mar�chal's pictures.

I don't have much trouble telling one computer book from another (except for Wrox books... was that the book with the 10 ugly guys or the 12 ugly guys?) In fact the Manning covers show little ingenuity or clevernesss. Just pick a picture from this 18th century book. At least O'Reilly seems to put some thought into their choices.

[Glen Tanner]

Originally posted by Jim Yingst:
Java and XML - so simple even a baby can use them.
That is what you meant, right?

Well, I meant what Map said. But now that you mention it, I'll bet Elizabeth Carver knows XML better than I do. At least she prefers the book over the toy!

[Eager Beaver]

Hey the DBAs look older compared to the JAVA guys....and understandably so....space problem, table dropped by an errant programmer, Image copy needs updation, access slow..do a reorg,
my my....its a hectic job.

JAVA & XML cover(modified)
#1 : sporting a smile or grimacing with pain?...
#15 : a business tycoon just emerged out of his private swimming pool..comfortable in the thought that he could hire the rest on the cover....this pic was prior to the tech slowdown.

[This message has been edited by Eager Beaver (edited July 25, 2001).]

[Mapraputa Is]

#1: this picture was taken when Tom checked his student homeworks. It is a grimace of pain pretending to be a smile...