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| Author | Various |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Rich Tennant (UK editions useEd McLachlan) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Instructional/reference |
| Publisher | IDG Books/Hungry Minds. LaterWiley. |
| Published | October 1, 1991 (DOS For Dummies) |
| Website | dummies |
For Dummies is an extensive series of instructionalreference books which are intended to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. The series has been a worldwide success with editions in numerous languages.
The books are an example of amedia franchise, consistently sporting a distinctive cover—usually yellow and black with a triangular-headed cartoon figure known as the "Dummies Man", and an informal, blackboard-style logo. Prose is simple and direct; bold icons, such as a piece of string tied around an index finger, are placed in the margin to indicate particularly important passages.
The first title,DOS For Dummies,[1] was written byDan Gookin and published in November 1991 by IDG Books.DOS For Dummies became popular due to the rarity of beginner-friendly materials for usingDOS. The Windows title written byAndy Rathbone was soon released. While initially the series focused solely on software and technology topics, it later branched out to more general-interest titles, with topics as diverse asAcne For Dummies,Chess For Dummies,Fishing For Dummies and many other topics. The series is now published byJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.,[2] which acquired Hungry Minds (the new name for IDG Books as of 2000) in early 2001.[3]
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NotableFor Dummies books include:
Almost allDummies books are organized around sections called "parts", which are groups of related chapters. Parts are almost always preceded by aRich Tennant comic that refers to some part of the subject under discussion, though the comics were discontinued in 2012.[6] Sometimes the same Tennant drawing reappears in anotherDummies book with a new caption.
Another constant in theDummies series is "The Part of Tens", a section at the end of the books where lists of 10 items are included. They are usually resources for further study and sometimes also include amusing bits of information that do not fit readily elsewhere.
Several related series have been published, includingDummies 101, with step-by-step tutorials in a large-format book (now discontinued);More ... for Dummies, which are essentially sequels to the first... For Dummies book on the subject; andFor Dummies Quick Reference, which is a condensed alphabetical reference to the subject. A largerAll-in-One Desk Reference format offers more comprehensive coverage of the subject, normally running about 750 pages. Also, some books in the series are smaller and do not follow the same formatting style as the others.
Wiley has also launched an interactive online course with Learnstreet based on its popular book,Java for Dummies, 5th edition.[7]
A spin-off board game,Crosswords for Dummies, was produced in the late 1990s.[8] The game is similar toScrabble, but instead of letter tiles, players draw short strips of cardboard containing pre-built English words. The words vary in length from three to seven letters, with more points acquired for playing longer words. Another board game,SAT Game For Dummies, is used inSAT preparation. AChess for Dummies was made, a black-and-yellow chessboard with a picture of a piece, along with a summary of how the piece moves, printed its starting positions, although there is a book with the same name.
In 2004, French publisherAnuman Interactive obtained the digital exploitation rights and launched many applications based on theFor Dummies collection, such asHome Design 3D For Dummies andHistory For Dummies.[9]
Not knowing anything about computers, the customer suggested, 'Something like DOS for dummies.' The remark stuck with Kilcullen. In 1991 he was attending a publishing conference as the co-founder and publisher of IDG Books Worldwide. One of the speakers at the conference was author Dan Gookin. Impressed with Gookin's take on the publishing industry, Kilcullen signed him up to authorDOS for Dummies. The first print run ofDOS for Dummies was 7,500 copies. The book ...
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