Is it just me or are the "Dummies" books going overboard

[Superman]

Might this be a bit of a stretch?

[Temujin]

Not necessarily.

This is really no different than all of the Discovery / History / NatGeo specials where guys like Dr. Michio Kaku come on and try to explain complex sciency stuff in layman's terms.

Although the term "Dummies" can be relative. Looking at the book's cover, it looks like you'll still have to be reasonably intelligent to understand it. Those TV programs are similar. I've come across many a person who has watched them and drawn exactly the wrong conclusions from the science presented.

[Superman]

Yeah, you're right. I just have a hard time associating quantum physics with dummies. I would argue if you've made it far enough to study quantum physics, you're officially out of the whole dummie realm. heh

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

The series' title is a bit of a misnomer, anyway; the books aren't necessary targeted at "dummies", rather, they're excellent starting points for anyone interested in the topic but with no clue where to begin. I have several "Dummie" books myself, simply because they give good, simple overviews of the topic and point to where more in-depth knowledge can be found.

[Temujin]

Yeah. In the past I've considered getting a few for exactly that same reason.

[Sarevok]

They have not gone overboard "writting a dummies book for dummies" is released.

[RazorOutlaw]

I felt like they were going overboard when I saw "Magic: The Gathering For Dummies" and "Christian Prayer for Dummies". Some of the topics just don't seem advanced enough to me to warrant an introductory book. Quantum Physics, though, that's a good one for someone like me.

[Temujin]

Yes, but it's all relative. If I wanted to get into Magic: The Gathering or Christian Prayer (shudders) and knew absolutely nothing about it, a book like that would be a perfect place to start.

[RazorOutlaw]

My follow-up question would be: "Who would care about those things enough to have to pick up a book on them?" Of course that could be turned right back around on a book for quantum physics.

I'm not disputing your logic, though. I just had a feeling, much like Superman, that it was overboard even if there are good reasons to have those books on your shelf.

[adam_grif]

Yeah, you're right. I just have a hard time associating quantum physics with dummies.

You obviously haven't looked far enough.

[Archaic`]

They have not gone overboard "writting a dummies book for dummies" is released.

Too late. I've personally seen "For dummies books for dummies" at my local bookstore.

[Gil Hamilton]

I've thumbed through "Quantum Physics for Dummies". It's not something that anyone could pick up and learn quantum physics. It's more like a book targeted for someone taking P-Chem or entry level Quantum in a physics department. That's about the level of education where you'll get something out of it without it being trivial. It's not a formal textbook, but it might be useful if your P-Chem teacher keeps saying things like "orthogonal basis functions" and you blanked out when he first defined it.

[Phantasee]

I got Feng Shui for Dummies as a gift once. All it did was make me freak out whenever I went to other people's homes. "Youre doing it all wrong!"

Amusingly it is one of the rare books that I always get back after lending it out.

[Superman]

Hey, this one seems oddly appropriate.

[Admiral Valdemar]

I have a piano and cognitive behavioural therapy one. They are quite useful, especially since the piano one is by Blake Neely (The Pacific) and the CBT one is from two doctors at The Priory. A lot of the science ones I looked at really need you to be somewhat adept, as Gil said. You couldn't do the genetics one in a single sitting without having studied at least basic genetics and biochem after school.

[Solauren]

I have several 'for Dummies' programming books. They are excellent introductory / companion to introductory 'self-education' text books.

the 'for Dummies' is more to let you know it's ease of use, not it's actual content level. If you don't realise that, you need 'Reading Comprehension for the Terminally Stupid"

[Seggybop]

How about this series? (Because I know Superman loves animu and mango so much)

[these books are actually really good, btw]

[Gil Hamilton]

I've taught Organic and freshmen chemistry and I've found the first and most important step to getting students to do well is to make clear that the subject can be done. I've watched students trip over really easy math because they see the whole problem and they assume they can't do it. That's the major psychological barrier. The goal then becomes teaching them to relax and then think. Once they do that, the rest comes easily. Such books like the "Dummies" books and that manga guide (which I haven't read), are valuable because they sort of remove the psychological barrier.

[Dooey Jo]

I have a "Java for Dummies". Hilariously, it doesn't contain a single line of Java code. It's actually about integrating Java applets on webpages, 1998-style, with the animated images and fancy visitor counters. I also have a "Windows Game Programming for Dummies". It's pretty good if you live in '90s, which I did when I got it. Even though it pretends to be using C++ when it's actually C. Real simple too. It don't think there's a single malloc in there.

[adam_grif]

It don't think there's a single malloc in there.

Is it just me, or does "malloc" sound like a fantasy villain?

Malloc, the Destroyer was a running gag throughout Algorithms last semester.

[Dooey Jo]

Well he sure can be evil

[adam_grif]

Well he sure can be evil

Every act of allocation is first an act of destruction.